The Career Of The Late
p. 48 · Read in the full issue
R. A. Gale
r T'HE following notes on the career of the late Mr. Reginald A. Gale whose death on November 30, was reported in January “PIM” have been received from a correspondent in Lautoka , Fiji, THE death has occurred at Lautoka, Fiji, of Mr. R. A, Gale, at the age of 68. He had been a well-known and popular resident of the sugar districts of Viti Levu for 45 years.
Mr. Gale was born at Cooma, NSW, and attended Sydney Grammar School where he was a member of Ist XV at Rugby for four years. On leaving school he became a clerk in the Chief Account ant’s Department of NSW Railways, where the present Commissioner, Mr. R.
T. Hartigan, was a fellow clerk.
He then joined the staff of the CSR Co.
Ltd., and was sent to Fiji where he arrived in February, 1901. He was posted to Rarawai Mill where he early assisted in the building of the Ba-Tavua Railway.
Mr. Gale was Acting Accountant at Rarawai Mill when, in February 1911, he took over Vunisamaloa Estate at a time when the CSR Company made available many of its estates as private plantations.
He was secretary of the Fiji Cane Planters’ Association (Ba Branch) for many years, but later returned to the CSR Company’s staff. The Indian labourer’s strike of 1921, and the sub sequent termination of the Indian Inden ture system made it impossible for private planters /to carry on, due to lack of labour.
Mr. Gale was in turn overseer in charge of Vunisamaloa (his old plantation), Votua Levu and Miegunyah Estates— the latter two being in the Nadi District After his retirement in 1937 he re mained in Fiji and engaged in business as a land valuer. He quickly established
a sound reputation, and was still engaged m this business at the time of his death.
IN his days Reg. Gale was a leading tennis player in Fiji, where he won many events. This interest m tennis remained and from 1936 onwards he was the Honorary Secretary of the Fiji Lawn Tennis Association, Possessing an excellent knowledge of the game he was always ready to assist younger players with friendly advice, and he will be sadly missed by his numerous tennis friends. His pithy comment on the vari ous tennis matches in the Colony were a regular and interesting feature of the “Fiji Times and Herald.”
In 1908 Mr. Gale married Dora Kennedy of Leconfield, NSW. His wife died in 1939 and he is survived by two daughters, Miss Sheila Gale and Miss Pat Gale, both of Lautoka.