Torres Strait News

From Our Own Correspondent

Thursday Is.. Mar. 1.

"THE j>earling luggers have commenced to move * off for their first drift this year, but many have been held up through the lack of foodstuffs on the island. This is due to considerable short shipping of cargo during the past few months, Darwin being favoured instead of T.I.

The local branch of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers’ League is urging the Government auth orities to arrange for an additional line of steam ers to call regularly at Thursday Island. The existing services are frequerttly unable to deal with all our passengers and cargoes.

Thursday Island State School now has Mr.

Robert W. Elmes as its assistant teacher. He was transferred from Rockhampton.

Constable Galagher, of the local Police Force, has proceeded to Brisbane on recreation leave.

Messrs. A. T. Shields and M. R. Peters have come from Brisbane to join the staff of ship wrights at the Port Kennedy Shipyards, which are experiencing a busy season.

After a sojourn here of several months amongst their old friends, during which they witnessed the marriage of their eldest daughter, Gladys, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest J. Hennessey returned by the Marella to Southport, Southern Queensland.

Mr. Leslie White, Jnr., of the Port Kennedy Shipyards, left for Brisbane by the last Marella.

Pilot MacDonald recently made another flight from Cairns bringing Mr. Schwabe, of Innisfail, North Queensland, to take up duties as the new engineer-manager for the T.I. Electric Authority, replacing Mr. Partridge.

Mr. and Mrs. D. C. J. Fell returned to T.I. by the February Merkur. They are attached to the local Quarantine Station.

Di. D. A. Dowling, who has been here for some three years as Chief Quarantine Officer, has been transferred to Sydney. Dr. O’Connor has arrived in his place.

Mr. and Mrs. Wust have been appointed by the Queensland Government Aboriginal Department to the charge of Poid Village on Moa Island.

Torres Strait.

Mr. Frusner has taken charge of Badu Island School until the return of Mrs. Zahel. when he will be given the permanent headship of another Torres Strait school.

Monsieur Chastenet de Gery, who re

cently was appointed Governor of the

French Settlements of Oceania, arrived

at Papeete, Tahiti, by the Ville d’Amiens

on March 17.

Mr. H. E. Hallam has resigned from the position of manager of Mandated Alluvials NX., of Papua.