Territorian Roar

Hope and Confidence at Xmas Parties

WE salute the New Guinea Women’s Club of Sydney for their dual-event Christmas celebration: children’s party in the afternoon of December 23, and adult Territorians’ sherry party in the evening. If there ever has been a more successful Islands function than this, then we never have heard of it.

About 150 young Territorians gathered in the Feminist Club Rooms, King Street, Sydney, at 2.30, and were entertained by a troupe of children trained by Mrs.

Cameron, of the Feminist Club, per petual good friend and sort of patron saint of Territories’ evacuees.

A feast followed; a large Christmas cake with candles, sandwiches, soft drinks and ice cream by the gallon; and, to round off the afternoon, a distribution of gifts by their “old friend”—a refugee from Dedmanism, complete with tra ditional red gown and white beard. The club committee responsible for the child ren’s gifts must have been part-women, part-magicianesses: the quality of the toys distributed amazed those who had themselves been sweating blood for the past month, combing Sydney for gifts for small friends, but who had been thwarted in their best efforts by the ban put on Christmas by the Department of War Organisation of Industry.

Special credit goes to Mr. Foxcroft, who donned the robes of office and played the very hot part of Santa Claus.

THE sherry party followed the depart ure of the children. For two hours Territorians poured into the club rooms, until approximately 300 were packed in a solid mass inside the doors; and conversation, laughter and the tinkle of glasses, co-mingled into a roar ot sound, intense enough to lift the roof and dent the windows, signified without doubt that Territorians were happy, and could see the future more clearly.

The year 1943 saw many gatherings of New Guinea people, for social and busi ness purposes. This was the culminating point of all of them. If Territorians can get together like that for fun, they— together with their fighting men—should be able to move mountains the time comes to return to New Guinea.

No bureaucrat will be able to stop them.

The enthusiastic meeting together of these people gives the observer faith m their ability to surmount any obstacle attendant upon the evacuation, or upon the period of rehabilitation, which is not now, we hope, too far away.

All credit should be given to the execu tive of the Women’s Club, whose efforts on behalf of their fellow evacuees, at this function and throughout the year, have made a bright spot in a war-weary world.