Papua
p. 53 · Read in the full issue
A Pioneer Of
Death of Mr. John MacDonald
From Our Own Correspondent.
Port Moresby, August 19.
THE death occurred in the European A Hospital on August 10 of Mr. John MacDonald, retired public servant, and one of the oldest and most respected resi dents in Papua.
The late John MacDonald was born in Aberdeen Shire, Scotland, in 1862. He was educated at Madras College, St. Andrew’s, and served his apprenticeship as a ship wright with George Bruce and Co. in Glasgow.
In 1883, he arrived in Australia and settled in Brisbane as a builder and con tractor, joining up with the Queensland Marine Defence Naval Brigade, through which eventually in 1893 he became at tached as Warrant Officer-Instructor, under Sir William MacGregor, for the Nordenfeldt gun, on the government ves sel Merrie England, employed for patrol work in what was then known as British New Guinea.
After several years’ service on the Merrie England, Mr. MacDonald was ap pointed in 1897 as Head Gaoler and Over seer to the Possession and was made a Justice of the Peace. Later, as Superin tendent, he entered the Department of Public Works and in 1923 after 30 years’ service, retired from the public service on superannuation. Since his retirement, Mr- MacDonald lived in Port Moresby,
except for short periods in Australia.
John MacDonald was twice married; his first marriage took place in Brisbane in 1885 to Miss M. McLeod, of Edinburgh, and there were six children, all of whom predeceased their parents. The second marriage to Mrs. E. Todd, took place in Brisbane in 1933, eight years after the death of his first wife.
The funeral on August 11 at Konidobu cemetery was attended by a large gather ing of residents, including His Excellency Sir Hubert Murray (the Lieut.-Governor), chiefs of all Government departments and members of the Masonic Lodge. Rev. D.
E. Ure, of the Ela Protestant Church read the burial service.
Mr. Ure remarked in a short closing speech that it was fitting, perhaps, that the deceased should be laid to rest in the country in which he had served so many years of his life- John MacDonald was one of Papua’s true pioneers; he had done much for his country and what he had done had been of immense value to both Europeans and natives alike.