Visit To Mount Mother

Rabaul, Aug. 10.

ON Sunday, August 6, a party comprising Messrs. Fred Catell, Wallie Howard, Bill Wallace, Neville Eaglesham and John W. Cox, all of Works and Housing, Rabaul, climbed the 2,000 feet to the sum mit of Mount Mother, known to the local natives as Kambiu.

The ascent began from Nodup village at 5.45 a.m., and the summit was reached at 7.45.

Perfect atmospheric conditions pre vailed, and many photographs were taken of the breath-taking panorama spread out below them. A native from Nodup guided the party to a tree-shaded dell, where cold water bubbled from the moun tain-side, and where a well-deserved lunch was eaten.

A Japanese two-engined fighter-bomber, which was shot down by our fighters in the war was photographed as it lay near by. It was rather smashed up, and it has six unexploded 250 lb. bombs attached.

A rare Harpie (not to be confused with “happy”) eagle has just been brought down to Sydney from New Guinea by members of a Taronga Park Zoo bird hunting expedition. Seems that the Harpie is a real rara avis—no zoo has had a live specimen before. Mr. Hallstrom (of Zoo and 'NondugD says it is priceless.

Taronga will build a special enclosure for it.

Mamara Plantations Ltd., registered in Brisbane, which owns a plantation in the Solomons, had a net profit in the year ended June 30 of £1,367 —the best for many years. It allowed the directors to pay 5 per cent, to their cumulative pre ference shares, which meant that the arrears to June 30, 1945, are wiped out.

This company has a subscribed capital of £90,145, of which £50,000 is in cumulative preference shares. It balances its ac counts by showing a War Damage claims account (“for record only”) of £32,690.

There is no likelihood of BSI plantations receiving any war damage compensation.

On his return from leave, Mr. John W.

Cox, New Guinea Public Works road master, was kept temporarily in Rabaul, to do a special job on the North Coast road. He expects, after that, to return to Bougainville.

Mr. j. R. B. Angus, Assistant Conserva tor of Forests, Kenya, has been appointed Conservator of Forests, Fiji. He will take short leave in the United Kingdom to wards the end of this year, and will sail for Fiji early in 1951.

Ratu Mara, a young Fijian Chief who has completed the Administrative officers’

Course in the United Kingdom, is on his way back to Fiji to take up an appoint ment as an Administrative Officer in the Colony. Another new Administrative Officer, Mr. R. D, Sanders, has also sailed from the United Kingdom for Fiji.