New Chief Justice In

New Guinea

Judge Frederick Beaumont Phillips,

C.B.E., LL.M. (Melb.), who since 1928 has been a Judge of the Supreme Court in New Guinea, has been appointed Chief Justice of the Man dated Territory, succeeding His Honour Judge D. S. Wanliss, who recently retired.

Born in Victoria in 1890, he was educated at Wesley College and at Melbourne University, and was admitted to the Bar in 1915. During the war he acted as Assistant Censor of the Third Military Division and served overseas in the A.1.F., first with the Army Medical Corps and later with the Air Force as Lt.-Observer.

In 1920, he was appointed a Special Commis sioner to inquire into land disputes in the Solo mon Islands, and on the completion of this work in 1925 received the thanks of the British Government. In November of that year he was made Stipendiary Magistrate in New Guinea, with power to act as Judge when required, and in February, 1928, was elevated to Judge of the Supreme Court.

On various occasions Judge Phillips has been Acting Administrator or Deputy Administrator of the Mandated Territory, and notably during the native strike at Rabaul in January, 1929, and during the volcanic eruptions in May, 1937. For his work in organising the evacuation of Rabaul during the eruption, he was awarded, last De cember, the honour of C.B.E.