Monument

Death of J. B. McAdam

Nil's Forests Are His Monument

The loss of Forests Director J.

B. Me Adam, suddenly dead at the early age of 49, and one of

the Territory’s best known men,

came as a shock to Papua and

New Guinea.

MR. McADAM was on leave, and was holidaying at Margate, Queensland, in February, with his wife and their three children, and with relations, when he col lapsed and died, without warning.

Apparently, he had been in good health.

In his early education, in Queens land, Mr. Me Adam disclosed a special interest in forestry; and he gained his diploma at the Canberra School of Forestry in the early ’Thirties and entered the Queens land Forest Service. In 1938, he was selected as Forestry Officer for New Guinea.

When the Jap invasion occurred, in 1942, Mr. McAdam became a soldier with the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, where distinguished service won him the Military Medal.

He went into ANGAU in 1943, with rank of major, and took charge of the Forestry Division, and he became Director of Forests, in 1951.

He has been a member of the Executive Council since 1949.

Highly Qualified

Mr. McAdam will be remembered not only as a successful Depart mental head, but also as a highly qualified and most aggressive forester.

He was ready at the drop of a pen to campaign fiercely against any interest—Administration, com merce, land-owner —which threat ened the sanctity of his forest re serves, and he policed the saw milling activities of P-NG (which grew very quickly after World War II) with a sharp and suspicious eye.

Some people will argue that he overdid his passion for protecting the trees; but already there is in New Guinea, in the replanted forests above the Bulolo Valley, and in the afforestation of wide areas which the Europeans found bare, an im pressive monument to his skill, in dustry and tenacity of purpose.

Mr and Mrs. McAdam will be missed in Port Moresby, where they associated themselves with various community activities.