Stan Jones, Of Vila, Bows Out

STAN JONES, of Vila, has recently re tired as the well-loved manager for Burns Philp in the New Hebrides. He has completed 30 years with the firm, the last 20 of which have been at Vila, and he is now taking a trip to England with his wife to see their married daughter, Beryl.

Stanley Gordon Jones was born at Ber rigan. NSW. in 1898. He first went to sea in 1918 as radio operator on the “Australpeak”, of Billy Hughes’ Australian Naval Transport Service. They made a “Cook’s Tour” to the UK, just escaping a torpedo attack near Dublin. The ship was being overhauled in England when the war ended.

Stan remained a radioman at sea for the next 10 years, serving around Aus tralia and New Zealand, and in the Com monwealth Line to England. His last three years at sea were in the Gilbert Islands, in On Chong’s inter-island vessel “St. George”.

Stan then joined Burns Philp at Tarawa, in the Gilberts, as accountant and radio operator. That was in October, 1928.

Three years later he was sent as ac countant to Vila, then as manager at Wallis Island, a French possession, where BP’s had bought out the Brial interests.

It 1938 the Wallis Island business was sold back to French interests, and Stan was appointed manager at Vila, where he was to remain for the next 20 years.

There were many changes.

First, was the establishment of a BP subsidiary registered as a French com pany. Their inter-island steamer “Mirani” was transferred to the French flag, to gain the copra subsidiary of £ 3 a ton paid by the French Government during the depression. The new venture was called “BP French”, though its official name was something like “Company Com merciale des Isles du Pacifique”.

This was only part of the old struggle between British and French interests in the New Hebrides, in which BP’s led the British, and CFNH (Ballande’s) led the French in trying to dominate the trade of the Condominium.

The New Hebrides received a great burst of activity from the arrival of the American forces in the early part of the war, and BP’s established a depot at Santo in 1943, which became a full branch when Burns Philp (New Hebrides), Ltd., was forged in 1949—with Stan Jones as general manager.

In his 20 years as manager at Vila.

Stan has won the respect, admiration and affection of both associates and rivals in business. He and his wife have played a leading part in social and sporting activities, and at Vila they leave a host of friends and many happy memories.—

Brett Hilder.