Witu, TNG

Gladys Baker, M.B.E.

Unexpected Death at Witu, TNG

By Gordon Thomas

A WELL-KNOWN resident of New Guinea, Mrs, Gladys Baker, died at her plantation in the Witu Group, on December 29, after a short illness.

The news came as a shock to her many friends in Australia. Only a few weeks previously they had said farewell to her as she boarded the “Revnella.” on the return journey to her home at Langu plantation, where she had decided to face the difficulties of present-day rehabilita tion and bring the cocqnut estate back into bearing.

Equipped with newly-purchased house hold requisites, and accompanied by a young overseer —Peter Henderson. DFC, ex-RAAF she doggedly persisted in facing the hardships which she well realised lay ahead. After a long and tedious journey to Rabaul by the “Rey nella,” she was delayed there for some weeks before being able to proceed to her plantation in the Witu Group, off the north coast of New Britain. Here,

shortly after her arrival, she was taken ill, and died.

Gladys Henriette Baker was born in Melbourne 49 years ago. In 1920, she journeyed to Misima Island, in Papua, where she was married to Mr. William Baker, then Resident Magistrate there.

For several years she accompanied her husband to the various districts in Papua to which he was called by his duties. In the late 20’s he left the government ser vice for the Mandated Territory, where he had successfully tendered for the Expropriated estate of Langu plantation.

At Langu, the Bakers established a home well-known throughout the Terri tory for its comfort and hospitality. In 1934 William Baker died, after a short illness, and his widow, showing that staunch determination characteristic of so many Islands women, remained on the property to develop it and, to use her own words, “to perpetuate a memorial for Bill.” And here she remained, except

for occasional holidays in Australia and Europe, personally managing the coconut estate until even after the Japanese in vasion in 1942.

During the grim days of January and February, 1942 she rendered valuable ser vice to the soldiers retreating from Rabaul. On the vessel “Lakatoi.” by which many escaped, she gave valuable services m tending the sick and wounded, during the trip to Queensland. For this, she was awarded the MBE. (The story of her escape from Witu and New Britain is included in the article by Mr. J. K.

McCarthy published on page 55.) Arriving in Queensland in March, 1942, she joined the AMWAS. with which body she served continuously, obtaining her commission as a lieutenant in 1944.

Gladys Baker will always be remem bered as a woman of charming person ality, generous in spirit and endowed with a deep-rooted loyalty to her large circle of friends, who now mourn her passing.