He Likes The
pp. 86-101 · Read in the full issue
Climate
Jack Read, Native Lands Commissioner at Rabaul, was well-known as a Coastwatcher
on Bougainville during the Paci
fic War, but that has been only
an episode in his long service
in New Guinea.
HE was born in Hobart in 1905, christened William John, and had all his schooling there. In 1928, he was selected as a cadet for the New Guinea Administration.
Shortly before leaving for the Territory he married Gwenneth Ballantyne, but she was unable to accompany him until about five years later, owing to the lack of housing in those relatively primitive days.
He arrived in Rabaul in 1929 and did his initial two years in New Britain, based on Kokopo under that renowned old-timer Ted Taylor During 1931 he did the Patrol Officers’ course at Sydney Uni versity, and on his return was sent to the Sepik River for two years, under “Sepik” Robbie. Then fol lowed seven years in the Madang district, two years in Morobe dis trict, and thence to Buka Passage as ADO in the fateful days of De cember, 1941.
After the fall of Rabaul, Buka Passage received visits from Jap anese warships, and from then on the enemy proceeded to occupy the
(Continued on page 97)
A Brett Hilder Profile
);ely refused the appointment. He e3r became a Lieutenant RANVR.
His service as a Coastwatcher in irge of Bougainville lasted for 17 tperate months, and his courage, jesight, initiative and common use is well described by Com mder Eric Feldt in The Coast :itchers . For his outstanding ser -e under difficulties, many of jich were not made by the Jap -sse, Read received the American )C, but no British decoration. He Eally left the island one night in ;y, 1943, being taken off by the Submarine Guardfish. a few months later the American ;ces landed and established a :imeter at Torokina. In 1944, the ■T took over from the US Army, ii Read became a major in •GAU and was sent to Torokina District Officer of Bougainville. - his service in ANGAU he was intioned in Despatches, ifter the war, Jack Read became strict Commissioner at Kavleng three years, leaving there for ig leave and retirement.
Tie Reads settled down near Mel irne, and Jack took a job in Navy ice in the Intelligence division. ,er a year or so the climate got frigid for him, and he decided return to the Territory in any >acity. Just at this moment the fcive Lands Commission was set and Read was appointed Com isioner for the New Britain Dis ;t. That was in 1952. ?he Reads live at Namanula, >ve Rabaul ,and intend to be per nent residents. Their only child, iith, now Mrs. Fairhurst, who has :n in the USA for two years with • husband, will shortly be settling manently in Australia. ?he Territory and its climate tainly agree with Jack, for he >ws no grey hairs, lis main hobby through the years ; been photography, and he has de a large collection of photo ,phs of natives from remote as, which I hope will one day
published.-