in Samarai

Death of W. J. Lambden in Samarai Another "Murray Man" Dies in Harness

THE death of W. J. Lambden, District Officer, Eastern District, Papua, which occurred at his home in Sam arai on January 4, was not only a source of grief to his relatives and his many friends, but was also a cruel blow to all who still hope to see sanity and order restored to the administration of Australia’s New Guinea territory.

“Bill” Lambden was born in 1896. He served through the First World War and joined the Public Service of Papua in 1920 as a patrol-officer. He was stationed first at Daru, in the Western Division, and served later in the Gulf and Northern Divisions before going to Abau, where he remained until 1943, first as Assistant Resident Magistrate and later as RM of the newly formed East Central Division.

From the time he joined the Adminis tration he proved himself one of the most trustworthy officers in a loyal and hard working service. He possessed unusually keen insight into the native mind, and the faculty, amounting to genius, of winning native confidence to an extent seldom found in even the most experi enced officers. And he understood, per haps more clearly than any man except his Chief, the full implications and ulti mate objectives of the world-famed Murray policy.

It was his rigid sense of justice, and his devotion to a cause in which he believed, that brought him into conflict with the military authorities in 1942-3.

He remained, after the compulsory evacu ation in 1942, at his magisterial station at Abau. And his first disagreement

with the Army came when he refused to accept an instruction that a certain native accused of desertion must be con victed and severely punished. Lambden was accustomed neither to pre-judging the cases brought before him, nor to obeying instructions as to his verdict.

As he saw it, his duty was to inter pret the law and to administer justice; and no amount of pressure from outside was permitted to influence the decisions that his experience and deep integrity prompted him to make. He tried the case, convicted the accused on technical grounds, and returned him to his em ployer without inflicting a penalty.

Military dignity was hurt. And resent ment grew as Lambden continued to in flict penalties for desertion much lighter than those which rigid military view con sidered appropriate. Eventually he was •informed officially that, unless he im posed much heavier punishments, the Army would inflict floggings for desertion without reference to the law.

Lambden fought this threat as he fought the method of wholesale and un considered conscription of labour. But he was fighting a losing fight against overwhelming forces.

His health was not good at this time, though he was quite capable of carrying out his duties. But the Army decided that he must go. He was called before a Medical Board which could be relied upon to obey instructions, and was in valided out of the service.

He went to Melbourne, and was there employed as organiser for the sale of War Savings Certificates and War Loan Bonds in a "large Melbourne district.

Later he was appointed manager of a section of the Munitions Department from which he was soon promoted to the posi tion of organiser.

From there he would have gone, in the natural course of events, on to a much higher and well paid position; but

the Provisional Administration was formed just at that time, and no offers, however lucrative, could keep him away from his beloved Papua. He returned there late in 1945, and was placed in charge of the eastern districts, with head quarters at Samarai, where he remained until he died.

His home life was an exceptionally happy one. Mrs. Lambden was his part ner in his work, acting as his efficient private secretary. They had a daughter and a schoolboy son. —LL.