Australian Airlines to Norfolk

Norfolk and Lord Howe

fIIHE Commonwealth Government X probably through Government owned Qantas will start services between Australia and Lord Howe Is land and Australia and Norfolk Island soon.

Both services will run from Sydney. It is expected that a Lancastrian will be used on the Norfolk Island route, and a Catalina on the Lord Howe run. It is expected that one trip will be run each fortnight.

There is, at present, an air link be tween Norfolk Island and Auckland, which is patronised by New Zealand tourists. The Australian Minister for Air, Mr, Drakeford, who made the an nouncement concerning the Australian Government’s intentions, seemed to think that once Australia began a service to the island, the New Zealand service would cease.

Why this should be so is hard to imagine. Norfolk Island is closer to New Zealand than to Australia and the island has been making an income out of NZ visitors. Australia, on the other hand, produces everything that can be produced on Norfolk and therefore denies to the island an Australian market for its products.

There was some suggestion a month or two ago that Norfolk should come under NZ Administration. From the Island’s point of view, this would have many advantages.

The gunboat “Dumont d’Urville,” which was sent to the New Hebrides to quieten the 800 Indo-Chinese seeking to return to their own country, left 12 French sailors at Vila to handle the demonstrators be fore proceeding to Santo, where the de monstrators were more numerous.

Port Vila, New Hebrides, has been suf fering from a complete famine in soap, matches and oil.

Mrs. Iris Schmidt has returned to Rabaul, New Guinea. She was accom panied by her daughter.

Mr. Bob Day, old identity in the Morobe district, returned to New Guinea by air at the end of last month.

Sugar rationing has been reintroduced in Noumea because Australian supplies have been temporarily cut by one half.