Mr. H. Leonard Murray

Administrator of Papua

ON Friday, December 13, Mr. H. Leon ard Murray, Official Secretary to the Governor of Papua, was 54 years old; and his birthday present from Canberra was a radiogram informing him that the Commonwealth Govern ment had appointed him to the post of Administrator of the Territory of Papua for a period of five years.

Sir Hubert Murray, Lieutenant-Gov ernor of Papua, died in February last, and the long delay in filling the posi tion caused some perturbation. It prob ably was due to Australia’s Government’s decision to alter the status of the posi tion from that of Lieutenant-Governor to Administrator, and arrange conse quential reforms; and partly to the Federal general election and the poli tical uncertainty which followed.

There had been speculation concern ing the probable appointee. The names most frequently mentioned were those of Mr. Murray, Mr. H. W. Champion (the well known Government Secretary of Papua, who was acting as Administra tor), Mr. H. H. Page (now Government Secretary in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea), and Sir Charles Rosenthal (now Administrator of Norfolk Island).

The appointment of any one of these men would have been received with approval in many quarters; but probably the greatest satisfaction has been given by the selection of Mr. Murray. He is a man of outstanding ability and char acter, who proved his worth through long years of steady, unremitting work as the right-hand assistant of his late uncle, Sir Hubert Murray. He is held in high esteem by all classes, not only

in Papua but also in the adjoining ter ritory of New Guinea and in Australia.

One of the strongest arguments used against his appointment was the plea, which came from some directions, that the Territory most urgently needs ener getic commercial development, so that it

Mr. H. L. Murray.

may no longer be a liability upon Aus tralia. Mr. Murray, owing to his train ing and environment, was said to be more of an academic than a practical administrator. The Government was impressed with this view; but after inquiry it accepted the evidence it had that Mr. Murray, while imbued with the high ideals in relation to native affairs, which distinguished his uncle’s ad ministration, was also a man of thor oughly practical outlook, as had been demonstrated by his work on the recent amalgamation commission.

The greatest satisfaction at his ap pointment was expressed within the Ter ritorial services. The selection of a man from within the Papuan service to fill the highest position in Papua will encourage all the principal officials of the tropical services, who on so many occasions in the past ten years, ana when high positions were being filled, have been passed over by the Common wealth Government in favour of ex-poli ticians and ex-soldiers. The Federal Government at last has recognised that there is an important principle to be observed in making these appointments.

It will be a bold Government that will ignore this principle in the future, as it was ignored in the past.

Mr. Murray has received hundreds of congratulatory messages from all quar ters —none more sincere, probably, than those from members of the commercial community in Papua who urged upon the Government that the Murray native policy had been advanced to the detri ment of the Territory’s commercial wel fare. The commercial interests were quite impersonal in their representations —Mr. Leonard Murray always has been held in high regard by all of them.

It may be disclosed that the final choice lay between Mr. Leonard Murray and Mr. Champion, and that fact per haps caused embarrassment in both Canberra and Port Moresby. Mr. Cham pion, both through his personal quali ties and his long service—he has acted as Lieutenant-Governor and Administra tor on many occasions—had strong claims to the position; and he would have been more than human if he had not desired this appointment as the coping-stone of his career. However, his attitude towards Mr. Murray, when the appointment was announced, was both broad-minded and sporting. It no doubt was a relief to Mr. Murray, who must have been anxious to have the co-opera tion and goodwill of this important departmental head; and it certainly was appreciated in Canberra, where it was feared that Mr. Murray’s appointment might be regarded by Mr. Champion as an expression of want of confidence.

That is not the case. As a matter of fact, a special appointment is planned by Canberra wherein it is believed Mr.

Champion will be able to give even more valuable service than in the past.

Mr. Leonard Murray arrived in Papua in 1905, as assistant private secretary to his uncle, who was then Judge Murray.

In 1913 he became Judge Murray’s private secretary. In 1916 he was made official secretary to the Governor, and in 1925 he was appointed a member of both the Legislative and Executive Councils. In 1936 he was awarded the decoration of Commander of the British Empire, in recognition of his distinguished services.

His wife is a lady of charming qualities; and Port Moresby, as a social centre, will be very glad that, after these long and empty years, the big rambling Govern ment House on the hill behind the Ter ritory’s capital will again be presided over by the Administrator’s lady.

MR. Murray is a son of the late Mr.

Aubrey Murray (half-brother of Sir Hubert Murray) and grandson of Sir Terence Murray. This is a most dis tinguished family. Professor Sir Gilbert Murray, who was in the 1941 Honours list, is an uncle of the new Administra tor. Another close relation was the immortal W. S. Gilbert.

Mrs. Murray was Miss Pauline Her bert, daughter of the late Judge Her bert, of Papua.

Mr. Leonard Murray has several dis tinguishing characteristics. He is a fine athlete, and was once a champion swim mer. He also is a first-class navigator.

For very many years he acted as cap tain of the Administration’s ship “Lau rabada”, taking her without mishap along hundreds of miles of very dan gerous coast. He has accumulated much data about these coasts, and about the remarkable river-bores of the western division.

Mrs. Hattie Sewell, who was well known and highly esteemed in Eastern Papua, died in Cairns on November 27.

She first went to Papua with her hus band, Mr. Tom Sewell, in 1918.

Mr. R. A. Phillips, a member of the staff of the Department of the Interior, Papua, was married in Port Moresby recently to Miss Elizabeth C. M. Flood.

Miss Olive Birch was bridesmaid and Mr.

Brian Molloy was groomsman.

Mr. K. A. Lewis, who is an engineer in the Papuan Department of Public Works and a well known resident of the Terri tory, was married in Port Moresby on November 30. to Miss Elsie Protheroe. of Brisbane. Mrs. I, C. Halliday was matron-of-honour.

Mr. B. C. Ballard, official representa tive of the Australian Government in New Caledonia, who was on a visit to Australia in November, returned to New Caledonia at the middle of December.