About Island People

Mr. Claude S. Israel, a director of Mor ris Hedstrom Ltd., and late manager of the Company’s branch at Lautoka, has proceeded to Sydney, to become manager of the Sydney office, in succession to Mr.

J. Dowling, another director of the Com pany, who is retiring, and who probably will live in New Zealand.

Major J. Macgregor Dowsett, who, as an ANGAU officer, has been in charge of the rehabilitation of the Chinese commu nity in New Britain, passed through Syd ney in June, on his way to Geelong. He expects his discharge shortly, after 65 years of active service with the AIF in the Middle East, and in New Guinea. He received high commendation for his work in training Australians and Americans in jungle fighting in New Guinea. He was on excellent terms with the Rabaul Chinese; and he says that the three week* of Chinese hospitality which he received before he left was tougher than anything he ever had to undergo in the jungle.

Mr. Dowsett had been 20 years in New Guinea, when the war came, and had established a cocoa plantation at Tokaiya on the north coast. His present inten tion is not to return to the Territory.

At the Holy Trinity Pro-Cathedral in Suva, Fiji, on June 5, Miss Margaret Isobel Park, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. S. M. Park, of Nadi, mar ried Frederick L. Corbett, third son of Mr. and Mrs. O. B. Corbett, of Suva. A reception was held later in the Grand Pacific Hotel, where the bride’s parents entertained many guests.

What might be called a “Hail and Fare well” party was arranged bv Major H. S. N. Robinson, Australian secretary of the Melanesian Mission, at the Pickwick Club, Sydney, on July 3. Guest of honour was Sister C. Curwen, who had recently arrived from England and was about to depart for a Melanesian Mission hospital on Malaita, BSI. She expected to travel on the “Neo Hebridais” as far as Vila (New Hebrides), where she will be picked up by the Mission ship ‘Southern Cross.”

Sister Curwen said that although she had had no previous tropical service she was looking forward to work in the Solomons.

Sister Gwen Davies, of the Methodist Mission, arrived in Fiji and has started work at the Dilkusha Indian Girls’ Or phanage. She will, as well, do Child Wel fare work in the Nausori district.

The June issue of the Methodist “Mis sionary Review” states: “The Govern ment of Tonga has sent two promising young Tongans to New Zealand to mat riculate preparatory to taking a full medi cal course at the New Zealand University.

The boys are Sione Siosiomalohi, who attended the Government College in Ton ga, and Mahe ’Uli’uli, who passed through Tupou College. Sione graduated at the Central Medical School, Suva, with high honours, in 1944. Both boys are at pre sent attending the Auckland Government Grammar School. In the December ex aminations, at the end of his first year, Sione gained first place in the form in Science and Mathematics, and fifth place in English. Mahe commenced his studies this year.”

The Rev. James Benson, of the Anglic an Mission, who was given up for dead during the Pacific war years, but who was discovered in Rabaul when the Australia lians re-occupied the town, has been posted to Port Moresby as Rector of St.

James. It is understood that this appoint ment is only temporary and that Mr.

Benson will later return to the mission field.