Maxwell Family's 100 Years

of Service

This is Dr. Richard W. D. Maxwell, who has become Deputy Director of Health in Western Samoa, after 22 years in the Fiji Medical Service, latterly as Deputy Director.

Dr. Maxwell's family has a long record of Colonial Service. His great-grandfather. Sir Peter Benson Maxwell (1816-93), went to the Crimea in the winter of 1854-55, travelling with Florence Nightingale as a member of a Commission to enquire into the conditions of the military hospitals. He later became the first Chief Justice of the new Colony of Straits Settlements. He retired in 1871.

His son. Dr. Maxwell's grandfather, Sir

William Edward Maxwell, KCMG (1846-97), had a long career in the Colonies and in 1895 was appointed Governor of the Gold Coast Colony. He died at sea of blackwater fever in 1897 while on his way back to England.

His son, Dr. Maxwell's father, Gerald Verner Maxwell, CM6, was appointed to the Colonial Service as a Cadet in the service of the Government of Fiji in 1898. He finally be came Chairman of the Native Lands Com

mission and in 1917 he acted as Secro Native Affairs. He was a member of Legislative Council in 1910 and agae 1917 to 1919. In 1921 he was transft British East Africa as Chief Natiw missioner, Kenya. He retired in 193 U still living, in Australia.

Dr. Maxwell was born in Fiji and to the Colony in 1934 after gradu»i medicine at Otago University, New