Deaths Of Islands People

Mr. J. D. Browne

Mr. J. D. Browne, 89-year-old nember of a family which settled n Fiji 86 years ago, died in Suva in July 22.

The family arrived in 1868 and settled at Natukewai, on the Rewa Xiver opposite Naililili. They grew jananas and sugar cane and kept l store.

Mr. Browne eventually left Natu sewai and was for many years a jlanter in the upper Rewa where le took a lively interest in dis rict development until the became in invalid.

He is survived by three sons, jeslie, Tom and Cyril, of Suva, and w o daughters, of Townsville, Queensland.

Mrs. Browne, formerly Gertrude Jutbush, died in 1951.

Mr John Trotter

Mr. John Trotter, recently-retired eneral manager in Fiji for Burns >hilp (South Sea) Ltd., died sud (enly in Auckland on July 28 at tie age of 66. His death came as [ shock to his numerous Islands fiends, particularly those in Fiji rhere he had lived for more than 0 years before his retirement.

Mr. Trotter, a graduate of [awkesbury Agricultural College, rent to Tonga in 1913 to establish n agricultural college there. After ervice in France in the 1914-18 war e returned to Tonga and became lanager of Burns Philp’s Ha’apai ranch.

He went to Levuka, Fiji, in 1933. n 1936 he moved to Suva, where e was appointed general manager ir Fiji and a director of the com any.

In the following years Mr. Trotter ecame prominent as a public figure s well as a merchant. He was a lember of the Legislative Council >r six years and president of the uva Chamber of Commerce when e retired.

He is survived by his wife and vo daughters, Miss Barbara Trotter nd Mrs. F. A. Hellaby.

Mr. B. L. (“Bert”) Taylor

Mr. Bert Taylor, a resident of Fiji :om the close of World War I un -1 last year, died in Auckland on line 20. He was for many years ith A. H. Marlow and Fiji Build rs Ltd.

He went to Auckland for medical reatment; he was living with his aughter, Mrs. Dorothy Hammond.

Mrs. Vera Muriel James

The death occurred suddenly in ort Moresby, on July 9, of Mrs. r era Muriel James, wife of Mr. . A. James, MLC.

Mrs. James arrived in Port toresby from NSW shortly after er marriage 34 years ago and since as engaged fully in the community

m . , life of the Territory. She accepted philosophically the normal trials of the pioneer, and was possessed of a dry wit and the genuine friendli ness of the true Territorian. She occasionally told of how, in their

earlier years in the Territory Mr.

James and she found themselves possessed of the Papuan Courier and how soon afterwards Mr. James was taken to hospital and she was left for some weeks to bring out the Territory’s only newspaper her self.

In recent years, as the popula tion of Port Moresby has grown from a few hundreds to a similar number of thousands, the com munity activities of both Mr. and Mrs. James have increased. At the time of her death she was president of the P-NG branch of the Country Women’s Assn.

She is survived by Mr. James and

The Late Mrs. James.

—Photo by Papuan Prints.

their daughter, Lorna—now Mrs. f. Johnson, of Port Moresby.

Mr. T. Sanerive

Mr. T. Sanerive, born in Western famoa and for many years a ■esident of Fiji, died in Suva late n July, aged 85 years.

Mr. Sanerive was a missionary of he LMS Church for over 50 years, erving in Samoa until 1919. He re ired from the mission in 1945.

He is survived by his wife, three ons and three daughters.

Mrs. Viotti Miller

The death was reported on July of Mrs. Viotti Miller, wife of Mr. ames A. Miller, of Baramata lantation, Papua. She had spent bout 20 years all told in the Terri ary. where she was well-known nd highly esteemed.

As a girl she was a noted swimmer nd diver in Victoria and later, in ydney, was one of the first women [ take up surf-board riding. She as a prominent golfer, both in ustralia and in Port Moresby. In le latter club she won the Associ te Championship in 1950 and was >past Vice-President of the Club. ‘She is survived by Mr. Miller; a In, Jimmy, who is with the Aus falasian Petroleum Co. in Papua; nd a daughter, Mrs. Nancye pstein, of Melbourne.

Her ashes were taken to Papua nd on July 30 scattered from an Ircraft over Baramata, where she ad spent her happiest days.

Mr. J. C. M. Scott

News of the death in Sydney, on lly 1, of Mr. John Charles Mylne uott was received with great re :et in the Solomons, and in all laces where he was known.

“JCM”, as he was known to all, as born in New Zealand, and irved in World War I. He went i the Solomon Islands for Burns hilp and Co., as manager of their aisi branch, in 1922. He was ansferred to Makambo about 128, where he was General Man ner of all Burns Philp interests in

the Solomon Islands. He was at Makambo until the evacuation of the Solomon Islands early in 1942 when he, with others, proceeded to Australia in MV Kurimarau.

During the war, Mr. Scott served the Australian Commonwealth Gov ernment in one of the war-time De partments; and, after the war, he joined W. R. Carpenter & Co. Ltd. in New Guinea. His health failed there: and about three years ago he had a stroke and since that time had been practically bedridden.

During his residence at Makambo, “JCM” took a keen interest in all matters relating to the Solomons, and he was for some time a mem ber of the Advisory Council. He was

a keen sportsman, and was captain of the golf club. patron of the cricket club, and for several years he held the golf championship. He was one of the original syndicate, locally known as the "Big Six”, who commenced gold mining operations on Guadalcanal. He was a founda tion member and a Past Master of Lodge Melanesia.

An old BSI friend of Mr. Scott says of him: His administrative experience, sound judgment and sympathetic understanding of the needs and best interests of Europeans and natives alike, won for him the confidence and sincere respect of all classes.

