Death Of Owner Of Palmyra

THE owner of Palmyra atoll, Austra lian-born Leslie Fullard-Leo, died in Honolulu in February. He was 83.

He bought Palmyra atoll, 900 miles south of Hawaii, in 1922, but a title dis pute delayed his plans to convert it into an idyllic co-operative plantation.

The United States Government used Palmyra as an air base in wartime, but it was abandoned after Mr. Fullard-Leo’s ownership was confirmed by the United States Supreme Court in 1947. Before the war Pan American Airways used Palmyra Lagoon as a station on its route to New Zealand, which it pioneered with flying boats.

The atoll, consisting of about 50 islets, is now deserted.

QUITE apart from his island ventures he had a life packed with excite ment. It is said that as a youth he went prospecting in the wilds of Papua. In 1896 he was fighting against the revolting Matebele tribesmen in Southern Rhodesia and in 1900 went through the 215-day siege of Mafeking.

Later, he helped his commanding officer in these campaigns, Lord (then Sir) Robert Baden Powell, to found the Boy Scout movement.

Then he moved to New York, helped to build the Grand Central Railway sta tion, became a building contractor in British Colombia and went to Hawaii in 1912.

He is survived bv his wife and three sons.

Sir Hugh Ragg, one of Fiji’s leading citizens, is now in Auckland, New Zea land. recovering quite satisfactorily from a severe operation which he underwent in Auckland in February.