A Papuan Florence

Nightingale

From a Special Correspondent

Samarai, Nov. 6.

TN the presence of a gathering of Europeans, half-castes, and natives, a tablet erected to the memory of Nurse Maud Nowland was unveiled on the Ellen Combley Memorial building, Samarai, on October 25, by Rt. Rev. Dr. Newton. One of Papua’s Florence Nightingales, Miss Nowland performed magnificent self sacrificing work in Papua for 33 years, ministering to all colours, creeds, and classes.

Bishop Newton, in his address at the unveiling ceremony, said that Nurse Nowland came to the Territory from Queensland in 1901 and, until she died in Samarai Hospital in 1934, devoted her 1 fe to humanitarian work for the miners and their native labourers on the Lake kamu and Mambare goldfields and, later, to the uplift and education of the half caste children at Gunagunawana mission station.

It was particularly appropriate, he declared, that the memorial tablet was erected in Samarai in conjunction with the plaque in memory of Miss Combley.

It was with her that Miss Nowland worked at the Mambare hospital, for the miners and their “boys” on Gira and the Aikora. Later on, she was with Miss Combley again when dysentery broke out on the Lakekamu goldfield.

Miss Nowland’s work in connection with the care of the half-caste children, continued Dr. Newton, will long be re membered. Seme 70 boys and girls passed through her hands. She looked after their clothes, their accommodation, and their food, and she cared for them when they were sick. In all this there was never the slightest suggestion that she consid ered she herse’f was doing anything out of the common or that she looked for any reward.

Miss Nowland had the great privilege of having the children of her earlier charges sent back to the mission home that they also might be in her care, he concluded.

The inscription on the tablet reads: “Erected to the memory of Nurse Maud Nowland, of the Anglican Mission, who died at Samarai on January 28, 1934, after 33 years of self-sacrifice and noble work for the benefit of humanity w r ere they Europeans, half-castes, or Papuans, in this Territory.”

Mr. A. E. Osborne, engineer-operator in charge of Tulagi radio station, has been appointed an official member of the

8.5.1. Advisory Council, replacing Mr. D.

R. McDonald, who has been transferred to Fiji. To succeed the late Mr. G. E.

Clift, Mr. Clarence E. Hart has been made a non-official member of the Council. 4 Mr. D. S. Hore-Lacy, a well-known planter of New Guinea, arrived in Sydney by the Nankin recently. He was joined by Mrs. Hore-Lacy and they intend to travel abroad shortly on an extended tour.