Death Of Old Papuan

Identity

A WELL-KNOWN former resident of Papua, Mr. William J. Priest, died in Brisbane on January 28.

He was born in England about 79 years ago and served his time in sailing ships.

He captained many trading vessels in New Guinea waters in his early days in the Territory and later ran a plantation.

He is survived by his daughter, Mrs C. G. Harrison, of Fraser Street. Ashgrove, Brisbane.

BILLY PRIEST was born in Liverpool and arrived in Papua as the boat swain of the Ivanhoe which was owned by Burns Philp and Company. He was engaged for many years in seafaring and in sailing boats for many owners in th°t era nf small craft.

Priest was colour-blind and was thus unable to go for his Master’s ticket.

He was a deep reader and a fluent speaker and was always interested in astronomy and navigation. After he left the sea he settled on the small island of Helena near Samarai and worked on the plantation of Fred Evenett for several years. Later he helped build the wharf at Samarai and then moved on to Moresby. In Moresby he married into a part-Chinese family who then had a large market-garden on the Laloki River.

He and his family were evacuated to Brisbane in 1942 and for a while Priest was attached to the US Navy as a can vas worker. His wife died during this time and his daughter married a Bris bane man.—D. H. Osborne.

Mrs. E. L. Leembruggen and her daugh ter, of Vila, New Hebrides, visited Sydney in December and January and returned to the Condominium on the February “Morinda.”