Rabaul Roundabout

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, Dec. 5.

RSL officials and committee are pleased with the decision of the Supreme Court regarding the distribution of the Anzac House Fund, which totals £3,000. (A pre-war fund of which Mr. A.

J. Gaskin was sole surviving trustee. He applied to the Court for a direction in October).

The direction of the Court, which ful fils the wishes of the RSL regarding the use of these monies, is as follows: The Trustees of the Fund shall be the Trustees of the Rabaul Sub-Branch of the RSL. Said Fund shall be used at the discretion of the Trustees, as regards both capital and income as follows: • For the education of the children of men resident in the Territory, who died on active service during the last World War. And for the education of the child ren of Territory residents who died during the Japanese invasion of said Territory. • For the relief of distressed returned servicemen in the Rabaul area or their dependents, including Ex-servicemen and their dependents who are resident in said area.

RABAUL enjoyed two “gurias” of noticeable strength this month. The first occurred on Saturday night, De cember 2 at 3.29 a.m. and was short but very rough. The second came on Monday night at 2.25 a.m. and, although not as violent as the first, was of much longer duration. Lights sprang up all over Rabaul which indicated residents evacuat ing their beds. Some confessed they even packed that little bag, which according

to the wording of official instructions should contain a variety of items, includ ing small children.

Who can deny that there is something particularly demoralising about “gurias” at this hour, when one feels oneself at the mercy of the unseen and unknown One can easily conjure up a vision of the macabre, such as an agitated parent stuf fing his smallest children into a little bag.

This is possibly the atmosphere of panic the official had in mind when he wrote that strangely worded evacuation instruc tion.

A MEETING was held during the month by RSL members to discuss plans made earlier this year for the re formation of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles. All members are very keen and during the visits of General Nimmo and Lieutenant-Col. McLeod to Rabaul, the RSL Club offered the use of their rooms for the purpose.

The RSL communicated with Lt-Col.

McLeod and a date has been arranged for him to revisit Rabaul on December 4, when it is hoped to finalise plans for the

Ngvr.

ON November 29 a meeting of all Public Service Officers was convened to form a sub-branch of the Public Service Association, and to discuss the new regulations which are to be intro duced.

There were 55 officers present, and from among these office bearers were selected.

They were: Mr. G. Lang, chairman; Mr. Martin Munro, secretary; committee members, Miss Jean Parle, Messrs. J.

Palmer, W. Kyte, C. Showman, and I.

Clarke.

CAME Wednesday—boys’ night at the local picture show: One good kind

Mastah placed his money for the night out on the table, beside a cheque for £25 which had just been given to him by a friend. , .. n , When he remembered the cheque and together

Upon questioning the boy later that night he learned that he had, indeed, taken the cheque as well as the mark; and why not, for he thought it was his “pass” for being out that night!

The horrified Master asked what he had done with the “pass.” “Oh,” replied the savage, “I tore it up. It wouldn’t do if some other boy found a pass with my name on it, and used it!”

UPON the retirement of Mr. John Gilmore from the Presidency of the New Britain Club, a new Pre sident has been elected—none other than the well-known and popular Wes Scope, win ner of the men’s Bathing Beauty Parade at the Club’s last successful function, the Bathing Beauty Ball.

He should make a worthy successor to Mr. Gilmore, who has served the Club well and faithfully since its inception three years ago.

1VT R - NORMAN DENNIS, who was one of ITJ. the most popular members of Colyer Watson’s staff, has gone into business on his own. Equipped with a master plumber’s diploma, and a lorry and an increasing clientele he should do very well as Rabaul ’ s first Post-war plumbed

ANOTHER new business which has opened up in the main street of Rabaul is Mrs. Leech’s new hairdres sing salon. Her new building is almost completed and she now will be able to carry on her business of smartening the ladies’ hairdos from a more central posi tion.

Many a lass who was driven to that fatal habit of snipping off bits here and there from her crowning glory, gave a sigh of relief when Mrs. Leech arrived to straighten things out again.

