| The last of the Australian troops acting as peacekeepers in Bougainville have arrived back in Australia aboard HMAS Tobruk. Defence and civilian personnel have been based in the Papua New Guinean region since 1998. The last contingent docked in Townsville today. The Chief of Staff of the peace monitoring group, Lieutenant Colonel Brian Cox says it has been an emotional time for the soldiers and the Bougainville people. "The Bougainville people were wonderful, there were a lot of friendships which had been struck up and it was very sad to leave them," he said. "There will be a lot of people there looking with great hope to see how the island now heads towards autonomous government so they can head back there in due course and renew those friendships." |