Director of Papuan Apinaipi
pp. 57-58 · Read in the full issue
Death Of R. S. Haynes
MANY residents of Papua learned with regret of the untimely death of Mr.
R. S. Haynes, in Sydney, on Dec ember 9, at the early age of 56. He was the direpting force of the small com pany called Papuan Apinaipi Petroleum Co., Ltd., which carried on drilling opera tions on a small lease in Papua until the Jap invasion in 1942.
Mr. Haynes went first to Papua in 1918 in the service of the Anglo-Persian Oil Co., and when the latter withdrew from the search five years later he maintained his interest in Papua through other oil concerns. He never wavered in his be lief than an oilfield can be developed in Papua. When, in the middle thirties, most of Papua was divided, for oil search purposes, between the big oil companies, Haynes and Walter Marks, former Aus tralian MP, were able to Keep a few square miles reserved for the little
Apinaipi concern, and they commenced drilling there in the late thirties. They kept going with difficulty. Finally, all the funds subscribed by the public ran out, and they appealed for Australian Government assistance. On the good prospects they showed, they were granted help, and they were working on this finance when the 1942 blackout came.
Drilling for oil will undoubtedly be re sumed in Papua by the big concerns; but the fate of the Apinaipi enterprise probably will depend upon whether the company can find another man with the faith and driving force of R. S. Haynes.
Hon. W. G. Johnson, MLC, managing director of W. R. Carpenter’s Fiji busi ness, flew to Brisbane in November on the “Coriolanus.” Carpenters are get ting into the peanut-oil business; and, while in Queensland, Mr. Johnson in spected some likely areas.
The engagement has been announced of Sheila Colahan, late of Labasa, Fiji, to Lieut. Bill McCloy, of the CSR Co., Ltd., Lautoka. Lieut. McCloy is the eldest of a family of four boys, all of whom have seen long service in the war. - Sheila is the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
O. Colahan. He has recently retired after a long term of service with the CSR Co., Ltd., at Labassa, Fiji. The happy couple are looking forward to a prosperous future in Fiji.