About Islands People

Mr. and Mrs. George Aumuller, who have been in Sydney for some months during Mr. Aumuller’s extended leave, left by the Marella for Port Moresby on July 6. They will later go on to Samarai where Mr. Aumuller is manager of Messrs.

Burns, Philp and Co.’s branch. The two young Aumuller girls are now at a board ing school in Moss Vale, N.S.W.

Pastor G. Peacock, who has been ap pointed Superintendent of S.D.A. missions in New Guinea in succession to Mr. G.

McLaren, who resigned recently, left Sydney for Matupi (Rabaul) by the July Montoro. Mr. Peacock has had many years experience as a missionary in the Pacific Islands; he was first stationed in Papua, then the Solomon Islands, and before being appointed to his present position was in the New Hebrides for three and a half years, during the latter part of which he was Superintendent of S.D.A. work in the Condominium, with headquarters at Aoba, South Santo.

“Working under Mr. S. H. Gander, S.D.A. native teachers are rapidly penetrating the Mount Hagen area,” said Mr. Peacock.

“Recently, we doubled the native teaching staff at Ramu, our base for work in Cen tral New Guinea, and another white mis sionary will shortly proceed to the Man dated Territory to assist Mr, Gander in his evangelistic work among the primitive tribes in that new region.”

Mr. Lauriston Sharp, of Harvard Uni versity, U.S.A., arrived at Thursday Island early in June by the Francis Pritt. For several months he has been conducting anthropological investigations among the natives of the Gulf country, and is now engaged in systematising his valuable scientific data.

Mr. and Mrs. O. B. Hug returned to the Solomon Islands by the July Malaita, after an extended holiday of 18 months spent in Tasmania and Queensland. Mr.

Hug’s plantation is at Maru Bay, San Cristoval.

Rev. and Mrs. J. W. Dixon returned to Papua recently by the Macdhui from Bris bane, with their baby daughter who was born in May last. Mr. Dixon is Principal of the Methodist Mission’s Training Col lege at Salamo.

Lady Murray, wife of the Lieutenant- Governor of Papua, arrived in Australia from Port Moresby on July 17. She in tends to leave shortly for New Zealand, and, after a brief visit to Christchurch, will continue on to England.

Rev. and Mrs. A. E. Brawn, who ar rived in Sydney from the Methodist Mis sion’s station at Nakanai, New Britain, by the March Montoro, have been advised by medical authorities against returning to the tropics. Mr. Brawn will do deputa tion service in the Australian States until he is appointed to a circuit in New South Wales.

Mr. Rajmal Singh, son of Sergeant- Major Singh, of the Fiji Constabulary, died after an operation at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Suva, on June 15.

Joining the Fiji Public Works Department in 1924 as an engineering apprentice, he later qualified as a fitter and engineer in the Mechanical Engineer’s Department at Walu Bay, Fiji. He was a prominent member of the Boy Scouts’ Association of Fiji, and, as captain of the Indian Reform League football team for the last three years, was a keen sportsman.

Rev. and Mrs, Robert Leek, who have been on furlough in Melbourne, returned to Papua by the Montoro on July 6. Mr Leek is rector of St. Paul’s Church at Samarai, and in addition is responsible for much of the business administration in Papua of the New Guinea Mission (Anglican).

Mr. Percy Jackson, of Buka Passage, New Guinea, died at Bonis on May 25.

Arriving in New Guinea in 1915, he was for a time overseer of Teopasino planta tion, and later was manager of the S.I.P. property at Lofung, Solomon Islands. Returning to New Guinea, he managed Baniu estate for some years. At the time of his death, Mr. Jackson was engaged in trad ing on his own account.

Mr. D. J. McClelland, chairman of direc tors of Upper Watut Gold Alluvials N.L., left Sydney for the Mandated Territory by the Montoro on July 6. He will visit the company’s areas in the Upper Watut district and supervise the erection of plant in connection with the hydro-electric power scheme on the company's property at Big Slate Creek.

Mr. Ted Nichterlein and Mr. George Pearce, who have been employed for a considerable time at the Day Dawn mine.

New Guinea, arrived in Sydney by the Van Rees on July 10.

Mr. B. W. Sherman, late Assistant Dis trict Officer at Kokopo, New Guinea, ar rived in Sydney by the Neptuna on June 20. He had been in the New Guinea Ad ministration’s service since 1922, but has now resigned.

Rev. J. D. Jory, a veteran Methodist missionary, who was for some years in Fiji, died in June at Birkenhead, Auck land, N.Z.

Mr. Frank Cutler, of Tobera plantation, Kokopo, New Britain, arrived in Sydney from Rabaul by the Neptuna on June 20, on business.

Mr. F. W. (“Dick”) Heaps, a popular and respected resident of Norfolk Island, died at N.I. Hospital on June 23, from complications following a serious opera tion.

Mr. Jack Barrie, of the Rabaul and Dis trict Electric Light Supply Co., arrived in Sydney by the June Neptuna on holi days.

Mr. F. W. Jefferey, a graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture at the Sydney Uni versity, left for Rabaul, New Guinea, by the Montoro on July 6. He has been ap pointed inspector and instructor with the N.G. Department of Agriculture.

