Career Of Ronald Garvey
pp. 17-18 · Read in the full issue
In the March issue of “Corona” (the new BCO magazine) we have word of an old friend: — Ronald Herbert garvey, cmg, MBE, has recently succeeded Sir Gerald Hawkesworth as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of British Hon duras. He has been Administrator of St. Vincent in the Windward Islands since 1944.
Mr. Garvey was born in 1903, the son of the Rev. H. R. Garvey, and was edu cated at Trent College and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He joined the Ad ministrative Service in 1926 and was posted as a Cadet in Fiji. In 1927 Mr.
Bell, District Officer, and Mr. Lillies, his Cadet, were murdered in the Solomon Islands by the local inhabitants, who wished to show their disapproval of a new poll tax. Mr. Garvey was sent to the Solomons to collect the tax. He did so.
In 1932 he returned to the Secretariat in Fiji and served there until 1939, when he was sent to Tonga on special duties connected with the outbreak of war.
In 1940 he went to the Condominium of the New Hebrides and from there helped to organise the Free French Movement in New Caledonia. In October, 1941. he was transferred to Ocean Island, in time to be bombed by the Japanese. He told us an interesting and little known fact: that the Japanese bombed Ocean Island on the same day as they attacked Pearl Harbour.
In 1942 the Japanese invaded the neigh bouring Gilbert group, and Ocean Island was evacuated.
After leave Mr, Garvey was transferred to the Secretariat in Nyasaland, but he had only been there a few months when he was promoted to be Administrator of St. Vincent, where he arrived in February, 1944. He acted as Governor of the Wind ward Islands twice, in 1946 and 1948.
Mr, Garvey is married and has one son
and three daughters. He plays tennis and golf and he is also a keen and ex perienced big-game fisherman and was particularly annoyed with the Japanese for annihilating his fishing gear in 1942.
Queen Salote of Tonga, who is on an unofficial visit to New Zealand, opened a successful garden fair held by the Ep som Methodist Mission recently. Proceeds will go towards the purchase of a launch for the use of the mission’s doctor and nurses in BSI.
Australian Government has refused to give a petroleum prospecting license to Enterprise of NG Gold and Petroleum De velopment, NL; and has refused to give any reason. But Enterprise directors are continuing to demand a reason.
An epidemic of petty thefts and burg laries in all parts of Apia is troubling the inhabitants of Samoa’s capital. Though no big hauls are reported, apparently a gang of young larrikins is at work.
Several Samoan prisoners from Vaimea gaol who recently escaped are also still at large.