Magazine Section

Territories Talk-Talk

By "Tolala"

SEEING a tall figure swinging down Castlereagh street, Sydney, the otner day jerked my memory back a quarter of a century to Rabam, in the ney-day of the Exproboard. It was jovial Harold Coldham (known to ms intimates as 3LO because of the timbre of his voice); he seemed as young and virile as when, shortly after World War I he was a Board plantation man ager (or maybe overseer).

There aren’t very many of them left now. “Blue” Allen is another and was, in those days, looking after one of the ex-German plantations for the Board along the Kavieng Road. Jack Mullaly was an auditor with the board tnen, so also was Clarrie Archer (now a PCB dictator) while Jack Gilmore and Fred Archer were doing a job in what usea to be called the Workshop section, with popular old Nobby Clark. Tony Edgen was one of the crowd, but he has more or less shaken the Islands white sand out of his socks, and is now running that most successful canning business in Sydney.

Others in the same category are Bill Watson and Herk. Bradaon. A. M.

Stewart was one of the early ones, and he is still seeing that the copra is properly dried and that no one has got aown on any of the fish-hooks in the trade-store somewhere between Wanimo and Buin.

The indomitable Richards, of course, is still going strong, like the well-known beverage, but he had not risen to lame 25 years ago, being a minor cog in the Exproboard machine down Kieta way.

They were happy, care-free days, be fore nylons and black-markets or bobby soxers. “Boys” took a pride in their work, and did it with a smile and oft-times at the double.

Yes, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since Harold Coldham mixed a drink in the old Rabaul Club and yarned with Fred Jolley (the then Busi ness Manager of the Board, but now quietly retired somewhere across the Har bour, these many years). Harold, by-the way, was up from Melbourne, making preparations to take his wife up to his Bali property in the Witu Group. They sail sometime in June. ♦ * ♦ rTHER Chaize hit the news again last month, when he paid a visit to Can berra, and Prime Minister Chifiey gave him the run of the PM’s Lodge in the capital. That’s no trouble to Father Chaize, who’d take it all in his stride.

For years before the Second War he was looking after his Marist flock down Buka way; making his HQ around the Passage.

He is a loveable character, and can do almost anything with natives; rolls his own cigars from the native “brus,” and is imbued with a wonderful sense of humour.

During the war he did a good job with the French Navy around the Islands and collected a couple of decent-sized decora tions out of the job. He’s attached to the Mater Misericordiae Hospital at North Sydney now; and I’ll bet his genial smile does more for the patients than many of the tonics they put up in bottles.

AT a recent Government House inves titure in Sydney a couple of war veierans, wno lound themselves in Changi prison camp, eacn had a Bntisn Empire Meaai pinned on their cnests lor maintaining secret wireless sets in tne camp.

Occupied in this same hazardous game in tne Rabaul prison camp was niiau cameron/ wno was electrician witn tne rwD during normal times. Allan, wnose occupation was known to the oaps (tney had everyone’s History down to tne smallest detail), was given tne job of re pairing wireless sets oy the dap Army, wnose members had tossed most of tne sets out m tne street during tne first few days of the Rabaul occupation thinx mg they were some Kind oi boooy-trap.

Allan wonted overtime, out he managed to make up a set of ms own, which Kept tne camp au fait with doings outside, in cluding Curtin’s remarks aoout the i'ol massacre. The little set was of great value to the chaps in the camp up to tne time they sailed on the ill-fated - Monte video Maru.”

Allan did not sail on that vessel, put was detained in Rabaul because of ms technical knowledge, which incidentally might have been tne cause, or a con tributing factor, to his death. The Japs perhaps found a receiving set he was working. Allan was with Cnancey, Albert Evensen and that crowd wno, officially, disappeared into thin air. A good cove, was Allan. * ♦ * THE WRC freighter “Rabaul II” her namesake was sunk in the Atlantic in 1941 and was well-known in Terri torial waters before the War has cnanged its name and is now known as “Dongola.” iShe’s on the Australia-india run. Islanders will be sorry for the change; it was a link with the old town.

