Death Of Fr. I. Schwab

Of Sepik River

WE have received word from the Roman Catholic Mission at Alexishafen, New Guinea, that the Rev. Father I.

Schwab, who returned to his station on the Sepik River early this year, died in Madang hospital in October. The Mission writes: “We mourn his death, which was a great loss to many natives who regarded him as their common father. It is also a great loss to the Mission, which has now one zealous pioneer less; and you, no doubt, will regret the loss of one of the contributors to your magazine.”

Father Schwab, although probably known to only a few Territorians person ally, was usually responsible for one or two small stories in the “PIM” each month. Generally, they were in praise of one or another of his good friends at Angoram, or dealt with some aspect of native life in the large Sepik District.

He was a keen anthropologist, and was connected with some of the European Scientific bodies.

A spasmodic pen acquaintance was struck up between him and this writer about 1944, through a mutual friend who helped him, I understand, to escape from the Japanese after being cut off by them on the Sepik River for over a year; and because of a shared interest in the natives of New Guinea. Somehow—possibly be cause of his sometimes quaint English— the impression was gained that Fr Schwab was an elderly man. However when he called upon us about a year ago on his way back to New Guinea after two years or more as an evacuee in Tas mania, he proved to be far from elderly, although of not particularly robust appearance.

He was one of a party who took the small mission vessel “Stella Maris II'’ from Sydney to Alexishafen. They arrived there early in the New Year and Father Schwab was subsequently sent to his old stamping-ground, the Sepik River, and from there, as the months went by, he sent us bits and pieces of local news, stories of natives, and odd angles on some of their customs.

A few months ago he suffered a severe attack of malaria, from which he apparently did not fully recover.

I think Father Schwab was German,

or perhaps Austrian. I do not know for certain, and he did not speak of himself.

But he was our good friend: we learn of

his passing with real regret.

J.T.