Queen Delays Her Departure to Meet P-NG Delegates

Meet P-NG Delegates at Cairns

rHE Papua-New Guinea delega tion of 19 natives, four Asians and six people of mixed race, who in nid-March visited Cairns, Queens and, to see the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, did so as a spectator group.” But they probably lad more of the Royal couple’s ime than did that other official delegation which /ent to Canberra a month earlier.

They had a good position from /hich to see the Queen and the Juke during Cairns’ civic reception, ,nd later when the Royal party ras saying farewell, they were rawn up as a group on the wharf.

There the Queen noticed them nd the Royal couple delayed their eparture half an hour and met ach one of the delegates.

Mr. A. A. Roberts, Director of Dis rict Services and Native Affairs in -NG, escorted Her Majesty down tie line of delegates, introducing ach. The Duke followed with Mr. :. Brennan, of the P-NG Public ervice Commissioner’s Department.

The Duke particularly noticed lose men who were wearing Service ledals and showed great interest i how they won them. He asked [r. C. H. Meen how he won his :ing’s Medal and was told that it as against the Japs during the acific War. He also wished to now how the other Chinese dele tes earned their livings and was )ld they were all merchants.

He spoke at some length to one ■ the younger delegates, Raymon, ho is secretary of the New Ire md Native Societies’ Association, id was obviously interested in hat Raymon had to tell him about )-ops.

Most of the Asian delegates stayed behind in Australia but the rest of the delegates flew back to Port Moresby on March 14. Mr.

Roberts spoke warmly of the hos pitality the party had received from everyone in Cairns. He said that Her Majesty’s gracious act in de laying her departure to meet the members of the delegation had turned what could have been a very formal occasion into a warm per sonal experience which would be remembered by the men for the rest of their lives.

Some of the delegates in Port Moresby after their return from Cairns.

—Papuan Prints Photo.