Still, what’s in a name? It’s the cargo space they want up there now. Cargo space and bags. One planter recently told me he had 250 tons of copra waiting in his sheds because he couldn’t procure bags. And that with the shortage of fats in the world seems . . . Well, wouldn’t it? u _i * * * m. LESLIE McALPINE, of Drummoyne, X in an individual who is determined to leave no stone unturned in order to have a Royal Commission appointed to “inquire into New Guinea affairs.”

Any letter touching on the Territory, which appears in “Granny” Herald, is in variably followed in a day or two by a request from Mac for a Commission. He’s been steadily trying now, for years, and eventually (we hope) will wear down Mr.

Chifley’s objections by sheer perseverance.

He knows his Islands, too, and was for many years in the BSI and Bougainville before being an inspector for one of the Big Firms. * * * NEW GUINEA was in the news last month (and I don’t mean about timber leases) when a Yankee mis sionary put up the suggestion in Wash ington (DC) that US should part up £32 million to Australia and Holland for New Guinea and start a Japanese settle ment there.

No need to describe what Canberra re actions were, or Holland’s either, for that matter. But it does raise the point as to what is going to be done with those exceptionally rich highlands.. To quote J. L. Taylor, leader of the famous Mount

Hagen expedition in 1938-39: “The exis tence of these highland areas makes New Guinea . . . something between a second Java and a second New Zealand ... It has a golden future, I have no doubt, and I trust we may see it in our time— upon our energy and initiative this de pends.” If we don’t do something about it, then somebody else will.

BITS AND PIECES: Judy Street was married in Melbourne on February 25, to Nicolas Adrian Job. It was a quiet affair at Christ Church, South Yarra. Congratulations . . . Josephine Pederson, only daughter of the late Mr.

C. Pederson and Mrs. Pederson, of Rose Bay, married Dr. James O’Keefe, of Cooma, last month at Sacred Heart Church, Fymble ... An old-timer has gone to his rest: William James V.

Saville, formerly of Mailu, Papua. Passed away on February 7 at West Wickham, Kent. He was 75 . . . Karl Albert Otto Soltwedel, well-known on the Morobe goldfields, is applying for Australian naturalisation . . . Joan Pennefather, daughter of the genial Vic of Tokua plan tation. in the Kokopo district, was married to Ken Jones, eldest son of J. H. (Bert) Jones, of the District Services. The cere mony took Diace at Shore Chapel on March 4 . . . Fred Cook, who has been running Cliffside for Doris Booth, is hav ing a look at the Big Smoke . . . Ben Parer is down from Rabaui to have a

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THE above is the result of a sketch made on board “Montoro” when the artist was travelling back to New Guinea some months ago. The victim is Captain Duddell, .former master of that well known vessel, who is soon to leave for Scotland to bring out the luxury ship, “Bulolo.” Well-known to both New Guinea-Papua residents and to the folk at Singapore, Captain Duddell is most popular.

broken wrist re-set . . . Colin Marr and family are visiting Sydney, and expect to be down for a few months . . . Perc Blanden, after his crash into the Bulolo tree-tops, we are glad to say is now able to hobble about a bit out of hospital— at long last . . . Mick Thomas, from Bitapaka, is down with his family on a spot of holidaying . . . George Robins, of BP, Lae, arrived recently for medical treatment. His wife accompanied him . . . . Ted Edols, one-time of Wau, has been browsing around the Pacific since the War, having a look at Borneo, New Hebrides and so forth. He’s returning to Singapore, and then journeys on to Borneo once again . . . Reg Duncan, one-time master of the old “Durour,” is now skippering “Eastern Venture” . . .

Tom Yeomans, arriving down from the Bulolo, looks the picture of health. He doesn’t talk, but he looks happy enough, so I expect the dredges are turning out their modicum of gold these days. There are five of them working.