Photos from the Past.
pp. 32-33 · Read in the full issue
THESE photographs have all appeared in PIM in the last 25 years.
At top—How Rabaul looked after the eruption which began with Vulcan on May, 29, 1937, and the next day was taken up by Matupi.
Vulcan was formerly a flat island— the new cone, still smoking, can be seen at right of photograph. Matupi volcano is out of sight around the point of Matupi Island „ left of photograph. Sheets of pumice floated on the harbour; the town was covered with ashes and pumice dust and was evacuated. -At right—the famous raft “Kon Tiki ’ in which Thor Heyerdahl and his five companions drifted from Peru to French Oceania in 102 days l ?nJL 9 nL* The J a f t was considerably d °2 l . R , aroia Reef, Tuamotu Crrowp and is here shown in Papeete after it was towed there by a French
Government ship. The six Scandi navians proved that drift voyages
between South America and Poly nesia were possible.
In the 30’s, when trans-Pacific ■ services became a practical oposition, hitherto useless islands strategic staging positions took : sudden value. In this race, ■itain and the United States be me friendly rivals. Canton
entually became US-British con *minium; the S annexed How nd and Baker 1935.
Top photograph b ov e shows dices placed on ull Is. by a ntish warship, his one reads (in art): “This land belongs to is Britannic ajesty Edward 111 and was sited by HMS sigh, August, )36. Signed, O. evir, Captain.” he lower photo •aph shows Mr. nd Mrs. Tom r anning (now of oniara, BSIP) on hristmas Island, here Mr. Man ing was acting d min is trator; wereignty notices iere put up there, Iso.
Top right: In October, 1900, “Queen Makea” of the Cook Is. gave the Group into the keeping of New Zealand (from 1888 it had been under the protection of Britain).
The Queen can be seen on the left; Lord Ranfurly, then Governor of
NZ, in the centre, without a hat.
Lower: Of more recent date —the seismic wave that followed an earth quake in Suva on September 14, 1953. It did great damage to the wharf and fore-shore area. Previ ous quakes at Suva had been light.