Rabaul Roundabout
pp. 110-111 · Read in the full issue
From Our Own Correspondent
Rabaul, Feb. 1.
AT the general meeting of the Rabaul sub-branch of the R'SL this month office bearers were elected as follows: Mr. W. Smythe, President; Mr. Dudley Jones and Mr. Martin Munro, Vice- Presidents; Mr. Jock Lee, Secretary; Mr.
J. Whipping, Treasurer.
Committee members are Messrs. Don Williams, George Tyrrell, Pat Mac- Kenzie, E. P. Burke, Max Duff and Arthur George.
At this meeting Mr. E. V. Smythe was selected as representative to attend the State Conference of RSL men to be held at Lae.
It was agreed to press for the treat ment of soldier settlement as a matter of the highest priority with the Australian Government and, in Rabaul area, for Keravat, and Worongoi valley to be con sidered as suitable areas for settlement.
A controlled immigration policy was also recommended.
A special committee was appointed to attend to the matter of land settlement.
Is consists of Messrs. John Stokie, S.
Jarvis, Dudley Jones, and (publicity officer) Martin Munro.
Other matters to be brought up at the convention were: the need to increase the present scale of penalties imposed on natives —it was pointed out that the scale now in operation was formulated when the natives were receiving much smaller wages than they do to-day. The institu tion of a Jury System of four for trying European cases. State branch to set up a sub-committee to deal with matters of entitlement and give this the widest publicity. The prosecution of local war criminals known to have committed definite acts of treason against white men, and to have given unsolicited in formation to the Japs.
THE Rabaul Golf Club is making tremendous strides in its work of reforming the old pre-war Club.
While at present there are only four greens completed, an increasing mem bership augurs well for the early addition to this number.
On January 29 a cocktail party was held for members of the Club and their guests, at Pila Pila, the home of Mr. Bill Bailey. This marked the official opening of the Club.
THE Rabaul District Court is to lose its presiding Magistrate, Mr. Ernie Britten, well-known to all Terri torians, who is departing for the South on the Bulolo. Mrs. Britten left on a previous vessel.
After taking his recreation leave, Mr.
Britten will return to Lae where he will take up his post as District Magistrate.
Friends of Mr. Britten gave him a farewell Smoko at the New Guinea Club and presented him with a fine pewter mug.
Mr. Britten’s place on the bench is taken by Mr. lan Downs, also well-known in the Territory.
AN astonishing exhibition of native art from Sogeri Education Centre was held at the Rabaul Public Library this month.
At times, looking at the exhibits one was transported in imagination to the salons of Modem Art in Paris.
Among 180 boys in Sogeri, twenty were chosen to pay special attention to Art, ana the results speak for themselves.
Their sense of line, composition, and particularly their use of colour, is out standing.
MORE astonishing than the exhibition itself was the speed with which it concluded.
The Library had cleared its walls of their usual decorations for the hanging of the 43 samples of native culture, and spectators were in the act of gazing at them in a comfortable browsing mood when a flying figure from the Department of Education entered the Library, un ceremoniously removed the pictures and departed with them—apparently en route to the Wau Hotel where they will be shown next.
They had been hanging exactly six hours.
A CHARMING young visitor to the Territory is Miss Robin Mullaley, who ip staying with her parents Mr. and Mrs. pennis Mullaley, at Natava Plantation. She is clever as well as pretty and has completed two years of Science at the New England University, Armidale, gaining Distinction in
Jeography, credit in Geology, and a pass n Economics. Next year she \yill pecialise in Geology and Geography.
On January 27 her parents gave a larty in her honour at their home. Over 0 guests were present. Miss Mullaley will eturn to take up her studies at the University in March. [RESIDENTS of Rabaul are erupting t\ with laughter over an article in the Sydney Morning Herald by Mr. rhomas Wynyard entitled “The Fiery hadow Over Rabaul.”
Says Mr. Wynyard . . . “To-day most f the scars of war have disappeared, lany hidden for ever by dense tropical rowth, Japanese ships protruding from be harbour waters, a burnt-out wharf nd an intricate stores tunnel honey ombing the hills are, perhaps, the only of an ill-fated bid for empire.”
Come, come, Mr. Wynyard!
In one paragraph he refers to Rabaul s a trading post ... this was in the ear 1942; and in the following speaks f Rabaul endeavouring to regain her :atus as “Queen City of the Islands.”
The rest of the article is full of similar laccuracies, even to the spelling of [atupi as Matape. Says Mr. Wynyard: [n their tax-free island paradise the eople work and relax without care for le red shadow that may be thrown over rem at any moment by old Matape.”
Tch, Tch, Mr. Wynyard—why not come p and see us sometime?
N January Rabaul had an unexpected visit from the Brynje, a Norwegian overseas vessel. When she departs vo Rabaul residents will be on board ; passengers: Mr. Tony Corliss and Mr. oel Barry.