Ton Islands

Fanning And Washing

Sold to B.P. Interests

FANNING and Washington Islands, which were offered for sale in Lon don in July last year, have been pur chased by an Australian company, Fan ning Island Plantations Ltd., which has taken over all the property and assets of Fanning Island Ltd., the syndicate which has owned and operated the two islands in Central Pacific for over 20 years.

The new concern is a subsidiary com pany of Messrs. Burns, Philp and Co.

Ltd., and has a nominal capital of £40,000 in £1 shares. First directors are: J. Burns, R. J. Nosworthy, L. Arm strong, and J. Mitchell, who are also directors of Burns, Philp.

The tiny islands have a romantic his tory. They were colonised in the middle of last century by a Scotsman, William Greig, who settled on Fanning Island with a companion, and their native wives.

Later Gilbert Islanders joined the com munity, and the little settlement flourished. When the two original settlers died, their sons carried on for a time.

After a while the Greigs obtained the largest interest in the islands, and the other man’s children left for Fiji.

A resident of Suva bought out their share and later sold it to a French priest, Father Rougier. The latter was asso ciated for many years with the Greig family, but eventually the two islands were disposed of to Fanning Island Ltd.

Father Rougier, who became a well known figure in the Pacific, died in Tahiti about three years ago.

Hon. H. Orton Townsend, M.L.C., ar rived in New Guinea by the Nellore on December 24. He had been on long leave in Europe for some months, and repre sented New Guinea at the last session of the Permanent Mandates Commission.