Imperial Airways

Another Survey of Gulf Route

rpnE announcement made in April last stating that Imperial Airways Ltd., in association with the Commonwealth Government, were again making a survey of the waters between Darwin and the eastern coast of Australia with a view to finding a suitable route and bases for fly ing boats, apparently disposes for the present of the plan of deflecting the air mail route so that it would come down to Australia via Borneo and New Guinea instead of via the Netherland Indies.

There is no doubt that Imperial Airways Ltd. have given serious consideration to the Borneo-New Guinea idea; but, as we pointed out recently, if the new flying boats are to give definite service to British territories they must come down by the Mandated Territory of New Guinea and thus lose a good deal of time on the jour ney; whereas if they take the more direct route, via the south ccast of Dutch New Guinea and Torres Strait, they will not be giving service to any important British territory.

Apparently, it is in view of these con siderations that a further survey of the Darwin-Gulf of Carpentaria-east coast of Australia route is being made.

Mr. W. W. Petrie, of the Seventh Day Adventist missionary organisation, re cently was transferred to Western Samoa from the S.D.A. station in the Purari region in the interior of New Guinea.

Mr. J. C. Archer, delegate of the Cus todian of Expropriated Properties in New Guinea, recently married Mrs. Nina Gallagher, daughter of Mrs. C. H. Lux moore, of the Rabaul Hotel. The cere mony at Rabaul was a very quiet one, and was performed by the Registrar (Mr.

J. L. Street) at the home of Hon. H. O. and Mrs. Townsend.