The Late R. L. Gaskell

IR. Richard Luke Gaskell, whose death in Sydney in late July f was reported in the Septem t issue of PIM was not, as stated, bt a resident of Kieta, Bougain le. His son, Mr. G. W. Gaskell, Iting from Iwi Plantation, ugainville, says that all his life the islands was spent in BSIP.

Mr. Gaskell was born in Liver dl, England, and served at sea sail. In 1908 he was engaged by rns Philp & Co. in Sydney to set a marine slipway at ►kambo, Solomons. )n completion of that job he pur ged a 40-acre property known [Tete on Gela Island, in the adfly Passage at a point shown ; the charts as Gaskell Point. 1914, Mr. GaskeM married in Iney, his wife returning with i. ibout 1927, still retailing Tete ntation, the Gaskells shifted oss the Passage to Buena Vista ind, acquiring there the 100e Vatalau Plantation and an er, Valula, of 25 acres, previ ly owned by Burns Philp & Co., laining on those properties until luary, 1943, when the Pacific r forced the family to leave. [r. and Mrs. Gaskell, Snr., did return after the war and lived Sydney, but their two sons are the Solomons—Jack having a jwright business at Honiara, and )ffrey, now managing Iwi Planta i near Kieta, Bougainville, for J. W. Joyce, brty years ago, Jack, as an in t, was one of the first white dren to be seen in the Florida i of the Solomons, and he was jreat curiosity to the natives.