Death Of D. M.

Forsyth

Well-known New Guinea Planter.

NEWS of the death in Sydney of Mr.

D. M. Forsyth—a prominent resi dent of New Guinea —will be re ceived with great regret throughout the Territory. Mr. Forsyth, during his ten years there, had made many friends, to all of whom he was popu larly known as “Dad.” Of late, he had done invaluable work in the interests of the returned soldier settlers. He took a keen, helpful interest in public affairs.

Injuries received at the war had seriously undermined Mr. Forsyth’s health, and he recently came to Syd ney from Rabaul to consult a special ist. He was operated on at a private hospital, but never recovered, his death occurring on March 31.

Mr. Forsyth, who was about 55 years old, was a native of New Zealand. For some time he was an accountant at tached to an insurance company in the Dominion, and later came to Australia.

With the outbreak of War he enlisted and, while serving in France as a Lieutenant with the 19th Battalion, A.I.F., he was severely wounded.

He arrived in Rabaul in 1922 and joined the Expropriation Board as ac countant. Subsequently, he resigned from the Board and became secretary of the New Guinea Club, Rabaul. Sub sequently, he established himself as a public accountant in the town. When the coconut plantations were offered for sale by the Board, Mr. Forsyth ac quired Muschu Plantation, on the mainland of New Guinea, between Ai tape and Madang. Latterly, with Mr.

N. O’Dwyer, he took up Gavit Planta tion, in the Baining District of New Britain. He also acquired Galtum Plantation in the same district. Inci dentally, the product of Mr. Forsyth’s Gavit Plantation was recently selected by the New Guinea Department of Agriculture to go to a special exhibi tion in London, as a first-class sample of hot-air (Chula) dried copra.

Last year, as President of the New Guinea Returned Soldiers’ League, Mr.

Forsyth visited Australia to seek from the Federal Government some further relief for planters, on account of the low price of copra. His efforts were successful, for last June the Federal authorities announced that the mora torium for payments on “expropriated” plantations would be extended for an other year.

Mr„ Forsyth is survived by his wife, who is also well-known in the Terri tory.

The remains were cremated at Rook wood. Among those present were the Federal Minister for Health (Mr.

Marr), Colonel W. McKenzie, Colonel A. W. Hyman, Lieut.-Colonel H. B.

Taylor. Major W. J. Sherbon, Captain A. E. Dent, Captain W. P. C. Andrew, and Messrs. A. T. Carpenter, G. A. Gill, H. J. Aylward, R. G. Horniman, and R. Verney.