About Islands People

Mr. Nicholas Hagen, merchant and shipowner, of Noumea, New Caledonia, was taken to St. Vincent’s Private Hos pital, Sydney, early in October, suffering from a very bad attack of bronchitis. His condition, on October 11, was reported “improved”.

Captain “Pop” Preece, lately harbour master at Nauru, has retired from the service of the B.P.C. and has settled in a brand-new, ultra-modern home at Bur wood, Melbourne. "Pop” and Mrs. Preece were highly regarded at Nauru and on Ocean Island by all who came in con tact with them, and they will be always remembered there with affection. Prior to departure from Nauru, he and Mrs.

Preece received numerous gifts.

Dr. Clive Backhouse, who obtained leave from the New Guinea Health De partment some time ago to join the A.1.F., is now pathologist with the 7th Australian General Hospital.

Mr. P. A. Snow, of the Administrative Service of Fiji, and now District Commis sioner in the Lau group, was married re cently, in Suva pro-Cathedral, to Miss Anne Harris, of Leicester, Fngland. The Governor of Fiji, Sir Harry Luke, was present at the ceremony.

Mr. D. G. Kennedy who was stationed for some years in the Ellice Islands, first as Headmaster of the Ellice Islands School at Vaitupu and later as Admini strative Officer of the Group, has taken up duty at Tulagi, with the Solomon Is lands Administration, where he has been acting as Superintendent of Police pend ing the arrival from Ocean Island of Mr. J. I. Blaikie, the latter having been promoted to the Tulagi post. Mr. Kennedy will act as Relieving District Officer for the Protectorate after handing over to Mr. Blaikie.

Miss Etella Williams, and Mrs. Cotton Stapleton, of Sydney, both of whom are great-grand-daughters of Rev. John Williams, were at a recent meeting of the Pacific Islands Society. These ladies lived for many years in Western Samoa, where Mrs. Stapleton’s grandfather, Mr.

John Chauner Williams, was British Consul for 25 years.

Rev. H. Lawrence, popular Anglican Chaplain of Rabaul, is at present in Mel bourne. It is reported that he is await ing the arrival from England of his fiancee, after which the wedding bells will ring before his return to N. Guinea.

Prior to his transfer to Rabaul early this year, he was with the Melanesian Mis sion in the Solomons, latterly acting in charge of the Central Training Institution at Pawa, San Cristoval.

Mr. Frank Stock, postmaster at Tulagi, B 5.1. P., accompanied by Mrs. Stock and son John, is spending short furlough in Melbourne, where Mrs Stock is under going treatment for an injury to the eye caused by a rebounding golf ball on the Tulagi links.

Mr. C. G. F. Cartwright, Administrative Officer of the G. and E. Islands Colony, who has spent the past two years on secondment to the Government of the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean (where the former Resident Commissioner of

Mr. Ed. Pentecost, a well-known and pro gressive young business man of Noumea, New Caledonia, was in Sydney in September. He is proprietor of Libraire Pentecost (booksellers, etc.), managing director of Electric Radio (elec trical supplies) and of Agence Alma (motor cars and accessories).

Mr. John Wiley (chairman of the Queen Committee, Suva Red Cross Carnival), displays excellent taste in choosing camera companions.

Left: Miss L. Mansell (Commercial Queen).

Right: Miss E. Hopewell (Sports Queen),

the G. and E. Colony, now Sir Arthur Grimble, is Governor), recently passed through Melbourne on his return to Ocean Island, where his many friends will be glad to see him again.