Investigate

Thursday Island A

Wreck

Commission Sent to Investigate

ONE of the most shocking stories of official stupidity, muddle and wan ton waste, in the Pacific War, comes from Thursday Island.

In 1940, there were 240 residences and other buildings in TI. It was a pros perous little town, based on the shelling industry.

When the Pacific War came, Thursday Island, because of its strategic situation in relation to Torres Strait, became an important base for Allied defence Forces, of all classes. It was occupied by Army, Navy and Air Force detachments, nearly all Australian.

TI never was attacked. Except for an occasional Jap reconnaissance plane, the enemy never was within 500 miles of the place.

Yet, when the Pacific War ended, TI was a wreck. Half of the buildings had been demolished —for no reason that any one can see, except for use as firewood.

The valuable pearling industry has been practically destroyed. The boats have been generally “taken over” and most of the diving and shelling equipment has been either lost or smashed. Our in formant says the present appearance of the place suggests that it has been oc cupied by a race of lunatics.

Civilians naturally thought that, as soon as the war was over in August, they could return. They have not yet been allowed to go back.

Officialdom apparently hoped that it could hide the eyesore that once was Thursday Island. But very strong re presentations have been made to the Federal authority and the Queensland Government (TI is part of Queensland); and the latter finally has appointed a Commission to go to TI and report. The Commission, under the leadership of a Mr. Chuter, left for TI on January 14.

Its report will be more than interesting.

Expert opinion is that it will take years to re-establish TI as a pearl-shelling centre.