Culture

BSI Has a Sewing Machine Culture

ACCORDING to Sister Helen Barrett, who has returned to Brisbane. Qld., after two years as a missionary on St. Ysabel Island, the indication of wealth and class in the British Solomon Islands is the possession of a sewing machine.

A popular practice among the natives was to buy a sewing machine and rent it out to less fortunate neighbours. Sheets and mosquito netting, left behind by American forces, had encouraged the craze. Natives sewed mosquito netting to gether to form fishing nets.

Sister Barrett said that the demand for sewing machines in the islands could not be met from Australia.

With two other missionaries. Sister Barrett cares for 5,000 on Santa Ysabel.

She is appealing for £3OO for a smail motor boat for use in carrying hospital patients around the shores of the island.

To date, the missionaries have had to use large canoes for this work. A canoe carried 30 people, and everyone, including all patients who could use their arms, helped paddle.

Sister Barrett’s mother has collected £l5O towards the launch, and, at time of writing, it was expected that another £lOO would be presented to her by the Kokoda Cafe, in Adelaide Street. Bris bane.

Sister Barrett is the daughter of Dean Barrett, of St. John’s Cathedral. Bris bane.

Mr. G. S. Westwood has been appointed an Assistant Auditor in Fiji. It is ex pected that he will leave England some time in April.

M. Gervolino, New Caledonian deputy in the Paris Assembly, has been appointed Secretary of that body.