This Month’S New Reading

Happy Australian Occasion

Australia’s best-seller of the moment is the official Common wealth compilation Royal Visit —a title that is self-explanatory.

It was written, photographed and designed by the Australian News and Information Bureau of the De partment of the Interior, Canberra, and published by Angus and Robertson, Ltd., of Sydney.

The first printing of 30,000 was completely sold two months before the books were available. The second printing went the same way.

The third printing is now r on sale.

Because the Australian Govern ment subsidised the paper used in the first printing, that was sold at 19 6 per copy. Subsequent print ings have been 21 6 per copy—at all Australian booksellers.

The book covers the tour of Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh from Sydney (arrival February 3) to the farewell scenes at Free mantle, WA, nine weeks and about 13,000 miles later. The book is lavishly illustrated in black and white and some colour photographs and is printed on first-class art paper.

Because it is a Commonwealth job, State politicians are con spicuously absent from photo graphs. All in all, it is a memento of a happy occasion which most people will want on the family bookshelves.

Sins of the Mothers

lITHEN Miss Jane Gillespie pro ? ▼ duced her first novel, The Weir, critics treated her kindly and went so far as to call her “promis ing’. One critic said, of The Weir, that it would leave no parent’s withers unwrung.

We now have her second novel, The Hidden Heart, which has also pleased the critics (it is a Book Society and con tinues with the wringing of parental withers.

Miss Gillespie sets her two novels at the turn of this century. Per haps in writing of this period, she finds that it is easier to capitalise on family inhibition and emotion.

The children of the 1950’s are per haps not so self-sacrificing or will ing to give up their time to pander to the weaknesses or whims of parents.

None the less, the novel is a clever study of character, nor is it the sort of character that was confined to the Edwardian era, although, no doubt, the Edwardian influence had something to do with making the characters so con foundedly highminded. In this day, the people concerned in the storv would have committed their little sins, and have done wuth them, rather than have wasted so much time talking principled non sense about them.

But then, of course, there would have been no story.

Published by Peter Davies, Ltd. Aus tralian price. 15/6.)

Back Street to Royal Bed

THE psychological novel is not Daphne du Maurier’s meat; her stories are down-to-earth, and as stimulating as a good fresh wind, fast-moving and human In Ma r v Anne, she tells the story of her own great - great - grand mother Marv Anne Clarke, one time mistress' of the Duke of York (brother to that Prince of Wales who became George IV), contem norary of Mrs. Fitzherbert. ‘ Of no great classical beauty.

Marv A.nne had that undefinable something that caught the interest of m p n and permitted her to lead them by the nose throughout her lif Fiery, stubborn, she knew what she wanted and went after it with out too fine a scruple. She could be generous, sentimental but con ventionwas not allowed to inter fere in what she wanted or how used the material to her hand to pit herself against society, the Anr.v and the whole Royal Family There were disappoint

ments 7 and triumphs, in about

equal proportion.

In that era that preceded mealy mouthed Victorianism, life was earthy, vigorous, high - coloured.

Miss du Maurier’s story of her ancestor, from the back lane’s brat of London who rose to a position where she could cause cracks in the whole Royal facade, and who eventually died, at an old age, in exile in France, is as fast-moving as any we have had from her.

Mary Anne savoured life. Such a change from our usual run of heroines who spend a life-time fighting their inhibitions. (Published by Angus and Robertson, Ltd., Sydney. Australian price, 16/-.)

ABC of Tonga

GRASPING time by the forelock, Sir Harry Luke, one-time Governor of Fiji, has given us Queen Salote and her Kingdom.

It is written strictly for those Britishers who took Queen Salote to their hearts during her visit to London for the Coronation last year, and whose appetites were further whetted by Queen Eliza beth’s visit to Tonga in December, 1953.

Sir Harry Luke, during his term in Fiji, had Tonga within his over sight, as it were. He was High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, as well as Governor of Fiji, and although Tonga is nominally indipendent, she is guided by Britain from Fiji.

Much of the material that appears in the present volume was contained in From a South Seas Diary by the same author. But the visit of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke to Tonga is also covered, in story and in photographs.

Although it is unlikely to have any great impact on the world of literature, it is a very adequate primer for those who know nothing about Tonga and would like to know something. It has all those things about Tonga which pub lishers believe will create “reader interest”—that is, Falcon Island which comes and goes; Captain Cook’s tortise: Tin Can mailman, etc. It no doubt will be very popu lar amongst Queen Salote fans in Great Britain and elsewhere. (Our copy from the publishers, Putman & Company. Ltd.. 42 Great Russell St..

London WCI. Price In Britain. 9/6.)

For Underwater Enthusiasts

IF you desire to keep tropical marine life in your drawing room. as a hobby, then Marine Tropicals, a small illustrated book by Ed. L. Fisher, published in Florida, USA, will show you how it can be done.

Mr. Fisher has spent the last four years mooching around the sea bottom of the Florida Keys, study ing tropical fish. He was, of course, equipped with an aqua-lung.

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Although the coloured tropical fish common on Island reefs are well-known to dwellers of the South Pacific, few have gone to the trouble of keeping them in home aquaria. Residents of New Guinea and Bougainville can see small tanks in operation by visiting MV Bulolo and MV Malaita which usually carry consignments of fish to the Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney.

The idea was originated by Captain Bill Wilding formerly of Malaita, now of Bulolo.

The idea of keeping tropical fish for pets seems considerably more complicated than keeping common or-garden gold-fish but if the hobby is to catch on, residents of the Islands should be in a good position to be first in the field.

The book could be of interest to spear-fishermen and aqua-lung addicts in the Islands. Even if you do not want to keep fish for pets, it is nice to know what you are looking at. Well illustrated in black and white and colour. (From Sub-Marine Studios. 918 Lang ford Building. Miami. Florida. Price, $1.50.) According to the National Geo graphic Society, Indonesia leads the world in coconut production. The Philippines, India. Ceylon and the South-west Pacific Islands are next in order of production. There are about one million acres of palms in the American tropics, with some plantation culture in Brazil, Mexico and the West Indies. The chief consumer is the US, with Europe second.

H Dr. A. S. Singh, the new resident medical officer at the Manning River District Hospital, at Taree, NSW was born in Fiji of Indian parents.

He intends to return eventually to Fiji and work among his own people. He went to Australia eight vears ago and graduated in medicme earlier this year. He has been working on a Colonial Development Scholarship.