[?]0 Years Old

[?]ew Caledonia Celebrates With Lavish Hospitality And Colourful Pageants

[From a Special Correspondent

Noumea, Sept. 30.

IE Government of New Caledonia during the past [fortnight celebrated the Cen ry of the establishment of this rtant French Colony by enter ing its official guests with great Itality, and by organising a s of colourful pageants and ing events which will be long mbered. The weather was pourable, and disorganised al programmes, e official guests included Sir Latham, from Australia; the rnor of Fiji, Sir Ronald ey, with Lady Garvey; the Commissioner for the Western ic, Mr. R. C. S. Stanley, with Stanley; and representatives ;w Zealand and other nations interests in the South Pacific, ere were comparatively fetw ited visitors from overseas.

New Caledonian authorities little attempt to attract ts on this occasion, and no il transportation was provided.

Caledonia is not an easy place t to.

French Minister for Overseas ories, Monsieur Jacquinot, ble to stay for only three days, h he had many cogent things 7 and said them very well in time. big military parade and the official functions were at i also by VlP’s from France included New Caledonian 3r Henri Lafleur and Deputy ce Lenormand). events which mostly engaged nterest and enthusiasm of ocal population included a Jamboree, the yacht race he cycle race.

Jamboree, in the Dumbea , came to an end with a fire ceremony at which the :outs and girl guides enter a very much larger audience had made the 10-miles trip Noumea. arrival of the yachts on the ig of Sunday, September 20, special occasion. Irene, first mdicap, and White Cloud m up here as “the bachelor were first across the line, welcome surpassed all ex ions. The waiting crowd ted the full length of the The crews were showered ival with confetti and kisses ‘Miss Caledonia, 1953,” and aids of Honour, saw the finish (at the pme, Anse Vata) of the i, and very popular, around and cycle race—6oo miles on

poor roads. This was won by Victorian cyclist Don Williams, with the Frenchman, Lucas, second.

Williams’ mate, Graeme French, the only other Australian in the race, got sunstroke half-way and dropped out.

AT the regatta or “grande fete nautique,” the most pic turesque race was for outboard canoes. It was won by a crew from the Belep Island of Art.

Colourful in a different way was the splendid native dancing and singing provided one afternoon in the grounds of the College de la Perouse by native teams from the Loyalty group, from Mare, from New Caledonia, and from Wallis Island.

The celebrations reached a climax with the Fete des Provinces de France, on September 29. The different provinces were represented by dancers in costume, and decorated cars, in a manner re calling the Fete des Fleurs, at Nice.

Another notable event was the Agricultural Show at Bourail, half way up the west coast, and a fore most agricultural centre. The accent nowadays is very much on agricultural production, the im portance of which is realised, if the population is to grow to any extent.

Noumea exhibitions of work by schoolchildren, both white and brown, showed the progress that has been made in education during

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Islands Travellers, Left.

Kings of the Cannibal Isles: Mr. Ron Ricketts, only European plantation owner on Koro Island and Mr. Charles Bentley, owner of Wakaya Island, made one of their rare visits to "town” recently, stay ing at Suva’s popular Garrick Hotel.

Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Wingfield, well known in the Cook Islands, went to Tonga in September. Mr. Wingfield has been appointed dental officer there.

Captain W. A. Gray, well-known USS Co. master mariner, who, with Mrs. Gray, made a holiday trip to the Islands by Matua recently. Captain Gray retired some time ago.

Islands Travellers, Right.

Mr. Max Haleck, well-known Pago Pago business man, returned after a business visit to New York, and (right) Mr. G. V.

McFarlane, of New Zealand, on leave from Canton Island.

Captain and Mrs. Robert Payes of Pago Pago with sons Francis and Bill went to Honolulu on leave recently. Captain Payes is master of the well-known Manua Tele.

Two well-known Suva business men, Mr. Claud Israel, managing director of C. Sullivan (Pac. Islands), Ltd., Suva, and Mr. Malcolm M. Brodie, manager of Pacific Biscuit Co., and Union Soaps Pty., Ltd., Suva, made a business circuit of Tonga. Niue, Samoa in September.

Photograph taken at a recent wedding In Port Moresby. Left to right—Mr, W.

Murray (best man); Miss Lola Coleman

(the bride); Mr. John Stanfield (the bridegroom); Mrs. J. Wilson (matron of honour). —Papuan Prints photo.

Miss Tamara Randmae, sister of Dr.

G. Randmae, Rabaul, was married in P. Moresby on September 13 to Mr. Dick Peper, of the Works Department.

ot years. There is now an table agricultural college at Laguerre. is evident that the French, mdred years after taking sion, are giving the natives Teasing share in the economic f the place. In spite of inevit jrowing pains, and increased enness among natives given [liberty than hitherto, there ngns that the indigene is to e more consideration than in BSt. \ Centenary celebrations laid Serable stress on the word n.” presenting New Caledonia sort of Province of France eas, very French in way of nd sentiment. cially underlined is the pie that to-day all races, > and colours must work to r in harmony for the general It is an excellent creed; but problem of housing the lesian population, who leave tribes and seek work in ea, is one difficult to solve, in of growing goodwill. [SIT at this time enables one 0 get in perspective this, the lost distant Colony of France, ■owing country, important ilogically, whose relations Lustralia and New Zealand are more cordial than they were ; bad old days. We in Aus and on other Pacific islands, te of the war, know far too of our neighbour; and it is consolation that the people nee probably know even less, taps the New Caledonian :ion, which it is proposed to n Paris in December, from can conveniently be sent from the various exhibitions amea and Bourail, will help orm Frenchmen of the ex n that is now evident in com -1 with what it was only a ;ars ago. e is a new air about the money is being released for liture on buildings and on Dment and social schemes Ticulture by the French and Governments, and the result

nsforming and modernising

a. There are many things on that spell progress, and Terent sections of the popu seem to be getting on to better than hitherto.