[?]ies On Fanning Is.

End Of An Era

[?]he Last Greig [?]ies On Fanning Is.

ITE are indebted to Burns Philp’s ▼ Islands Agencies Department and to Mr. P. F. D. Palmer, manager of Fanning Island antations Ltd., for this story of e late Hugh Greig, who died at inning last August 14. The death Greig could be taken as an end a particular Pacific phase, ra iling as it does a time when a ung man could sail the South i as and select for himself a whole land.

Hugh Greig was born at English irbour, Fanning Island, on Sep tnber 25, 1885, and was the eldest n of George B. Greig (born 63), who in turn, was the eldest n of William Greig, who settled English Harbour about 1857.

William Greig was a young rrshire Scot and there are several rsions of how he and a young nerican, George Bicknell, with 10m he was associated for so ag, went to Fanning Island. One rsion is that they were both sea sn aboard a trading vessel and 3k jobs as coopers with Captain hn English, who had taken up sidence there about 1855.

Legend has it that at some later ige Fanning Island was handed er to William Greig, and Wash g Island to George Bicknell on e death of Capt. English, in lieu wages due.

Another version is that Greig rived at Fanning first and was ;er joined by the American. Both Bn died on Fanning, William •eig in July, 1892. Greig had irried Teanauatu, a sister of the ng of Manihiki, and had three ns, who carried on at Fanning, le descendants of Bicknell, how er, moved away and his heir sold s interests in Washington Is. to “man in Suva,” who in turn Id them to Father Rougier.

Hugh Greig joined Fanning land Plantations Ltd. under Mr. irold Gow, in 1936 He had been iployed continuously there until s death, with one recruiting trip Suva and Tarawa in 1938, a riod in charge at Washington land during 1937-38, and a short ip to Honolulu in 1948. The rest his life appears to have been ent in or about the old family at at English Harbour —to which f was very attached.

Between 1904 and 1916, he served i an operator with the old Pacific ible Board, during which time he «nt some months at Suva in this rvice.

His most spectacular exploit was ie skin-diving for the severed ends ■ the Pacific Cable which had been fctroyed by the German cruiser

Nuremburg, a few days after the outbreak of war in August, 1914.

Communication was re-established within hours as a direct result of

Greig’s efforts, and aided consider ably in the eventual destruction of the German squadron off the Falk land Islands.

t Two old Fiji families were united in marriage recently when Miss Edith Evening, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. Evening, of Wailoku, was married to Mr. Morris Lockington, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Lockington, of Navesi.

II Captain A. L. Hansard, Band master of the Fiji Military Forces for over 11 years, has retired from the FMF after 30 years, and has gone to live on the Viro coconut plantation on Ovalau Island, Fiji, which he purchased recently.

Death on a small Pacific island is an intimate and personal thing affecting all. Here Hugh Greig's coffin, covered in cloth, probably from the local store, is lowered into a coral grave.

The Red Ensign that covers the coffin has an interesting history. It belongs to Mr. Palmer and in one corner is embroidered: "M.V. Rogeia, 1927-37". The work was done by Mission girls in North Buka, New Guinea, and presented to Mr. Palmer when he ended 10 years' service on the vessel for Choiseul Plantations.