Victory

In The Spirit Of Hope

Papua-NG Organisations Combine to Celebrate Victory

ALTHOUGH the majority of men are still up north on what was recently a fighting front, and others are pri soners of war or civilian internees, an estimated 700 Territorians attended the combined Papua-New Guinea peace cele brations in the Paddington Town Hall, Sydney, on August 22.

Several notable functions have been held in Sydney by various of the New Guinea and Papuan organisations dur ing these years of exile, but on this occa sion, for the first time, there was ample space for the large number of guests, and that contributed in no small measure to the evening’s outstanding success.

A dance-band provided excellent music but this, as usual, was incidental to the important Territorian business of meet ing old friends and swopping yarns. Ter ritorians are, in the main, auto-enter taining. Even though there is the peren nial beer and spirits drought in Sydney, most guests were able to provide suffi cient of both for lubrication purposes.

This writer has not seen such a gather ing since the Frangipanni Ball in Rabaul in May, 1939. The Frangipanni Ball, held in the New Guinea Club, bid fair to become an annual institution; it marked the anniversary of the first flowering of the frangipanni blossoms after the eruption of 1937, and was as, well as one of Rabaul’s social occasions, an expression of hope in the future.

Much water has run under the bridge in the past six years. Many of the men who danced in Rabaul in May, ’39, have since, in the far corners of the earth, laid down their lives. Others are, or have been, in the hands of the Japanese.

Many of the women who attended the recent Sydney function had had no news of their men for almost four years; and, by and large, most Territorians are wiser and sadder people than those of pre war Rabaul.

The Sydney celebration was a mile stone to mark the transition between the grim days of war and the even grimmer days of rehabilitation that lie ahead; it wa*s a function from which people came

away with renewed hope for the future, and a glow of satisfaction in that they “belonged.” Little more can be said of any function, AFTER a two minutes’ silence in memory of fallen comrades, Mr, A. J.

Gaskin, president of the New Guinea Branch of the RSSAILA, wel comed guests on behalf of the combined New Guinea-Papuan organisation ,of Sydney.

“Former residents of the Territories have cause to be proud of the glorious deeds of their volunteers who, in no small degree, assisted to save Australia from invasion,” said Mr. Gaskin.

“We live in the hope that in the very near future we shall again greet those who are at present absent on foreign soil, and when they do return we, as a body, must get together to meet them.

To-night, for the first time, we are gathered as a united body, representing all the various associations and organisa tions having interests in the Territories of Papua and New Guinea, and I sug gest to you that in our own interests we should continue to be banded together along the road home. It is only by unity that we, who were fortunate enough to escape personal contact with the enemy, can hope to give maximum aid to those less fortunate than ourselves.

“The chairman of the NSW Division of the Australian Red Cross has ex pressed the opinion that radio communi cation will be established with our pri soners within a week of their being con tacted by the relieving forces. With their return we must be in a position to offer them in hand of friendship and assist them to our limit.”

GREETINGS were received from these Territorians and other well-wishers by cable, telegram, and letter, from all over the Commonwealth and overseas; Sir Gilbert Dyett, Federal President of the RSSAILA; the Minister for External Territories, Mr. Ward; Judge (now Wing- Commander) F. B. Phillips: Mr. T. W.

White; the staff of External Territories Department, Canberra; executive and members of the New Guinea Women’s Association in Melbourne; Mr. E. A.

James, president of the Pacific Terri tories Association, who is now in Port Moresby; Mr. Frank Cutler, Melbourne; Mr Tom Targett, Townsville; Mona, Anthony and Gladys Baker, Armidale; Mr and Mrs. Hutchinson, NSW; Mrs Nina Archer. Queensland: Miss Margot Field, Mrs. Winifred Haslan. Mr. and Mrs. Walford King, Mr. and Mrs. Twy cross, Mr. and Mrs. “Tommy” Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Sid Ambler, Mr. and Mrs.

Luke Mr. and Mrs. Farnsworth, and Mr.

Dave’ Davis, all of Perth.

One message, purporting to come from New Guinea (and strictly for Terntonan consumption) read: “All missus now master belong New Guinea before—now all me fella boy like sendem talk along vou Bell belong all me fella hot too much along this fella. Now all me fella stop along Nambish look out along all vou fella missus now master come back along place belong y6u feha. Savvy all together he hot big trouble before now altogether something he all right behind.

Master me no got tobac.”

Guests of honour at the function were Sir Walter McNicoll and the Administra tor of Papua (Mr. Leonard Murray) and Mrs. Murray.

(Continued on Page 27)

BOTH the former Civil Administrators addressed the gathering, briefly, and each was warmly welcomed. Each spoke of the happiness he had gained through long years of service in the Ter ritories, of the good friendships made there, and of their bitter regret that so many lives had been lost, and so much destruction had been done.

Mr. Murray said that he did not know whether he and his wife would return to the Territories; but, in any event, their hearts and their interest would remain there always, among the people with whom they had lived so long. He em phasised the problems and difficulties which confronted the post-war Govern ment, and urged all who wished to see prosperity and happiness restored to assist the new Administrator, whoever he might be, and co-operate with him in every possible way—especially in his heavy task of restoring normal conditions among the natives. , Sir Walter McNicoll spoke of the im perishable record of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles. He described how the unit was formed, how it was trained — and how splendidly its members acquitted themselves when all the horrors of in vasion and war broke suddenly over the Territory in January, 1942. He had retired and would not return to the Territory officially; but he and Lady McNicoll never would forget their years at Nama nula, and all the kindnesses they had re ceived at the hands of New Guinea resi dents —many of whom, unhappily, had disappeared in the invasion.

Dr. Baxter, Medical Officer of Health to the Central Board of Health, has left Fiji on long leave, and his place has been taken by Dr. Taylor, who has been trans ferred from Lautoka. A booklet called “Facts About Flies in Fiji” by Dr. Baxter has recently been published.