Mr. Harry L. Downing

Filling Double Job in Norfolk Island

FOR the past two months, Mr. Harry L.

Downing, one of the best known and highly esteemed of Papua-New Guinea officials, has been filling the dual position of Acting-Government Secretary and Acting-Administrator of Norfolk Island.

Mr. J. McWhinney left Norfolk Island at short notice in February; and Mr.

Downing—who, since his retirement from the New Guinea service, had been doing general work in the Department of Terri tories in Sydney—was asked to go to Nor folk at 24 hours’ notice and take over the job. It was then learned that the Ad ministrator, Mr. Alex Wilson, for private reasons, was very anxious to get away to Australia, and he left early in March on two months’ leave. Mr. Downing has been carrying on ever since.

Mr. Downing is gratefully remembered by Territorians for the work he did in assisting them during and after the evacuation in 1942. He was ADO in various districts of New Guinea before his retirement.

Mr. John C. Woodmansey, who has been OC of police in Madang, New Guinea, has been appointed officer in charge of the Police Photographic Section of the Royal Papuan Constabulary, and will re side in Port Moresby. Mr. Woodmansey joined the Papua-New Guinea service, from the Queensland police, after the war, and was for some time Policemaster at Samarai.