Property Brings £24,000

Samo Plantation

George Hanson’s New Ireland Property Brings £24,000

SAMO PLANTATION, Namatanai, New Ireland, probably the largest area (1,500 acres) of coconuts planted in New Guinea under Australia’s govern ment, was sold recently to Chinese in terests.

Mr. George Hanson commenced plant ing Samo in 1925 and successfully brought the estate into bearing. His partner, Mr.

A. Priebe, joined him on the property in 1933. Just prior to the Japanese occupa tion Same’s output of copra was 54 tons per month, and a fair area had yet to at tain full production.

The well-known South Seas identity, Mr.

“Kar Kar” Schmidt (the nick-name de rives from his taming and planting of Kar Kar Island) spent the last of his 42 years in New Guinea managing Samo Plantation; and, on behalf of Mr, Hanson, he handed over the estate to the Chinese purchasers.

Mr. Hanson had previously acquired his partner’s share of the plantation. The

purchase price is reported to be £24,000, cash.

Mr. Hanson was travelling in Europe with his wife in 1939, when World War II started, and they were caught and in terned in Germany for six years. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson now reside on a property they purchased last year at Erina, near

Gosford, NSW.