Mrs. E. A. Wisdom

Death in Sydney

Popular N. Guinea Figure

NEW GUINEA residents will re ceive with deepest regret the news of the death of Mrs. Agnes Bell Wisdom, wife of Brigadier-Gen eral E. A. Wisdom, which occurred in Sydney on November 9.

Mrs. Wisdom, who had been in New Guinea since her husband was appointed Administrator of the Ter ritory, in 1921, was one of the most popular personalities there, and the leader of social life. As hostess at the beautifully situated Government House at Rabaul, she was always most charming to residents and visitors alike. She will be very sadly missed in the Islands capital.

Mrs. Wisdom, in May last, had to suffer the amputation of both her legs above the knees, owing to the arteries in her feet having ceased to

function. She made satisfactory pro gress and her health appeared to have greatly improved when she returned to Sydney from Rabaul, by the Sep tember trip of the Macdhui.

The deceased lady was the second daughter of Mr. A. Jackson, of Edin burgh, who celebrated his 90th birth day last August.

She married Mr. E. A. Wisdom in Edinburgh, when she was 18 years of age, and went to West Australia with him 36 years ago. She paid many visits to her homeland and did notable war work.

When Brigadier-General Wisdom went to Egypt she followed, and did Red Cross work until he moved to Gallipoli. Mrs. Wisdom then went to London and became a parlormaid in Princess Christian’s Red Cross Hos pital. She was secretary to Lady Robinson, Commandant of the Austra lian Red Cross, in London, and for her various services, lasting till the end of the war, was awarded three war medals.

Upon the cessation of hostilities, Brigadier-General and Mrs. Wisdom returned to Western Australia and made their home at Cottesloe, of which town Brigadier-General Wis dom became Mayor, and later repre sented his division in the Western Australian Parliament.

While in New Guinea, Mrs. Wisdom accompanied her husband on many long tours of inspection and she had the distinction of having gone fur ther up the Sepik River than any other white woman.

The interment, which was attended by many residents and ex-residents of New Guinea, took place at South

Head Cemetery. According to The

Sydney Morning Herald, the mourners

included: Brigadier General E. A. Wisdom, Messrs. R. W.

Hamilton (representing Mr. J. T. Heathershaw, sec retary to the Commonwealth Treasury). E. W.

Hulle (chief inspector of the Commonwealth Bank, representing the Governor and Deputy-Governor), G. F. Murphy (Sheriff of New South Wales), Wal ter Lucas (ex-chairman, Expropriation Board, New Guinea), the Rev. M. A. Warren (Australian Board of Missions and St, George’s Church. Rabaul), Dr. H. V. Hordern, Mr. and Mrs, A. E. Hughes, Captain J. A. Broadbent (secretary Imperial Ser vice Club), Colonel A. H. Moseley (Returned Medical Officers’ Association), Messrs. J. O’Grady and C. E. Leake (New Guinea Trade Agency), Lieutenant-Colonel E. J. Munro (secretary Country party of New South Wales), Messrs. F. S. Boyce, M.L.C., G. A. Watson (Deputy Crown Solicitor), F. T. D. Meares and P. E. Walcott (Public Ser vice Commissioner), Major C, W. C. Marr, M.P., Commander G. J. Banks, R.A.N.R. (retired), Colonel E. C. Norrie, Commandant Rupert Roscoe, Brigadier-General J. Lamrock, Mr. R. J. Nos worthy (managing director, Burns, Philp and Co.

Ltd.), Major R. H, Norman, Mr. W. R. Carpenter, Major J. N. Doyle, Brigadier-General J. Paton, Captain H. J. Feakes, Captain E. Butler, Lieut. W.

S. Moore, Messrs. F. Wallin (Burns, Philp and Co. Ltd.), Major H. L. Bruce, Mrs. Samuel Hor dern, Lady Waley, Mr. D. L. Dowdell (Orient Line), Messrs. J. O. Meeks (director, Harrison Ramsay Pty. Ltd.), W. L. Moors, G. Jeffrey, jun., and W. M. Macfarlane, Mr. and Mrs. S. Wharton Kirke, Mr. Clem Wharton-Kirke, Mr. and Mrs.

Roystone Davey, Dr. G. C. Byrne, Mr. and Mrs.

Neville Hall, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Bloomfield.

Messrs. G. C. McCully, D. C. Hall, A. A. Hall and Colin Hall, Mr. and Mrs. J. G. McLaren, Dr.

M. J. O’Shea, Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Sagar, Mr. and Mrs. W. Mirow, Mrs. G. Schmidt and Miss Schmidt,, Messrs. Burleigh Gorman, Alban Gee, J. J. Feain, C. G. Hudson, C. J. W. Gillan, A. A.

Gaffney, Essington Moore, T, C. Wright, R.

Strelitz and H. J. Aylward.

There were many wreaths, including those from the Prime Minister (Mr. Scullin), Judge Wanliss (Chief Justice of Rabaul), Judge Phillips, Sir Samuel Hordern, the New Guinea Trade Agency, Burns, Philp and Co. Ltd., W. R. Carpenter Ltd , the New Guinea administrative staff, and many gold-mining companies, plantation owners and friends.

Mrs. E. A. Wisdom

Photo by Falk