Old Mission

A New Boat For An Old Mission Father Dupeyrat Despatches "St. Francis" to Papua

IN August, 1947, Father Dupeyrat, MSC, left the Yule Island Mission, in Central Papua, for Australia. He was being sent on a begging expedition by his Bishop, Rt. Rev. A. Sorin, MSC.

The old Catholic Mission in Papua had been almost ruined by the war, and funds were most urgently needed. Father Dupeyrat is a quick-smiling, vivacious Frenchman, who has spent 20 years in and around the New Guinea jungles an excellent choice for a difficult job.

On September 15, as Father Dupeyrat sat in his room in Port Moresby, trying to make some sort of plan for appeal ing to the Australians, word came to him that the Mission vessel “Gemma” had been completely wrecked the pre vious day between Moresby and Yule Is land. This was a paralysing blow. The Mission was wholly dependant on the

“Gemma” for maintaining communica tions.

This, also, was just the necessary spur for Father Dupeyrat. When he arrived in Sydney a few days later he knew that, although his available funds were woe ful to the point of non-existence, he just had to find a boat for his Mission.

In less than a fortnight on October 4 he bought the MV “Hunter,” (54 ft. long, I6h ft. beam, 6i ft. draught) at a Commonwealth Disposals sale for £4,250, and gave her a new name. It was a good buy. The vessel is powered by a 3-cyl. Vivian diesel engine, cruises at about 8 mph, and she can carry 20 tons of cargo and half a dozen passengers.

Then the missionary set himself to the heavy tasks of (a) equipping the boat; (b) getting the boat away to Papua; (c) paying for the boat and equipment.

With his boundless energy and optim ism, he could cope with (a) and (c); but (b) brought him to the depths of frus tration and despair. If he could have dealt with one man it would not have been so bad; but he was up against the whole set-up of Australia’s stupid, un imaginative, unco-operative and buck passing bureaucracy. Between Depart ments and Commissions and officials and plain pains-in-the-neck, he spent literally weeks of time. His persistence, a good nature and ready smile won him through in the end, and his little ship sailed for Papua late in February. . . .

The problem of a crew was simply solved. To compensate for the lack of lay Brothers in his Mission, Bishop Sorin broadcast an appeal to young Australians, to go and work in Papua for two years.

He got a notable response and five of these Voluntary Workers (as they are called) were appointed to go to Papua as the crew of the “St. Francis.” The

five are shown in the photograph. Each has technical knowledge and should be a useful man as a sailor or a Mission Vol untary Worker.

At the last moment the crew was re inforced by a Bank officer of Sydney, Kevin McGhee, who obtained leave to help get the new ship to Papua.

The “St. Francis” sailed from Sydney on February 27, and reached Ballina, NSW, on March 3. A job which had to be done there took 12 days, instead of the expected three. They got away on March 15, and were between Rockhamp ton and Mackay on the 19th, when they heard of a cyclone developing. They wisely lay in well-sheltered Clinton Bay for five days, while a terrific storm battered the coast. Then they sailed comfortably up the coast and crossed to Yule Is. by way of Cape York, Thursday Island, Daru and the Gulf of Papua.

In Australia, Father Dupeyrat is plug ging away he wants some thousands of pounds, still, to pay for the boat and its equipment. Then he will apply him self to his original job money for general mission purposes. He certainly started a long way behind scratch. But he still is smiling.

Commander William Burrows, veteran of two wars, and who has given dis tinguished service to the Royal Navy, the Australian Navy, the High Commis sion of the Western Pacific and the Gov ernment of Fiji, has left Fiji, and intends to establish his future home in South Africa. He was in Sydney in March, and there renewed many old friendships. He filled many positions in Fiji and the other British Islands of the South Pacific dur ing the past 25 years.

Pacific Tuna

This large tuna was caught in Tongan waters recently by Tongan fishermen. —Photo by Hettig.