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Maclean (she was Miss Judith Solomons) after their wedding in Sydney in October. ( See November PIM.) They are now living in the Bainings, New Britain.

ON December 4, the ABC announced the death of Norman Winning at Jakarta. He died at the hands of Indonesian rebels.

This news is of particular interest to

Territorians, inasmuch as Lieut.-Col.

Winning, DSO, was Commander of the 2/sth Australian Independent Company, that attacked the Japs at Salamaua in 1942. On this occasion he led his gal

lant Company in what was the first ground victory gained by the Allied Forces in the South-West Pacific. It was for this that he was awarded the DSO.

News of his death held particular in terest and regret for two men in Rabaul to-day. They are Randall Mac Lean and D. M. O’Farrell. Together with Winning, they started off in the same company as troopers at the outbreak of war in the Pacific. They became friends, and all later gained their commissions.

Before the war Norman Winning was a rubber planter in Java, Randall Mac- Lean was in Sourabaya, and D. M. O’Far rell was in Salamaua. Mr. Winning was the only one of the three friends to return to his former place of residence.

EARLY this month one of the much maligned Works and Housing em ployees put on a really good show.

With a wild yippee and a demonstration of the swallow dive, he entered the Rabaul swimming pool. But, unfortunately, the pool happened to be empty at the time.

He emerged from hospital several days later.

A SUCCESSFUL patrol has been carried out in the Mokolkol country, in the region of Open Bay hinterland, on the island of New Britain. Seven Mokol kols were persuaded to return to Rabaul with the patrol, which was led by acting ADO Pienberg, accompanied by Cadet PO Normoyle (Junior), and Forestry Officer Heather.

The “captives” consisted of two men, one woman, and four children. The men are about 33, and 38 years of age and therein lies the tremendous success of this patrol. Previously only aged men, women, or children have been picked up by expeditions into the Mokolkol strong hold.

They said that there is only this one Mokolkol village, containing twelve males, one youth, eight adult females, and about ten children. It seems incredible that this tiny band of hill-people should dominate and terrorise, as they do, about 500 miles of country.

The natives will be taught Pidgin and in a few months time it is hoped to send them back to their village as proselytes of civilisation.

OUR three clubs —the RSL, the New Britain, and the New Guinea Club have all combined this year to raise funds for the Children’s Christmas Tree and Party. Previously this has been held at the New Britain Club, but this year it will take place at the New Guinea Club. So far monies collected total over £4OO, and since the guest list of children is 130 they are assured of a magnificent tree, and party.

FOLLOWING upon a deputation from the Chamber of Commerce, which called upon the District Officer and asked that something be done about the state of the roads in Rabaul, particularly Malaguna, which is a main artery for shipping at the main wharf, improve ments have been carried out extensively.

Heavy loads of coranus have been put down, and now that we have had rain, the roads have been vastly improved.

Driving along them is no longer the shattering experience that it was for so long.

WE WOULD like a clear-cut statement of policy from the Government on this matter of shifting the site of the capital. Apparently, it is still the in tention to shift the site, but businesss interests seem to have decided to stay in Rabaul. New Guinea Company has

erected a new manager’s residence, in Yar ra Avenue, which certainly looks per manent, and we hear that the Shell Company has bought land from Burns Philp along the waterfront for the pur pose of installing large fuel tanks. The man in the street, confronted with such conflicting evidence can only scratch his head and wonder.

AN astonishing pine-apple was brought into town recently by Mr. Norman Duncan, of Talalili Plantation. The fruit consisted of fifteen pineapples, each complete with top knot, growing from the one stem, but flattened into bas-relief in the shape of a fan. Mr. Duncan has challenged other growers to produce some thing as good.

AFTER a prolonged and uncDmfortable dry spell, Rabaul has finally enjoyed some rain. The dry has lasted several months and has reminded old residents of a six month drought which they had in 1930, when it was so dry the birds pecked the coconuts in an endeavour to get a drink.

Over the last few weeks several hun dred points of rain have fallen, and in dications are that the North-west wet season is about to commence. When this begins residents will, of course, begin to speak nostalgically of the dry.