Post-War Condition Of
p. 50 · Read in the full issue
Samarai
THERE has been little re-building activity as yet at Samarai, chief town of Eastern Papua, because officialdom decided that a new survey was necessary and this has only just been completed.
It will be remembered that, early in the Jap invasion, the whole of the busi ness part of Samarai was completely destroyed. The final pegs have now been driven, however, and it is expected that the re-building of the stores and dock side facilities will commence soon. Burns Philp & Co. Ltd., Steamships Trading Co.
Ltd., and Whitten Bros., have been carry ing on in more or less temporary struc tures.
There is no indication yet that hotels will be rebuilt—there were two of them in operation in 1941.
The residential portion of Samarai—a little town covering a small island, and one of the prettiest places in the South- Western Pacific—was not damaged by fire or bombs, but the residences suffered severely from weather and neglect.
Mr. V. C. Gabriel, manager of the branch of Messrs. Burns, Philp & Co Ltd., at Samarai, Papua, visited Sydney at the end of December, in order to re ceive specialist attention to his eyes. He returned to Samarai early in January.
Bishop Ash has relinquished the Bishopric of Rockhampton (Qld.) to take up the office of Centenary Appeal Com missioner for the Anglican Church in the Pacific. He graduated in Arts at Sydney University in 1908, and was ordained Deacon in that year; he became a priest in 1910. He will take up his new duties in February.