Death of Mrs. Ivy

McDonald

A GLOOM was cast over Territorians who were in Sydney during the Christmas period by the sudden death, on December 18, of Mrs. Ivy Greta Mc- Donald, wife of Mr. J. H. McDonald who recently retired from the position of Assistant Director of District Services and Native Affairs in Papua-New Guinea.

Mrs. McDonald was one of the best known women in pre-war New Guinea and during the war years, while secretary of the New Guinea Women’s Club in Sydney, worked unceasingly for the wel fare of New Guinea women who had been evacuated from the Territory without their husbands.

She went to New Guinea in 1921 when Mr. McDonald was with the Ex-Pro Board and in the next three years lived on a number of plantations in the Madang district and undertook several recruiting trips with her husband. After leave, they were transferred to the New Ireland dis trict.

Mr, McDonald joined the Administra tion as a Patrol Officer in 1925 and was posted to the uncontrolled area of the Sepik. Women were not then permitted in the old Aitape District and Mrs. Mc- Donald spent the next two years in Syd ney until her husband was posted to Kieta as ADO. Postings and promotions followed over the years and the couple lived in Rabaul, Namatanai, Madang, Manus and Kavieng—the last three places with Mr.

McDonald as DO.

In all, they spent six years in Manus where Mrs. McDonald took a great in terest in native life and made it her busi ness to visit every native village and hamlet. She accompanied her husband on many patrols and is probably the only woman to have walked completely around New Ireland.

She was evacuated from Kavieng in De cember, 1941, with other Territory women and was soon busy with the affairs of the New Guinea Women’s Club which did such excellent work during the difficult war years. She retired from office at the end of the war but remained an enthusiastic member. Until her death she was an ac tive member of the Feminist Club of Sydney of which she was treasurer.

She was an attractive woman of gracious personality who endeared herself to all.

She is survived by her husband, her son, Douglas, now Chief Officer of SS Mildura, a daughter-in-law and a small grand-daughter.

The late Mrs. McDonald.