Dick Roche Is Lost

Famous N.G. Pioneer

Hero Of Many Exploits

From Our Own Correspondent

Thursday Is., Nov. 1.

THE news of the mysterious dis appearance of Mr. Dick Roche from his coconut plantation in Dutch New Guinea reached Thursday Island during October in a cable from a friend in Dobo. The curt announce ment, “Dick Roche missing fifty days; hopeless,” caused universal re gret.

So far, no further details have reached us; and whether Dick per ished in his launch at sea, or in the jungle remains unknown, though the latter solution seems the more likely.

Outside of Merauke, right up to the boundary of British territory, the south-east part of Dutch New Guinea can hardly be said to be under thorough administrative control. The temper of the native tribes inhabit ing this part of the country, round the Bensbach River and Java Creek, which Dick was in the habit of visit ing, is not definitely known, but the fact that adjoining natives belonging to the British side of the border have given trouble of late makes it almost certain that the whole of. this region is inclined to be hostile to white pene tration.

Dick has had several close calls during his travels in Dutch New Guinea, having had to make fighting retreats from savages who resented intrusion into their domains on more than one occasion. Alas, we all know the proverb of the pitcher that went once too often to the well.

Dick will be greatly missed by people of all classes, who welcomed his regular visits here. No more in teresting, not to say romantic, per sonality than the kindly ex-bird shooter and planter, lived in these districts. Possessed of the true pio neering spirit, Dick struggled against odds for upwards of twenty years, in and about the unknown Dutch ter ritory.

When Birds of Paradise comman ded sales in Europe, he was one of the foremost and most venturesome of those who embarked in the trade —in fact, in 1924, when prices were dropping, he held the distinction of being the only licensed European bird shooter in the world. The wild coun try which that solitary white man explored, the unknown rivers he as cended, the many tribes he got into touch with (many of whom had never before seen a white man), his contests against fierce savages and relentless Nature, his many thrilling adventures by sea and land —all the moving tale of his life in the wilds — will now be lost. Dick was urged, many times, to write the story of his later years and, indeed, it would have been worth the telling.

Dick Roche was well known in Port Moresby, whence he set off in 1913, in the company of Mr. Jackson, a former partner, to a life of toil and adventure in the western (or Dutch) part of the great island. He came of warm-hearted Irish stock in New Zealand.

Mr. Roche’s relatives live in Gore, Southland, New Zealand, and the editor of The Pacific Islands Monthly, who hails from the same town, ten ders them his sincere sympathy and a tribute to one who was truly a pioneer of the Pacific.