Australia’S Unsuspected

Islands Empire

100,000 Acres Available in the New Hebrides

HOW many people know that the Australian Commonwealth Gov ernment has a small Empire of about 100,000 acres in the Condominium of the New Hebrides, and that this land is available, at very low rates, to selected and approved persons of

British nationality?

THE land was given to Australia by one of the famous Empire-builders of the South Pacific, the late Sir James Burns, founder of the Burns Philp group of companies.

From his earliest days in the South Seas, Sir James was interested in the New Hebrides and especially the cool, southern islands and he directed some of his great energy to the encouragement of British settlement there. As a good Scotsman, he assisted the Presbyterian Church to go to this group one of the very few places in the Pacific Islands where Presbyterian missionaries may be found to-day.

Soon after the Commonwealth was created, Sir James turned over to the Australian Government all his com panies’ land interests in the New Hebrides, totalling about 100,000 acres, on condition that Australia encouraged the settlement of British planters there.

Australia took over the responsibility, and established its representative in Port Vila.

But the plan did not make great pro gress partly because of the politicians’ indifference, and partly because of the slowness of the Condominium Joint Court in granting titles. The Burns claims to the 100,000 acres (which in cluded a lot of the most desirable land in the group) were based on all sorts of transactions, extending over many years; and although the Burns Philp interests had been in possession, the Court could not grant the permanent titles until it had carefully examined each claim in all its aspects.

THE Joint Court, in dealing with land claims, has been amazingly slow.

It began its task prior to World War I; it was interrupted by World Wars I and II; it was dislocated, again and again, by changes in personnel; and to day, 45 years after Australia took over the land, the claims in respect of only two or three islands have been examined.

For many years, a Mr. Wallace repre sented the Australian Government in Vila, with the title of “Commonwealth solicitor.” After he left, late in the thirties, the work was taken over by Mr. Ballard; but in the early part of World War II he was transferred else where. No one was sent in his place; and, since then, the Vila branch of Burns Philp & Co., Ltd., has been re presenting Australia in respect of these land matters.

DURING the last session of the Com monwealth Parliament Mr. P. C.

Spender, KC, MP, asked the Prime Minister for information about this land in the New Hebrides; and, after a con siderable delay, Mr. Chifley, on Decem ber 4, replied to Mr. Spender as follows: “Under the terms of a mail contract of March 12, 1902, between the Common wealth and Burns Philp & Co., Ltd., the Company agreed and declared that they would hold in trust all lands in the New Hebrides Islands taken over by them from the Australian-New Hebrides Com pany, and of which they were then pos

sessed, inter alia to lease them to such persons at rentals of 1/- per annum for each 50 acres or part thereof, and on such terms and conditions as the Minister

for External Affairs might from time to time approve.

“Numerous leases were granted before the recent war, the usual procedure being to grant leases for three years and then, if the terms of the lease were satisfac torily carried out, to grant a further lease for 96 years. During the recent war the granting of leases was suspended.

“On the termination of the war, In 1945, the granting of leases to approved settlers was resumed; and Burns Philp & Co., Ltd., as trustees, were invited to forward applications for leases for con sideration and were reauested, in view of the fact the Australia was not repre sented in the New Hebrides, to arrange through their Islands Branches for any necessary work in connection with the leases to be carried out.

“Leases of lands have been limited to approved settlers of British nationality.

“The total area of the land included in the agreement of 1902 is estimated at about 100,000 acres.”

THE “PIM” made inquiries recently in Sydney, and was informed that there is plenty of land available to would-be nlanters in the New Hebrides, at absurdly low rates but it is not clear that the land is generally suitable for planting purposes. The difficulty to-day is that it is mostly unimproved land, and labour, building materials and machinery are just as difficult to obtain in the New Hebrides as anywhere else.

The Condominium Government has often been laughed at, as inefficient and unwieldy: but, as a matter of fact, it is one of the few places in the world to-day where the individual can get security, administrative justice and freedom from punitive taxation.

Persons interested should direct their inquiries to th Q Manager, Island Agencies Denartment, Burns Philp & Co., Ltd., 7 Bridge Street, Sydney.