Frank Taylor

30 + years of practical experience with off shore operations, including remote localities and developing countries, visiting Australian Military History sites leading tour groups, film documentary operations logistics, historical researchers and authors. Experiential depth of management listed below.

Additionally a proven ability to organise and operate group tours to locations as above for special interest groups such as family members of those who served, associations and significant event commemorative tours.

Licensed Australian Travel Agent

Frank Taylor, owner/manager, served 31 years in the Western Australia Police (Traffic, General Duties, Emergency Operations) Deputy Principal Police Academy) retiring as an Inspector, and in the Australian Army Reserve (Armour, Infantry and Military Police) through all ranks retiring as a Captain after some 38 years. Experience gained in those services is applied to effective planning and safe operations of tour activities.

Frank Taylor has acted as a consultant for the following:

• Consultant and PNG facilitator for the Australian Army documentary film “The Bloody Track” (1992)
• Facilitated – including PNG Location Management – Chris Masters’ Kokoda Trail filming operations for his highly acclaimed 4 Corners production of “The Men Who Saved Australia” (1995)
• Initiated the concept and facilitated (PNG Location Management and logistics) the Electric Pictures award winning documentary film “Requiem for a Generation of Lost Souls” (1996)
• Facilitated (PNG Location Management and military advisor) the Kokoda Trail and PNG beach head filming of the 2 part documentary “Kokoda” ABC (2010)
• Planned and facilitated author Peter Brune’s fact finding trek of Kokoda, Milne Bay and Gona/Buna/Sanananda for his best selling “A Bastard of a Place”. (Acknowledged)
• Planned and facilitated author Peter Brune’s
• Singapore/Malaysia/Thailand/Burma exploratory journey fact finding for the production of his current book project on The Fall of Singapore/Changi and the Thai-Burma Railway – “Descent into Hell”. (Acknowledged)
• Facilitated and lead research treks of the Kokoda Trail for Paul Ham and his best selling book “Kokoda” and for Dr. Peter Williams’ for his book “The Kokoda campaign 1942 – Myth and Reality”. ( Acknowledged)

Consultative assistance given and acknowledged by author Phillip Bradley for his authoritative reference book “On Shaggy Ridge” and to Bill James’ (trek leader & research information) for his “Field Guide to the Kokoda Trail”. (Both acknowledged)

Consultant advice to groups and organisations including PNG’s Tourist Promotion Authority, National Cultural Committee and Oro Provincial Government of PNG; RSL (Australia) National Headquarters, Kochi-New Guinea Association (Japan); “Australia Remembers” Task Force Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs; Alamein Military Museum Egypt; Tobruk Tourism Authority Libya; International Heritage Section Department of the Environment Australia etc.

Member of the Kokoda Trail Maintenance Advisory Committee and of the Kokoda Ethics & Advisory Committee which reported to the Australian Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Kokoda. Founder committee member of the Papua New Guinea Travel Industry Association. Panel member Kokoda Trail Military Heritage Project. He has travelled over the Kokoda Track some 130 plus times.

Committee member of the 16 Battalions’ Foundation and Vice President of the 28th Battalion ( The Swan Regiment ) Association – and life member of that Association.

And directly contributed to the following :

Establishment of bronze plaque monuments at key locations along the Kokoda Trail, beach locations of Buna, Sanananda, Gona; memorials for RSL Australia, the American Legion, Australian services unit associations and private families; and ANZAC memorial plaque at Gelibolu Turkey.

Location, reporting and recovery of remains of Australian and United States servicemen from Papua New Guinea locations.

The introduction of Australian relevant material for display in overseas public settings – including museums and schools- such as the Gaba Tepe Museum, Eceabat High Schools (Gallipoli), the Alamein Military Museum Egypt and in Tobruk, Libya, Grass Roots Museum (Kochi Japan).

Village community benefit works in the Owen Stanley Mountains, Finisterre Mountains, Buna-Gona-Sanananda and other remote localities in Papua New Guinea; “Weaving for Women” support group Sangklaburi, Thailand.