The Hebrides In Pictures
p. 63 · Read in the full issue
rHESE photographs of Santo and Fort Vila, the two largest commercial centres in the New Hebrides, were taken by Captain Hugh Birch of Qantas Impire Airways. Captain Birch recently made an ex snsive survey of Santo and Vila for the Australian Apartment of Civil Aviation.
The top left photo shows the Qantas Sandringham nchored in Vila Harbour, the small island of Iririki. ome of the British Resident Commissioner, in the back round. At right, is the main street of Vila, Burns hilp’s establishment in right foreground, harbour front n left.
Centre is an aerial view of Vila.
Bottom left, an aerial view of Santo or more orrectly, the commercial centre of the large island of Ispiritu Santo. The Americans had one of their largest 'acific bases here during the war and relics of this, in he shape of Quonset huts, etc., can be seen in the hotograph. Bottom right. Captain L. W. Clarke, well nown Qantas pilot on the Hebrides service, on the hore at Santo.
Looking at these photographs one is struck again by he single-mindedness of our early discoverers. They lust have been afflicted with either acute home ickness or total lack of imagination. Anything less ke the arctic Hebrides of Scotland, than these islands, rould be hard to find.