Deaths Of Islands People

Lan Malcolm

One or the largest funerals seen in Lae, N.G., was on May 1, when 20-years-old lan Malcolm was buried following his death in a tragic motor accident. lan, the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Malcolm, had only re cently returned from Australia af.er completing a training course at the Newcastle Aero Club, so he could become a commercial pilot.

While waiting to pass an exami nation to join a Territory airline, he had taken a job driving a timber logging lorry. He had brought a load of timber in from the bush and was removing the chocks to disengage the logs when the load rolled. He tripped over another log on the ground when trying to get clear, but the load pinned him across the groin and legs.

He was taken to hospital, where he was given every chance of re covery, but died next morning.

Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm are old Territorians, and lan was born at Edie Creek. The Malcolm’s other son, Douglas, is employed at Burns Philp at Lae.

Mrs. Sarah Ann Mackenzie

The death occurred in Suva, Fiji, on April 21, of Mrs. Sarah Ann Mackenzie, in her 93rd year.

Mrs. Mackenzie was a true pioneer and a woman of intelligence and strong personality. She mar ried twice, Mr. J. A. Mackay, who died in Australia, and later Mr. D.

M. Mackenzie, an officer of the Col onial Sugar Refining Co.

In the early days of the century Mrs. Mackenzie acquired land at Labasa but in 1908 shifted her in terests to Taveuni where she bought first Nagasau Estate, and later Nacaugai Estate. With her husband she laid the foundations of what are today two of the finest estates on Taveuni.

She was known as the Queen of the North, and had become some thing of a legend in her own time.

She is survived by her two sons and three daughters; Mr. William G. Mackay, Mr. W. D. Maxwell Mackenzie (Taveuni), Mrs. V M.

Snodgrass (Suva), Mrs. Pocock, and Mrs. E. Beddows (Australia).

Mr. F. C. Exon

The death occurred as sea, off Bali, Indonesia, on April 22 of Mr.

Frank Exon, well-known ex-resi dent of Fiji. He was 62.

Mr. Exon was in charge of +he Amalgamated Wireless (A/Asia) Ltd. establishment in Suva fo v many years and returned to Sydney headquarters in 1956. The follow ing year he and Mrs. Exon were off again, however, this time on loan to Pakistan under the Colombo Plan. His job was to see overseas

telecommunications and an internal radio network installed.

The job was completed a couple of months ago and the Exons left for home. Between Karachi and Singapore then ship broke down and they were held up a month in Singapore. They joined the Nieuv Holland there a few weeks ago.

A few minutes before he died, Mr. Exon was playing deck-tennis; he sat down at a table and had ordered a drink when he suddenly collapsed and died. He was buried at sea.

Frank Exon can be said to be a victim of Karachi conditions. He had few 7 health worries in all of his tropical service in Fiji but in his two years in Pakis.an he de veloped both malaria and amoebic dysentry. The latter failed to re spond to treatment and he was still a sufferer at the time of his death. It is thought that the drugs that are given for this condition may have affected his heart.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters, Elizabeth (Mrs. Cottee) and. Jocelyn (Mrs. Gow) and by a son, Nevil.

Charles Hayward Hughes

“Dad” Hughes (as he was known by everyone in TNG in the pre- War II days) died in a Goodna (Q) hospital on April 2, and was buried in the Lutwyche cemetery on the following day. Mesdames Battis and Slee, represen-ing the Queensland New Guinea Women’s Society, at tended the funeral. He was 88 years of age when he died, and for some years had been in poor health.

Coming originally from England, “Dad” spent several years in Aus tralia before the outbreak of War I when he enlisted whh the 8h Light Horse end rose to the rank of cap tain. In 1922 he joined the Expro priation Board and was engaged in the. Accounts Section for a number of years, serving in Rabaul and on various outstahons.

On the disposal of some of the Board properties he resigned and star ed an accountancy business on his own.

For time he was associated with The Rabaul Times Company befo~e proceeding to the Morobe goldfields, wheve he spent several yea ,7 s with various mining com panies. He always took a keen in terest in RSL affairs. He d’d not ref-’-n *o the Territory after War 11.

“Dad” wa« a oopnlar identity tie rounder it the Territory and left h : m a bos L of Mends who held him in high esteem.—G. T.

Mr. E. J. Frame

The death of Mr. E. J. Frame, general manager of Burns Philp (New Guinea) Limited occurred on April 22. He was 62. (See p. 46).