One Old Territorian

“Goes South Finish”

Another Returns to TNG

MR. ROY COLLINS passed

through Rabaul, New Guinea, in late February, on his way South to settle down on the Morn ington Peninsula, Vic., build one or two holiday cottages to rent, and, to use his own words, “grow old gracefully.”

The Collins brothers, Roy and Arthur, were well known In the Territory in the early thirties.

Arthur was interested in flying, and was connected with Guinea Airways for many years.

Roy first arrived in 1927 to work at Peadon’s Garage, Rabaul. Later, he was connected with the LU Com pany, New Guinea Goldfields Com pany, and Guinea Airways. He was also for some years with the Alexis hafen Mission Air Services. During the war years, he worked in New South Wales on the Australian-built Mosquito bomber project.

At the cessation of hostilities, he returned to TNG—to Madang where he opened a garage, which business he has carried on until the present move to settle in Victoria.

Should old friends care to look them up, Mrs. Collins and the family are already settled in at 19 Flinders Street, Mentone.

On the same plane which took Roy Collins South, an old Terri torian returned to Rabaul. He is Bill Holland, who first landed in New Guinea, at Wau, in 1935.

He was interested in radio, every type and description. Having dabbled in it, from crystal sets up wards, from childhood, he had pro gressed steadily along the road to apparent insanity on the subject, and was one of those “queer” creatures called a “Ham” who sit by a radio through the long night hours and talk to people on the other side of the world, said people likewise being interested in radio.

In those far-off days, Bill was in terested in repairs and maintenance and tried to set himself up in busi ness. However, the population was

not then sufficient to ensure a full time job, so he first tried his hand at mining, and later joined Bulolo Gold Dredging, on its electrical staff.

In, 1936 he married Miss Jess Stewart, a younger sister of Miss Dorothy Stewart, well-known Terri torian, and sister-in-law to Mrs.

Flora Stewart, of the Hotel Cecil, in Lae.

During the war, the new and strange subject of radio location claimed attention, but as soon as he could wangle it, Bill obtained a release from this project to return to New Guinea with the Army.

When the war ended he stayed for a short time, operating the first wireless station at Lae, but eventu ally returned to his family in

Mackay, North Queensland.

Now, after seven years, Bill Holland has again decided that New Guinea is the land of opportunity, and that wireless repairs and main tenance is the field. He can be found at the Rabaul Music Store, twiddling his dials, cursing the tropic dampness which affects his wireless equipment, but thoroughly pleased to be back in the Territory at last. —Special Correspondent.

Persons who wish to obtain old copies of the Pacific Islands Monthly should get in touch with Mrs. Wanda Harris, of “Rathen,”

Dempsey Street, Annersley, Bris bane. She. has copies extending back over many years, which she would be glad to dispose of.