This book examines the social dynamics and operational processes within an industrial plant and its labor compound in urban New Guinea. The study, based on fieldwork conducted between 1967 and 1969, focuses on Papuan Manufacturing and Distributing Pty Ltd. It investigates the intricate relationships between the company's industrial operations and the social lives of its workers, exploring how these elements interact and shape the urban environment.

The book offers a focused anthropological and sociological examination of industrialization's impact on a specific community in New Guinea. Its detailed fieldwork from the late 1960s provides a historical snapshot of urban social processes. The study likely appeals to specialists in industrial sociology, urban anthropology, and the history of Papua New Guinea.