Farewelled In Papua

Death Of A Pioneer

Old-Timer W. Maidment Farewelled In Papua

• In the garden of Wally Maid ment, who had lived on Daru Island, Western Papua, for 55 years, there is a flagpole where, on suitable occasions, the Blue Ensign flew.

WHEN he died on September 15 —and it seemed fitting that the Grand Old Man of the West should leave us on Commemoration Day—we went into his garden and lowered the flag to half-mast. It was a genuine farewell to a dear old friend, a Papuan True.

Wally married his first wife in Daru—the first formal ceremony in Tamate Chalmers’ Church (named after the Rev, James Chalmers, the pioneer missionary who was murdered by the Goaribaris). She died, apparently of black water fever. He married his second wife, Lucy, who survives him, in the same church in 1931.

All interested people who came along this way called on Wally, to listen to his fascinating re miniscences he had a most retentive memory right to the end, despite his 85 years.

Among his welcome guests were a personage from Government House, in South Australia; the famous writer, Beatrice Grimshaw; the ill-fated explorers, Jack Hides and David Lyall, who were helped and nursed by Wally and Lucy Maidment at the conclusion of their disastrous journey up the Strickland.

Another friend was the late well beloved Dr. Vernon, after whom a ward in the Taurama Hospital is named. (Over)

Walter A. Maidment left Sydney at the behest of his old school friend, Walter Carpenter (later, Sir Walter Carpenter), on the SS Yawata Maru, for Thursday Island.

In Sydney, he had excelled not only as a surgeon dentist of note, but also (in 1899) as a cyclist, when he was chosen to represent Australia in Canada. These were the days of depression, and the bank smash was taking its toll of most men of brilliance in Sydney town. Dentists, like bank clerks, took any jobs.

Knowing Wally’s skill with boats.

Walter Carpenter gave him a job at Thursday Island. A man of many parts, Wally built his first dinghy at the age of 11, built the first launch at Daru, and the first Churches at Ture-Ture, Katatai, and Parama in the Western District —later building the first stone church at Mabuaduan.

Supervised Pearling

In TI, he was supervisor of Carpenter’s pearling fleet for two years. At £lOO per annum, he was the first European from South employed there by Carpenters.

In Thursday Island, Wally met Bill Luff, who was the father of Wally’s dearest friend, Lennie Luff.

Bill Luff, a grand old man, invited Wally to Daru. That was the beginning of a tried and true friendship between the families that lasted up to Wally’s death.

When Wally came to Daru there were no roads —and only two stores —one owned by a Frenchman, Julian Pothier, and the other by William Luff. The stores opened only when pay-offs for the natives were due. Most of the natives recruited from Daru were used for work in Thursday Island.

Perhaps the more recent new comers to Daru Island did not understand Wally Maidment, or fully appreciate his store of anecdotes. I remember that the first time I met him, after many years, he said: “Child, I remember your mother well. I used to whisper sweet nothings in her ear when she was a young girl—and she would have nought of me”. Wally had met my mother (later, Mrs.

Hides) in Thursday Island before her departure for Merauke (Dutch New Guinea) in 1901.

"Let Me Die Here"

Often I spoke to him, during his last days, of the possibility of his going South. Wally would say: “Go South! Why? I love Daru — let me die here”—and here he died.

Who could forget Wally Maidment?

Certainly not the natives of Papua, nor the old-timers.

Mourners at his graveside included Mr. David Marsh (Acting DC) and Mrs. Marsh; Mr. F. P. Robb (ADO) and Mrs. Robb; Mr. John Walsh (PO) and Mrs. Walsh; Mr, and Mrs. George Craig; Mr. Miller

(A/DEO); Mrs. J. Croft (A EG); (sister of late Jack Hides) and Miss Wendy Croft; Mr. and Mirs. K.

Richardson; Mr. and Mrs. Owen; Mr. Stocks; Mr. and Mrs. Kleckham; and Mr. Tom Holland and his wife, Eileen, who marched with Lennie Luff beside the cortege. Mr. Peter Day represented Burns Philp and Co.

The police Constabulary, Girl Guides, Brownies and Scouts formed a guard of honour at the Church, and after the ceremony, followed the cortege to the cemetery, where the burial service was read by Oporto Waia, on old Papuan LMS missionary.

The pall-bearers were all old inhabitants of Daru —Badia. Walter

and Emanuel Trabertz, and George,

Rupert and Robert Tabua.

Jan

Croft.