Mr. Frederick Mottle, who has been manager of the Bank of New South Wales at Rabaul for some time, returned to Australia by the Montoro in July. Mr.

J. M. David, of the Melbourne branch, has gone to New Britain to take charge at Rabaul.

Fathers Samuel Moreau and Jean Coicaud, Marist missionaries in the South Solomon Islands, arrived in Sydney from Tulagi by the Malaita on July 2.

Rev. R. E. Tempest arrived in Sydney early this month from Melanesia, where he has served in the diocese since 1917.

He has lately been in charge of the train ing of native ordinands at Siota, Solo mon Is. Prior to retiring in England, he will perform deputation work in New Zealand.

Mr. Leslie Stibbard, of the Melanesian Mission’s teaching staff at Maravovo, Guadalcanal, S.I., will arrive in Sydney in August on his way to England for final training before ordination.

Rev. and Mrs. A. E. Coad, arrived in Sydney by the Morinda on July 11 from the Melanesian Mission’s station at Vureas, Banks Islands, to spend a short furlough with relatives in Australia.

Mrs. Caulton, wife of Rev. R. S. Caul ton, of the Melanesian Mission staff at Gela, S.I., who has been on sick leave in New Zealand, hopes to return to the Solomons by the August Malaita.

Mr. D. F. M. Rutledge, who was form erly on the staff of the Bank of New South Wales at Samarai, has joined the Papuan Administration. He will be stationed at Kerema, in the Gulf Division, as a Patrol Officer.

Mr. Robert Barber, of Rewa, Fiji, and Miss Florence May Moxley, of Auckland, New Zealand, were married at Suva Pres byterian Church on June 29.

Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Glenn, of Makambo, Solomon Islands, whose marriage is reported on page 61 of this issue. The bride was formerly Miss Ruth Roberts, sister at Tulagi Hospital.

Rev. Norman H. Wright, B.A., Methodist missionary among the Indians at Ba, Fiji, has been in Auckland, New Zealand, on sick leave. He will return to Suva at the end of July, Mr. Vernon John Dolton, a recent arrival in the Mandated Territory, died sud denly at Wau aerodrome, New Guinea, on May 24.

Mrs. Sarah Annie Webb, widow of Rev.

A. J. Webb (who was one of the first Methodist missionaries in Fiji), died at Chatswood, N.S.W., on July 5, aged 88.

She accompanied her husband to Levuka in 1868, when he was appointed to replace Rev. Thomas Baker, who had been mur dered by natives. Mr. Webb and his fellow missionaries helped to bring about the treaty under which the chiefs ceded their land to the Crown, thereby making Fiji a Crown Colony. Mrs. Webb had many interesting stories to tell of the early days in Fiji, when cannibals stalked

through the mission station and the evangelists thought that any moment might be their last.

Mr. J. F. Wilson, assistant manager and secretary of Amalgamated Wireless (Aus tralasia) Ltd., returned to Sydney by the June Neptuna, after a business visit to the Mandated Territory.

Rev. Alfred Butchart, of North Mala, Solomon Islands, who came to Sydney in March to undergo treatment at St.

Luke’s hospital, having broken his leg in three places, has resigned from the Melanesian Mission owing to general ill health. He has accepted a position on the staff of Archdeacon Chauvel, of Bro ken Hill, and will shortly take up his duties in the big N.S.W. mining town.

Engineer-Rear Admiral G. W. Bodell returned to Sydney from Rabaul, New Guinea, by the Montoro on July 2.

Mr. John Wilson, of Western Australia, who has just been appointed representa tive in New Zealand for the Melanesian Mission, left Sydney for the Solomon Islands by the Malaita on July 13. He will spend three months travelling throughout the group in order to obtain first-hand knowledge of the Melanesian Mission’s work in the South Seas. Upon his return to Australia, he will depart for New Zealand to commence his duties there. Mr. Wilson is a son of the Bishop of Banbury (Western Australia), who was formerly a Bishop of Melanesia.

Rev. and Mrs. L. A. McArthur arrived in Sydney recently from New Guinea to seek medical opinion on Mrs. McArthur’s health, following her recent breakdown at Vunairima, where her husband is principal of the Methodist Mission’s train ing institute. According to latest advice, there is little hope of her returning to the territory.

Rev. W. Burvill, B.A., Th.L., of the Quetta Cathedral, Thursday Island, is at present ill in the Torres Strait hospital.

Mrs. Thomas Mow, wife of the Chinese teacher-pastor of the Methodist Mission at Rabaul, recently arrived in New Britain from China by the Nankin. She will assist in the work at the Methodist Chinese school, particularly among the senior girls. Mrs. Mow will also engage in pastoral work among the women of Rabaul’s Chinatown.

Mr. W. A. Macdonald, an English artist, who has lived in Tahiti for 14 years, ar rived in Australia early in July by the Maunganui. He said that he went to Tahiti shortly after the war to stay a few days; but the charm and beauty of the French islands so captured his imagination that he remained there for more than a decade. Mr. Macdonald is an impressionist painter in watercolours.