Death Of Head Chief Of Nauru

From Our Canberra Correspondent

ON November 6 the Acting Prime Minister (Mr. Fenton) received a letter from Mr. W. A. Newman, Ad-

ministrator of Nauru, giving particu lars of the death of Daimon, Head Chief of the Island, whom he described as probably the most picturesque per sonality of the Pacific. Daimon died on October 21, aged 80 years.

Nauru was captured by an Aus tralian Expeditionary Force in 1914, and it supplies the greater part of the Commonwealth’s phosphate require ments.

Formerly, the Chiefdom of the Nauru district was an hereditary office, but in recent years the Chiefs have been se lected by the adult population. On the last occasion the election was con ducted by ballot, and it is interesting to note that the procedure of the Com monwealth electoral system was fol lowed, and that voting was compulsory!

Women are eligible to stand as candi dates. but no woman has held office as Chief since 1925.

The Chiefs are entrusted with the maintenance of order and other mat ters associated with local government in the districts under their control, and the Administrator presides at their periodical conferences. (An interesting account of Daimon’s life, and a tribute to his many fine qualities, specially written by Mr. W. A.

Newman. Administrator of Nauru, will be published in the December issue of this journal.)

Recent photograph of Daimon.