150 Years of Service

Fr. Boch, the Rev. J. Goldie and Dr. Fox

WHEN the Rev. J. R. Metcalfe gave a broadcast at Honiara, BSI, recently he said that the chief topic of conversation among the people of the Western Solomons was the departure from their midst of two European leaders who had assisted in the great changes of the last 50 years.

He was referring to Rev. Father A. Boch, of Faisi, Shortland Islands and the Rev. John F. Goldie, of Roviana.

Father Boch had just left the Solomon Islands after a long term of saintly service.

He was skilled in medicine and always ready to help both European and native.

He would be long-remembered for his deep devotion to his Church and for his lovable character. His sphere of influence had been limited by the geographical position of the Short land Islands and the imaginary political line drawn between the Territory of New Guinea and the

Bsi,

THE Rev. Mr. Goldie had come to the BSI in 1902, a little earlier than Father Boch.

His sphere of influence ranged over the whole of the Western Solomon Islands. His work and that of his helpers had had repercussions throughout the Protectorate through the young men and women who had been trained in the mission schools.

Soon after Mr, Goldie arrived at Roviana in 1902, a party of head hunters returned to Munda beach with their gruesome trophies from a raid on Choiseul.

And, by way of contrast, it cohld be mentioned that Willie Paeia, the leading Government native clerk from the same tribe as those warriors, had recently completed 25 years of Stirling service and had been given a seat on the Advisory Council.

When Mr. Goldie went to the BSI *t the era °f sailing ships, and their little vessel had drifted to and fro waiting for the wind to give them a haven.

Now residents of BSI could board a t Honiara or Barakoma (Vella Lavella) and be in Sydney next day. J ANOTHER veteran of the missions was the Rev. Dr. C. E. Fox, of the Melanesian Mission (Angli can) who had arrived in the Islands a few months after Mr. Goldie and had played an outstanding part in their development.

Dr. Fox apparently had no inten tion leavin g the Islands, said Mr. Metcalfe, but his name should be mentioned when paying tribute to the veterans of other missions