Deaths Of Islands People

Mr. J. J. Mchugh

Mr. James Joseph McHugh, a former Government Printer, Fiji, died at Suva on July 3.

Born at Sydney in 1873, Mr.

McHugh went to Suva in 1905 as a machinist in the Government Printing Office. He became Govern ment Printer in 1928 and retired in 1936.

A prominent Presbyterian, Mr.

McHugh worked on the Kirk Session for 46 years and was Session Clerk for about 35 years.

For many years he was choirmaster and Sunday School Superintendent at St. Andrew’s, Suva.

In 1908, he married Miss Winifred Small, elder daughter of the Rev.

A. J. Small and Mrs. Small, of the Methodist Mission. He is survived by his wife and five children —Mr.

Lyall McHugh, of Perth, WA, Mrs.

D. Cole, of NZ, Mr. Arthur McHugh, of Goulburn, NSW, Mrs. Stewart, of Auckland, and Mrs. F. Smith, of Suva.

Canon Jennings

Widely known and respected in Papua and New Guinea, Canon fcnnings, of the Anglican Mission at Dogura, died at Melbourne late in July at the age of 68.

K Canon Jennings was principal of St. Aidan’s College, Dogura, for 18 years, and he had been Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of New Guinea since 1939. He was made a canon in 1947.

I After 37 years’ work in the mission field, Canon Jennings died while undergoing treatment for an illness which had compelled his return to Australia.

I Mrs Bride Minogue,

' Mrs. Bride Minogue, wife of Mr.

A. N. Minogue, late of the Papuan Civil Service, died at Adelaide on July 31. She was on a visit to attend the christening of their first grand child, Richard John, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jon Minogue, of Bulolo, where the father is Assistant Mining En gineer with the Bulolo Gold Dredg ing Co.

Mrs. Minogue became ill on the journey from Sydney to Adelaide and had to be taken straight to hospital on her arrival. She died without seeing her new grandson.

Mr. O. Michael

The death occurred suddenly at Navua Hotel, Fiji, in July, of Mr. O.

Michael, member of a well-known family in the Sigatoka district. Mr.

Michael had not been in good health for some time.

For many years Mr. Michael and his family ran a cutter up and down the coast from Suva to Sigatoka, hid for a time conducted a butchery business at Suva.

Recently he had been engaged in banana buying until he took over -he management of the Navua Hotel.

Mr. E. S. Ruthven

The death of a well known Fiji

man, Mr. E. S. Ruthven, occurred at his home, Malaqereqere, Sigatoka, on July 18.

Mr. Ruthven was a Boer War veteran, serving with the Imperial Light Horse, and went to Fiji for the CSR Company in 1904. He was first stationed on the Ba River, and later was officer-in-charge at Tavua when that area was opened for cane.

He was then sent to Naidira Estate at Singatoka, and later became manager in the Sigatoka district.

He acquired land and resigned from the company in 1920, cultivat ing cane and potatoes on a large scale in the upper part of the fertile Sigatoka Valley. In 1929 he leased the Shamrock Hotel at Lautoka from Mr. Pat Costello.

He opened Leylands Butchery at Suva, putting a partner in to run the business, and was also for many years agent in Fiji and the South Pacific Islands for John Walker and Sons Ltd.

A keen sportsman, Mr. Ruthven owned many horses in the days when racing was a prominent sport in Fiji and formed the first racing club at Sigatoka.

There are two brothers—Mr. John Ruthven, formerly general manager in Australia for John Walker and Sons, Ltd., and Mr. Victor Ruthven, of Navua. Two sisters live in Aus tralia,

Mr. A. H. Martin

Mr. Albert Horatio Martin, who died in July, at Sydney, at the age of 86, was born at Nelson, New Zea land, went to Fiji in 1913 and worked at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva, during its last stages of con struction.

For several years he was Suva Town Overseer, and later worked as

an architect. He retired in 1942.

Mr. Martin is survived by a son, Mr. Gordon Martin, of Suva, and two married daughters.

Mr. H. G. Routley

Mr. H. G. Routley, a former Papua-New Guinea patrol officer, was killed in a motor accident at Perth in July.

He served about four years in the Territory Administration, and was patrol officer in the Abau district before his return to Australia in 1951.

Mr. Routley was studying in his final year of law, after which he intended to return to the Territory.

Mr. K. Kruger

Mr. Kenneth Kruger, a young missionary of the Christian As semblies of Australia, died at the Port Moresby European Hospital on July 30.

He is believed to have received a snakebite while hunting in thick bush country near Rigo.