Deaths Of Islands People

Mr Paul (“Karkar”) Schmidt

Mr. Paul Ignatius Schmidt, known widely and affectionately in New Guinea as “Karkar Smith”, died suddenly at his home in Padding ton, Sydney, on December 5, from heart failure. He was aged 74.

“Karkar” was a young West Prussian, who had served in the German Navy, when he arrived in what was then German New Guinea, about 1904. He soon became deeply interested in planting: and when World War I broke out in 1914, and the Australians occupied German New Guinea, he already had planted up Kulili Estate, on Karkar Island, with over 30,000 coconut and 10,000 cotton trees. Because of his work on that island, he became generally known as “Karkar Smith”; and, although he lost all his properties in the Expropriation which followed Germany’s defeat in that war, he retained the name to the end of his life.

Mr. Schmidt re-established him

self in New Guinea between the wars; and again was ruined when the Japanese invaded. He always was the proud and stiff-necked Prussian; and it was inevitable that he should be interned during World War 11. After 1945, he was too old and tired to make another effort in his adopted country, and he retired to live for some years in the Gos lord district, NSW.

He was a well-read and courtly old gentleman, and those who knew him well esteemed him highly. He had a wide knowledge of “the Ger man time” in New Guinea, and his memory was remarkable. It is be lieved that he was married but he had no children, and no relations in Australia. (Writing to PIM, about “Karkar”, Tolala said: “After War I he was not repatriated to Germany like most of his countrymen, but got himself a job after internment, looking after a property on Karkar

Island. And here he made good Later he acquired the Neu Guinej Compagnle expropriated estate o Palmalmal, down the south coast o; New Britain. He settled down t< the orthodox planter’s life am married a New Zealander. It wa here he was living when War I broke. Later his property becaim famous as the Allied base a Jacquinot Bay”.)

Mr. T. M. O’Connell

Well known in Fiji as forme manager of NZ National Air ways when that airline wa flying the Coral Route service, an lately general manager of Strait Air Freight Express, Ltd., Welling ton, NZ, Mr. T. M. O’Connell wa killed in an air crash near Christ church on November 21. Th company’s operations manager, firs officer and a passenger were als killed when the Bristol Freighte apparently lost a wing in mid-ai Metal fatigue was suspected an the company’s other aircraft wer temporarily grounded pendin inspection.

Mr. O’Connell headed a compan which has a very high standing i international aviation circles a one of the most progressive an modern air freighting companies i the world.

Capt. A. Liston-Blyth

Very belatedly we report th sometime ago of Captai: (Boer War veteran—“loth Th Kings”) Alexander Liston-Blyt sometime of West Africa (WAFF, Jamaica and the Solomons befoi he joined the Magisterial Servic of Papua.

The late Captain Blyth was wei known throughout the Territory where he was RM, Delta Divisioi He returned to Papua later wife the Natahte Co. which was goin to make motor spirit from th Delta nipa palms (atap, in Malay but of course, did not. He ha been living in retirement a Gosford for many years before hi death.

Mrs. H. K. Driver

The death occurred in Milmerrai Q’ld. on November 30 of Mrs. H. K Driver, formerly a well know] resident of Papua. Mrs. Driver, wh was widowed in 1948, is survived b one daughter, Mollie, and four soni Francis, Fred, Jack and Wiliiam the latter being ADO at Lae, Nei Guinea.

Mrs. Driver was the daughter c the late Mrs. Elizabeth Mahone: who died in Sydney, aged 88, in 1943 and who was, during her long yean m Papua, known affectionately a the Queen of Sudest. Mrs. Mahonq went to Sudest (an Island off Si Papua) with her husband in 1881 shortly after gold was discoverei there. Her husband died early i) life and she carried on in his plac as miner, trader, mariner and en gineer. The story is told of because of ill-health, she was ono

it south to Cooktown, and that as m as she had recovered sufficient ength she chartered a ship and nt back —taking with her her ir children, a governess and a no-M;he first on the island.

Ars. Driver was one of those Idren and she knew Papua in ise early days when her mother 5 virtual ruler as well as friend 20,000 Sudest natives.

Mr. W. C. Nicholson

’he death occurred in Sydney ly in November of Mr. W. C. iholson, who was well known for ny years in Suva, Fiji, as the aer and manager of the Club tel and McDonald’s Hotel, le went to Fiji about 1926, and n established himself as a ding sportsman—he was in ssted in horse racing, greyhound ing, a skating rink, clay-pigeon Dting. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson ; Fiji in 1935 and took over the ima Hotel, in New South Wales.

Sister Marie Suzanne

’he death occurred in Paris, on member 16, of Sister Marie :anne, who served for some rs as a nursing sister at Makogai irosarium, in Fiji. he had worked for four years a new anti-leprosy vaccine, at Pasteur Institute, in Paris. She 1 at the age of 69, only an hour Jr she had been informed—by

scientists of the Vatican, after intensive tests—that the vaccine was a success. t Qantas, in December, began its yearly chore of uplifting 700 school children from Australia to P-NG in seven “Schoolboy Special” aircraft

in January, the mass uplift will begin again as the children return to school.