Settler-Producer

Late Mr. A. Witherow

Was Prominent Fiji

Mr. Alfred Hancock Witherow,

one of the best-known of Fiji’s settlers, died at his home at Waila, Rewa, on September 10. at the age of 76.

Born and educated in New Zealand, Mr.

Witherow went to Fiji in 1894. After a period as a sugar-cane cultivator on the Rewa, he took up banana-growing on a large scale during the “banana boom'’ and became one of the largest individual shippers to Australia and New Zealand.

At times his shipments exceeded 6,000 cases (12,000 bunches) to Sydney alone, and on one occasion he shipped 20,000 bunches to Sydney in the ship “Levuka.”

When Australia ended Fiji’s banana trade with the Commonwealth Mr.

Witherow maintained shipments to New Zealand, but concentrated mainly on dairy-farming, while still maintaining small areas under sugar-cane. He was prominently associated with the Rewa Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd.

For two terms he was the elected mem ber of the Legislative Council for the Southern Division. In his younger days he was a noted athlete and a keen rifle man. In the days when horse-racing was popular in Fiji, he was a successful owner.

In 1904 he married Miss Lily Bailey, daughter of the late Mr. Richard Bailey, one of the few survivors of the sailing ship “All Serene,” lost near Fiji in the late ’sixties.

Mr, Witherow is survived by his wife,

two sons—Messrs. Joseph and Tom Witherow. both of New South Wales—and four daughters—Mesdames Jean McLeod (Gosford, Australia), Phyllis Evans (Labasa), Pat Farrar (Labasa) and Loma Miller (Ohio, USA).