About Islands People

Rev. C. W. Whonsbon-Aston, late vicar of Levuka, and recently acting Bishop of Fiji, is going to Papua to take up mis sionary work under Dr. Newton, Bishop of Papua. Mr. Aston has extensive know ledge of missionary work in the Lau group, east of Viti Levu, and he recently refused an offer of a living worth £800 in Singapore to accept the £25 a year in the wilds of New Guinea. He is a small man with a most delightful address; and he always makes fast friends where he goes—wafting a Christian fragrance around him that makes for Peace and Kindness: a very remarkable man, though petite in stature. I understand that his old mother goes with him —he has never married. —A.J.V.

Mr. W. C. Groves, a well-known an thropologist in New Guinea, was recently elected to a fellowship of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. For the past three years, Mr. Groves has been conducting culture contact investigations in various parts of the Mandated Territory, as a Research Fellow in Social Anthropology of the Aus tralian National Research Council.

Mr. Lars Halvorsen, well-known Sydney boat builder, returned in June from a trip to Papua, New Guinea and the British Solomon Islands. Mr. Halvorsen has built scores of small craft for the Islands, but this was his first visit to those regions.

As a result of his visit, Mr. Halvor sen proposes to design a special craft 50ft. long, fitted with diesel engines, for use in the Solomon Islands. He intends, when his design is completed, to submit it to certain Island residents for their criticism before he builds a vessel on those specifications.

Rev. George H. West, Melanesian mis sionary in the Reef Group of the British Solomon Islands, left New Zealand in June for London, where he will spend his furlough.

Mr. C. H. Hughes, who has been for many years General Manager of the Sydney office of the Union Steamship Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., retired from the com pany at the end of June, owing to ill health. He has been in the service of the company for 55 years. Joining the company in 1879 as junior clerk, he rose to the position of Assistant Manager, be fore being transferred to Fiji. Arriving in Suva in the early nineties, he was agent for the Union Co. for several years and then returned to Dunedin, New Zea land, as Secretary to the company. After brief periods at Hobart and Melbourne, he succeeded the late Mr. David Mills as Sydney Manager. His position will be filled by Mr. A. J. Soutar, who has been manager of the Union Company’s office in Melbourne.

Miss E. E. Muir, of To Hore (near Wel lington), New Zealand, left Sydney in June for the Melanesian Mission at Tor gil, Vanua Lava, in the Banks Group.

She is a certificated teacher and will have Nurse Simpson as her companion at Torgil.

Mr. W. P. A. Lapthorne, a director of Guinea Airways, Ltd., arrived in Sydney by the Montoro on July 11, after a visit to the N.G. goldfields.

Mr. R. O. Mant, one of the pilots en gaged on the aeroplane service of Messrs.

W. R. Carpenter & Co.. Ltd., in New Guinea, is at present in Sydney on Fur louerh.

Mr. G. H. Morgan, who has been on the staff of the Union Steamship Co. of N.Z.

Ltd. for 43 years, will retire at the end of July. For several years Mr. Morgan has been manager of the . trans-Paciflc department. His place will be taken by Mr. F. H. Hamlin, of the Sydney office.

Dr, F. A. Macpherson, who has charge of the Melanesian Mission’s hospital at North Mela, Solomon Islands, returned to Tulagi by the Malaita on June 30.

Mr. W. R. Carpenter, Managing-Direc tor of the Islands firm of Messrs. W. R.

Carpenter and Co., Ltd., who has been in England since December last in con nection with Islands trade and shipping, is on his way back to Australia. He will arrive in Sydney by the Naldera on July 26.

Mr. E. W. P. Chinnery, Government Anthropologist in New Guinea, lectured before the Royal Anthropological Insti ture in London on July 9, describing the natives of the Territory. He said that the Kukukukus, fiercest and bravest of the warrior tribes, were gradually coming under white influence. Mr. Chinnery showed numerous pictures taken in the newly-discovered Ramu and Purari plateaux, illustrating varying types of natives and their unique methods of agri culture, and said that anthropological re search there should be amply repaid in contributions to cultural knowledge. The credit for the discoveries belonged jointly to missionaries, miners and Government officials, especially the Leahy brothers and Messrs. Taylor, Penglase and McCarthy.

Mr. C. R. Bignell, well-known planter of Fulakora, Ysabel Island, British Solo mon Islands, arrived in Sydney on June 24 by the Malaita. Mr. Bignell came to Sydney to seek medical treatment, and on arrival was taken to the Community Hospital, Moore Park, Sydney, suffering

from tropical poisoning. In the middle of June his condition, though not serious, showed little improvement.

Miss A. Thompson, formerly of Eng land, who has been studying theology in New Zealand and undergoing training for her nursing diploma, has now completed her studies. She has been appointed to the Melanesian mission station at Rega, in the New Hebrides.