In 1942, he did not leave his post

The late Mr. J. C. M. Scott, with his son Donald.

until Jap bombs rained down < Makambo, and made his positic untenable. With his staff and oth residents he had the nightmare e: penence of crawling from one pr v carious hideout to another, whi helping to organise the eventu I getaway on a dark stormy night : I Lever Inter-island motor vess Kunmarau, commanded by tl ■ late Captain Bill Rawson.

Mr. Scott died suddenly at h residence, 36 Manning Road, Doub Bay, Sydney, and his funeral, i the Northern Suburbs Crematoriur was attended by a large numb of old Islands friends. He is su; vived by his widow, Mrs. Elizabet Scott, and two sons. Donald (30) with Dalgety & Co., and James (If is a student at Sydney University

Rev. H. P. Schlencker

The Rev. H. P. Schlencker, a Cor gregational missionary in Papu from 1895 to 1927, died in Bris bane on June 22 at the age of 8' He trained at the Hackney Cor gregational College, London. E was Minsiter at the Congregations Church, West End, from 1927 t 1936. He then went to Woody Poir and remained there until his retire ment a few months ago.

He is survived by two sons an one daughter,

Mrs. Alma Smith.

Mrs. Alma Smith, widow of th late D. B. Smith and daughter o the late Mr. and Mrs. C. D. McCaig early settlers of Suva, died in th Home of Compassion, Tamavua, oi July 1. She is survived by a brothei Mr. Devon McCraig, of Suva, : sister, Mrs. A. S. Cox, of Auckland and a daughter and son, Aileen anc Barney, of Suva.

Mrs. Katie Young

Mrs. Katie Young, wife of Mr Andrew Young, of Pitcairn Is., diec suddenly of a heart attack oe May 17.

She was a daughter of the late Sanford and Ellen Warren.

She is survived by her husband two sons and a daughter and sever grandchildren.

Williams Devo

Williame Devo died in Suva or June 27 in his 52nd year. He was a well-known Fijian who had beer a Government servant for 34 years; and played a leading role in the Young Fijian Society and its associ ate organisation, the Matanisiga; These have their own hall and; hostel in Suva.

With his wife, Ana, he went tc Malaya last year to visit the Ist Battalion. Fiji Infantry Regiment: with which two of his sons were serving. One son is still there.

Williame Devo was himself a member of the Fiji Defence Force Band for many years.

Mr. Richard Jeffers

Mr. Richard Jeffers, one of pos sibly the last 2 survivors of the crew of the British warship Calliope, died In Auckland early July, at the age of 82. ’ Mr. Jeffers was a signaller on Calliope when she made her dramatic escape from Apia, Western Samoa, during the cyclone of March, 1889. Six other warships, three American and three German, were trapped in the port and were either sunk or blown ashore. Many mem bers of the crews were drowned. ; When the cyclone struck the seven ships tried to escape from ;he port, but Calliope was the only me that succeeded.

Hr. Geoffrey Ward Gelling

Mr. Geoffrey Ward Gelling, a 3ook Islands war veteran of World Var I, and for many years man ner of Cook Islands Trading Com sany’s plantations at Titikaveka, fcarotonga, died in Rarotonga re ently after a long illness. [He was the son of Mr. Frank felling, and was born at Mangaia island in 1897. He is survived by Lis wife.

! Rev. Brother Clemens

; Rev. Brother Clemens, of the staff if Sacred Heart College, Auckland, lied there suddenly in July, aged

56 years. A graduate of Auckland University College (MA with double first-class honours and a winner of the senior scholarship in French), Brother Clemens was attached to the staff of St. Felix College, Suva, prior to and during World War I.

He was a keen sportsman.

Lord Michael Fitzroy

Lord Michael Fitzroy, younger son of the 10th Duke of Grafton, disappeared on the night of July 15 while swimming from the AK Sorengana, near Somata, in the Russell Islands, BSIP.

It is not known whether he was drowned or taken by a shark.

He was mate of the Sorengana, an 80-tons Baltic ketch which arrived in the Solomons last March from the United Kingdom and engaged in inter-island freighting, principally carrying copra from plantations to main shipping ports.

Mr. Eugene Gallett

Mr. Eugene Gallett, who was as sociated with Mr. Ray Parer in one of New Guinea’s first airlines, was killed in a level-crossing smash in Cairns, Qld., on July 12. He was 66.

Mr. Gallett was a member of a Queensland pioneering family, his father having been one of the first cane growers there. He lived most of his life in that State, although

he spent some time in New Guinea on copra plantations and in con nection with the airline business.

Mr. Gallett was alone in his truck, when it was hit at the level cross ing by a goods train. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a Son - (Over)

Mr. Roger Smith

Canadian-born Roger Smith, "well-known Aitutaki trader, died mid-May, aged 76.

Mr. Smith was a veteran of World War I. He was wounded in the attack at Vimy Ridge. He later lived and traded in the Islands for many years and was twice married to Aitutaki women, his first wife ■dying in NZ. For some time before his death, Mr. Smith was partially paralysed and he overcame this handicap with the use of a motor wheelchair.

Manager for the Cl Trading Com pany until his breakdown in health,

Mr. Smith was one of the dwindling band of “old hands’’ who knew the pre-air age of island trading. He was a man of a handsome and dis tinguished presence when he re turned from NZ with his second wife before the Hitler War.

Mr. Afred E. Baker

The death occurred in Sydney on August 7, of Mr. Alfred Edward Baker, formerly a well-known resi dent of Fiji, Mr. Baker was an Englishman and about 70 at the time of his death. He went to Fiji for the Colonial Sugar Refining Co. in 1906 and remained there in various CSR centres until 1937 when he was transferred to head-office in Sydney.

He retired from the company in 1945.

Since he has been living in Sydney he has taken an active in terest in the Pacific Islands Society.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters of a former marriage.