For Appointment

to the Colonial Service

Where And How To Apply

SOME months ago we published in the “PIM” a paragraph regarding post war opportunities in the British Colonial Service and stated that details could be obtained through the Colonial Secretary’s Office, Suva, Fiji.

A moving appeal has now come from the Fiji Secretariat for us to do some thing to counteract the effects of that paragraph. They say that a steady stream of inquiries has come from Aus tralia and all points north, with the re sult that their supply of Colonial Office pamphlets has dried up and they can only advise would-be Colonial officers to “try Australia.”

We have contacted the office of the High Commissioner for the United King dom in Canberra, whose secretary kindly sent us the Colonial Office pamphlet re ferred to by the Colonial Secretary’s of fice in Suva, and who informs us that those who consider that they have' the necessary qualifications should communi cate with: Dominion Liaison Officer, Colonial Appointments Committee, Mel bourne University, Melbourne N 3.

To save the time of both the Liaison Officer and applicants, the following de tails, from the pamphlet, may be of use: CANDIDATES must have reached the age of 20s at the time of taking up their duties, but they must not have been born later than January 1, 1905, for technical appointments, or January 1, 1910, for other appointments. Pre-war, the general 'preference was for candi dates under 30 and under 26, respectively, but the raising of the age limit is de signed so that those with war service are not penalised.

Credit for war service is given in initial salary, and marriage is no bar to ap pointment, officers being encouraged to have their wives with them as far as possible. Free passages are provided for officers, and free or assisted passages for wives. rfTHERE is no written examination and J. no entrance fee, but the standard set is very high. Candidates are selected by competitive selection, based on record and personal interview. Full account is taken of their general educa tional attainments, intellectual ability, their professional qualifications where applicable, their pre-war civil employ-» ment, if any, their record of service dur ing the war, their health, character and personal fitness. Standard of physical fitness required for the Service is high, as much of the Service involves work in the tropics.

Officers are required to serve in all parts of the Colonial Empire—East and West Africa, Malaya, Hong Kong, Ceylon, Fiji and the Western Pacific, Palestine, Cyprus, Aden, Basutoland. Bechuana land, Swaziland, West Indies, etc., and salaries range from £350 to £1.700 per annum (unless one eventually becomes a Colonial Governor on a salary of £B,OOO per annum). There are also housing al lowances, and free medical attention in some cases.

Officers may enter the Colonial Ad ministrative Service, the Agricultural Service, the Audit Service, Customs Ser vice, Education Service, Engineering and Town Planning Service, Forest Service, Legal Service, Medical Service, Police

Service, Survey Service, Veterinary Ser vice, or Chemical, Geological and Mining or Meteorological Service; there are also Labour and Social Welfare appointments and appointments for women in the medical, nursing or social welfare branches.

Qualifications for all these appoint ments are high and exacting. Generally, an appropriate University degree is necessary, plus qualities of leadership, character, physique, etc.

Entering His Majesty's Colonial Ser vice is on a somewhat higher plane than entering the Commonwealth Public Ser vice. The pamphlets describing post-war opportunities in detail can be obtained from the Dominion Liaison Officer, but only those who feel they have the neces sary qualifications should apply.