Torres Straits News

From Our Own Correspondent .

Thursday Is., April 25.

GOOD rains have fallen during the month, and so far the rainfall has exceeded last year’s figures, though still under the average. We are hav ing a late Nor’-West, too.

It was thought, with the return of a steady S.E. wind at the beginning of the month, that the N.W. was letting us down lightly this season, but last week there was a succession of blows and squalls, and a reversion to Nor’- West conditions. Shipping has had an anxious time, and the mission boats making their first trip for the year from down the Gulf, have had some heavy weather to battle against. The end of March and the beginning of April is a period generally regarded with some degree of anxiety, as it is then that cyclones take it into their head to dodge round the North.

The Imperial Hotel has changed hands, and is now under the manage ment of Mrs. A. D. Herring. Mr. C.

Sawyer and family, who formerly occu pied it (Mrs. Sawyer being the licensee) have left for England.

The Hall was brightly adorned on April 7 for the Regimental Ball, and some pretty costumes were in evidence.

The whole function was a thorough success. The soldiers will be with us for a little longer yet, as the work of removal to Darwin is not yet com pleted. We shall miss them when they leave, however, socially and. in other ways.

The telegraph office on Australia’s fingertip, at Cape York, about 30 miles across Endeavour Strait from here, is now in charge of a lineman only, Mr.

A. Sorensen, former postmaster, having been transferred. The Commonwealth Government is effecting economies by reducing the staff to one.

The Town Band is now giving music recitals on Sunday evenings, after church service, on the Jetty, under Bandmaster Saranealis. The little com

munity here is fortunate on having a musical combination which has stuck together well for a lengthy period, and which has always been ready to give its services whenever anything was on at which it could assist. The coming of the talkies has meant an alteration in the musical programme at the bi weekly picture sessions at which the Band formerly used to play; but it is hoped that the Band will be all the more appreciated in the regular con certs that it is now holding, and the townspeople will give it all support.

Another identity formerly well known on the Island who passed away re cently in Sydney was Mr. Charles Bang man, whose relatives (Mr. and Mrs.

Hennessey) reside here, and for whom all sympathy is felt.

Trochus shell has taken an upward lift again, much to the satisfaction of all those in the industry here.

Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Daniells, who went to the Edward River (in the Gulf of Carpentaria) to open up a new mis sion amongst the aboriginals in con nection with the Anglican Church, have been compelled to relinquish the work owing to the effect of the trying climate upon Mrs. Daniells’ health, and have come up to Thursday Island to go south.

At the monthly meeting of the local branch of the C.W.A. last week, some projects were brought forward for adding to the appearance of the town and also providing recreation grounds for the children, so that no doubt we shall be seeing a move made in this direction later on.

Mr. A. Adams, manager for B.P. & Co. here, has left on holidays, and is being relieved by Mr. W. Cadzon.

Mrs. Ernestine Hill, a Sydney journalist who has been seeing life in North Australia, arrived here by a recent ship, and is now busy gathering impressions and sipping the cup of historic romance. T.I. and the North has much to offer in this way, and to writers of sympathetic outlook and understanding eye people here are always ready to afford what informa tion they can concerning the olden days. Mrs. Hill hopes to incorporate some of her work later in a book on that part of Australia which is still so little known to southerners.

The annual Anzac Day celebrations were carried out to-day as usual. Ser vices were held by the Churches at nine o’clock, and in the evening a pub lic meeting took place at the Town Hall, when resolutions were moved and seconded by the Rev. Fr. Doyle and the Rev. W. Burvill, in appro priate speeches. Mr. D. G. Hall spoke on behalf Ctf the R.S.S.L.A., and musical items were contributed by the Town Band and Mesdames Hockings, Sin clair, and Sullivan. After the one minute silence, the Last Post was sounded, by Mr. D. H. Saranealis. The meeting, which was well attended, was presided over by the Mayor, Ald. A.

Corrah.

The “Ulysses” spent a day at T.I. on her way through with tourists re cently, and her passengers were given

the opportunity of seeing the reefs and marine life near Good Island.

The steamers for south still report full bookings. Generally, all berths are taken in the first class section.

On the Darwin run, ladies wanting to travel have to wait for the “Marella,” which goes through every other month, the “Mangola” taking only male passengers.

The Chamber of Commerce at its last meeting discussed some important matters relating to the welfare of the island and northern trade; and some thing more will be heard of these a little later on in these columns.

Mr, Sherman has arrived to fill the position of engineer at the Torres Strait Fresh Food and Ice Company’s works. He brought a new motor car with him, which adds one more to the island tally of cars.

Mrs. Keating, the popular hostess of the Grand Hotel, met with an accident recently and sustained a broken collar bone, which has necessitated a stay in hospital. She is making good progress.

The wife of, the Bishop of Carpen taria, Mrs. S. H. Davies, who accom panied the Bishop to Sydney in Sep tember but had been unable to return since owing to her state of health, arrived back in the China 'boat to-day.