New Bishop Rules in Morobe,

T.N.G.

From Our Own Correspondent WAU, Feb. 4.

THE visit to Wau of the Bishop of New Guinea (Papua) marks another step in the life of the Morobe parish and its administration. The Bishop (Rt. Rev. P.

N. W. Strong, M.A.), who arrived in Wau on January 17, assumed jurisdiction of Morobe. including all the main island of the Mandate from the Dutch border to the Papuan-Territory border, from July 1, 1939.

The actual legal transfer of Morobe to the New Guinea Diocese has to await confirmation by General Synod in 1942.

The working arrangement agreed to by the Queensland Provincial Synod enables the transfer to be effective now, for all practical purposes.

Hitherto, the whole of the Mandated Territory formed part of the Diocese of Melanesia, with headquarters at Tulagi, 8.5.1.. under the ecclesiastical control of the Bishop of Melanesia (Rt. Rev. W. H.

Baddeley, M.A., D. 5.0., M.C.).

The first service at Edie Creek, in the early vigorous days of the Goldfields, was held by Rev. Bishop in 1927, on a log, practically all the miners being present. In 1932, a permanent church was established in Wau. The first Rec tor was Rev. G. Bradley. Rev. V. H.

Sherwin has had charge of the growing parish since 1934. Wau, Edie Creek, Salamaua, Lae, Bulolo and Bulwa, with the outlying districts of Watut, Bitoi, and Sunshine, are included in the parish.

Mr. J. M. Reilly, who has been in charge of the Melanesian Mission’s ves sel “Patteson” in the New Hebrides, is at present spending furlough in Welling ton, New Zealand.

Mr. J. Einsiedel arrived in Papua from Melbourne in January to relieve Mr. L.

Morris as accountant of the Australasian Petroleum Co. at Port Moresby, while the latter is on three months’ leave.

Mr. Kevin S. Sheeky has replaced Mr.

Robert M. Cameron as clerk of the Legis lative Council in New Guinea.

Mr. C. A. M. Adelskold, of the Hotel Wau. New Guinea, arrived in Australia by plane from Morobe in January to spend his first furlough in five years.

During his absence, Mr. B. Bald is in charge at the Goldfields hotel.