Melanesian Mission Office

May Leave Sydney

THE office of the Melanesian Mission, which has been established in Syd ney for very many years, is being transferred to Auckland, NZ, and the Gen eral Secretary, Major H. S. Robinson, and his assistants, have been busy packing up, preparatory to removal in October.

The Melanesian Mission which operates only in the British Solomon Islands, is maintained generally by the Anglican community and is controlled directly by the Anglican Church in New Zealand.

Under the proposed new arrangements, Auckland becomes the headquarters port of the Mission’s vessel, “Southern Cross,” and presumably the BSI Mission stations will look primarily to NZ for supplies. In these circumstances the continued main tenance of any office in Sydney would not be justified. However, owing to the unexpected alteration in NZ exchange making goods bought in Australia 25% cheaper than in NZ, it is possible that the proposed rearrangement may be cancelled, or postponed for a while.

Merchants and shipping agents in the vicinity of Bridge Street, Sydney, would miss Major Robinson, whose cheery figure has been well known and popular among them for many years.