About Islands People

Mr. Charles Lumley, of the Trobriand Islands, Papua, came South recently to enlist but the military authorities turned down his application because he was over age. His sons, Charlie and James, will shortly arrive in Australia to join one of the Services.

Rev. George Ingram Pearson, who was a missionary in New Britain for the Methodist Church about 20 years ago, died at Narrabeen, N.S.W. on August 30.

Captain A. G. Lowe, who has been sec retary and legal adviser to the Tongan Government for two years, arrived in Auckland lately to enlist with the New Zealand forces. He was accompanied by a Tongan, Vailima, and a half-Tongan.

Santos, both men of fine type, who were so eager to fight for Britain that Captain Lowe was induced to take them to New Zealand to enlist there with him.

Miss W. E. Manning, of the Melanesian Mission’s hospital at Fauabu, Malaita, has been spending furlough in New Zea land recently.

Brother R. C. Lelwall arrived in Sydney by the September “Macdhui” on three months’ furlough. He is a member of the Sacred Heart Mission at Sidiea, Papua.

Rev. Walter R. Poole, who was a mis sionary in Fiji for 23 years, before re turning to Australia to enter the Methodist ministry, died at Roseville, N.S.W., on August 30.

A son was born recently to Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Wright, of Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Mr. Wright, who is C.I. Trea surer and Collector of Customs, and Mrs.

Wright (formerly Aileen Fabricius) are both well-known in Western Samoa.

Mr. Charles Owen-Turner, who had spent 40 years in Papua, died recently in Samarai Hospital, at the age of 67. He went co the Territory in 1900, as as sistant surveyor to the late E. Macdon nell, of Cairns, while Papua was still a Crown Colony. Later, in 1902, he joined the Government Service as Assistant

Resident Magistrate, eventually becoming r.M. of the Eastern Division, where he remained until 1911. In that year, he served as a British representative on the Anglo-German Commission which fixed the boundary between British and Ger man New Guinea. Resigning from the Service, he engaged in contracting for a time, clearing and planting estates throughout Papua. Finally, he settled down with his family at Milne Bay, where he led an active life until over taken with heart trouble early in 1939; from then on he was practically an in valid.

Mrs. C. V. Widdy, wife of the manager of Lever Bros.’ interests in the Solomon Islands, arrived in Australia recently from Gavutu and is now staying at Vaucluse, Sydney.

Mr. R. Johns, of the Fiji Agriculture Department, arrived in Sydney from Suva by the August “Mariposa” on his way to Tulagi, Solomon Islands, on secondment as Agricultural Officer.

Mrs. IL C. Cony, wife of a well-known Solomons Islands planter who has in terests at Rere and Ruavatu, is at pre sent spending a holiday at Double Bay, N.S.W., with her daughter Pat, who is training to be a nurse.

DR. RAYMOND FIRTH, formerly Professor of Anthropology at Sydney University and now of the University of London, is at present spend ing a month in his homeland, New Zealand. He is the author of “We, the Tikopia” (dealing with the Polynesian people on an island in Santa Cruz Group, Solomon Islands), and of works on New Guinea and other parts of the Pacific. Mr. and Mrs. Firth will return to England shortly, probably via Panama. —Photo: May Moore.