Personal Notes

Rev. Father M. A. Podevigne, a French Marist missionary, arrived in New Cale donia recently from the Solomon Islands, to join the de Gaulle forces of Free France.

Mr. A. Richards, inspector in the NG Custodian’s Department, left Rabaul early in March for a tour of the East.

While on leave he will study agricultural developments in Malaya. Mr. Richards expects to be absent from New Guinea for several months.

Mr. and Mrs. F, A. Champion, of Sama rai, Papua, are at present spending fur lough at Katoomba, NSW. Mr. Cham pion is an Assistant Resident Magistrate in the Public Service.

Rev. N. G, Pardney, who has spent eight years with the Methodist Mission in Western Samoa, has returned to Aus tralia with his wife and family.

Mr. G. W. Stanley arrived in Sydney from New Guinea recently for a holiday.

He is a member of the Department of Agriculture staff at Kavieng.

Among the Free French sailors at present in Sydney is Mr. Nono Grand, brother of Mr. Marc Grand, of New Hebrides and Norfolk Island.

Mr. F. White, electrician, has joined the staff of New Guinea Goldfields Ltd., Wau, replacing Mr. Stan Lewis, who re turned to Australia recently.

Rev. D. Moore, SM, who has been a worker for the Marist Mission in the British Solomon Islands for the past 10 years, arrived in Sydney in mid-Febru ary and later proceeded to New Zealand.

Mr. Gordon Russel, manager at Madang, New Guinea, for Burns, Philp & Co. Ltd., recently arrived in Australia on leave.

Mr. A. P. Matthews, who formerly was manager of the Bank of New Zealand in Suva, Fiji, for seven years, before returning to NZ, retired from the bank staff in February after 41 years’ service.

Mr. Max Lees, of Ulaveo Plantation, Kokopo, New Guinea, arrived in Aus tralia recently, to join the RAAF. During the last war he served in the Air Force also.

Rev. Tevata Mone, with his wife, Latu, passed through Sydney recently from Tonga en route to Papua, where he will be engaged in work for the Methodist Mission.

Mr. George Greathead, of the New Guinea District Services staff, left the Territory for Australia in February, on furlough.

Mr. Arthur Murcutt recently arrived in Australia from New Guinea by the “Macdhui”. During his absence, his Morobe mining “show” is being carried on by Mr. “Nobby” Clarke.

Rev. H. Mathews, Rector of St. John’s, Port Moresby, has been recently an inmate of the European Hospital, suffer ing from severe malaria.

Mr. J. Stokie, of Rabaul, New Guinea, returned to the Territory recently. He was a member of the New Guinea de tachment of the AIF, but was discharged because of health reasons.

Mr. J. W. P. Fitzgerald, who was con trolling Mr. K. A. Macgregor’s legal prac tice at Wau, New Guinea, during the latter's absence on furlough, has returned to Australia.

Mr. V. Maxwell, well-known Madang (TNG) rubber and coconut planter, is now serving with an AIF tank corps.

Mr. V. Pratt, planter, returned to Rabaul, TNG, this month, after a spell in Sydney and Melbourne.