Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the debate amongst Lihirians, other Papua New Guineans, and expatriates in Londolovit township, purpose built to house workers for the Lihir Gold mine, about just what constitutes the good life, whether money and material wealth, services and facilities, or connections to family.

Paper long abstract:

In Londolovit township in Papua New Guinea, purpose-built to house workers for the Lihir Gold mine, just what constitutes 'the good life' is a matter of much debate. Lihirians, for example, often locate the good life in the material wealth accumulated by expatriates and PNG nationals (non-Lihirian Papua New Guineans) living in the township. Comparing their lives unfavourably with the latter, they express a desire for large, well-provisioned houses available to expatriates and non-Lihirians. While many expatriates working at the mine spend some years in overseas mining employment with its high salaries in order to secure the good life for themselves and their families, many female expatriates, generally not employed by the mine express dissatisfaction with their lives citing lack of connections to family, boredom and lack of services and facilities. Non-Lihirian Papua New Guineans living in the mining camp or government housing compare their lives unfavourably with those living in the superior mining company housing. For many Papua New Guinean citizens, access to the good life is seen as a question of race rather than the result of hard work. Just who has access to 'the good life' and what this concept represents is subject to dispute. For Lihirians such disputation was part of their critique of the mine more generally, while for expatriate women discussions about quality of life occurred in less public forums. For numerous people in Londolovit township, expatriates and PNG citizens alike, it seems the good life is elusive.