Girl Solicitor Settles

In the Solomons

MISS PATRICIA HACKETT, barrister, of Adelaide, South Australia, has made a dream come true —she has bought a tropical island in the South Seas.

M’Bangai (pronounced Bangee) is a small island in the British Solomon Is lands, not far from Tulagi, the capital (said the Melbourne “Herald” on Sep tember 23). A few weeks ago Miss Hac kett signed the purchase papers for the island, which will be her home for part of each year.

Miss Hackett has practised as a bar rister for some years in Adelaide, and in 1937 left her partner, Mr. Robert Na pier (son of Judge Napier), in charge of the practice and went with a girl com panion for a holiday to the Solomons.

When she arrived, she found that the group did not have a lawyer, so she de cided to stay for some months and set up in practice in Tulagi.

Among her many cases she undertook the defence of four natives on trial for murder. They were acquitted.

After three months in Tulagi, the charm of the islands gave her the idea of hav ing an island of her own. She bought a launch, and spent some time cruising, till she found the little tropical spot that was exactly what she wanted.

She returned to Adelaide last year with the Tulagi practice well established and plans in train for the purchase of M’Bangai. Her partner then went to the Solomons and carried on the practice for some months.

About four months ago Miss Hackett left Australia again for the South Seas and the realisation of her dream. She is still at Tulagi, but will return to Aus tralia in OctobeV. She is making plans to build a house on M’Bangai, and has hired native “houseboys”, whom she is training to take charge of the island dur ing her absence.

From Sydney she ordered some gay printed materials and silver chains as a sort of uniform for the “boys”, who are much envied by their fellows for their picturesque outfits. Their employer tall, slender and good-looking, with masses of hair which she wears in two coils over her ears—wears shorts, sun tops and a sun helmet in Tulagi.

Miss Hackett is known in Australia for her interest in amateur theatricals and had a theatre of her own in Adelaide for some time, in which she produced rarely seen plays. This year she published a book of verse.

Miss Patricia Hackett