Death Of Mr. D. H. Osborne

MR. D. H. (“Harry”) Osborne, well known to PIM readers as an inter esting writer on the early his tory of Papua, died at his home on Rossel Island, Eastern Papua, at the end of August, at the age of 75. He was on his

way to Samarai, in his boat, when he be came ill, and the vessel returned to Rossel He died there sobn afterwards—lt is pre sumed from heart failure.

Mr. Osborne went first to Papua no less than 51 years ago, and he was then connected with a mission organisation. But he presently left mission work, and settled in Rossel Island 40 years ago and, ever since, he had been engaged in planting trading and shelling, with spells on the Papuan goldfields, about which he wrote so interestingly. He loved the life in the archipelagoes—during the war, when he was an evacuee in Queensland, he was an extremely unhappy man.

Mr. Osborne is survived by his wife and two sons. The latter, educated and trained in Australia as, respectively, ship wright and engineer, now have a suc cessful and useful small shipbuilding business in Rossel Island.

This photograph was sent to us last June by Mr. Osborne at the time of the death of his friend, Captain C. O. Anderson. Mr. Osborne on left; Captain Anderson on right.