Deaths Of Islands People

Rev. J. Sau Faupula

The sudden collapse and death of the Rev. J. Sau Faupula, at Roseville railway station while on a visit of Sydney, on May 27, has been a great shock and a loss to friends and colleagues in Australia and Tonga.

He had been, for the past 17 years, Secretary of the Tongan Con ference of the Methodist Church and was in Australia with the Pre sident of that Conference (the Rev.

R. A. Woodgate), to attend the Gen eral Conference of the Methodist Church in Australasia. The Confer ence had concluded the previous day.

Mr. Faupula was only 51, and although a post-mortem showed a deteriorated heart condition, there had been no prior warning of any trouble.

He was regarded by his colleagues as an outstanding man —of strong character, able, loyal and wise. He was the first Pacific Islands Methodist to attain the Diploma of LTh at the Melbourne College of Divinity, an interdenominational divinity college which operates under charter from the Victorian State Government.

He was educated at Tupou College for Boys, at Nukualofa, and was for many years senior master there. Re cently he has, as well, been head of the Young Peoples’ Department in the Tongan church.

His funeral service was conducted in Sydney by Mr. Woodgate, and after cremation, his ashes were scattered on the burial place of his grandfather, K. Faupula, who by a strange coincidence also had died while on a visit to Sydney some years ago.

Although not of chiefly rank, the Rev. J. Sau Faupula was closely associated with Queen Salote in the work of the church. The Queen was shocked at his death and sent messages of regret to the Methodist Church, from New Zealand, where she was then holidaying.

Mr. Tupe George Short

Mr. Tupe George Short died at Rarotonga in April, aged 84 years.

A leader of the Takitumu tribe and a very keen sportsman he went to sea as a youth in the schooner Takitumu, of which his uncle was master, and later served in the schooner Ngamaru before joining the Union Company and serving in their trans-Pacific vessels for some years and later in a shore job with that company at Raro tonga. Later he transferred to Bonar & Shearman, and in his later years confined his attention to his own plantation. He was organiser of Rarotonga’s Pokata Band.

Mr. Short is survived by his wife, three sons, and three daughters.

Mr. Oswald Hayman

The death occurred in Lae Hos pital. New Guinea, on June 3 \ Mr. Oswald Patrick Hayman, wh had been employed by Qantas Aii ways for the past seven years* Demonstrating diving to childre at the Hotel Cecil pool, Lae, on 23, Hayman plunged into the parti filled pool and struck his head i the concrete bottom. He sufleri dislocation of the neck and coi cussion.

Mr. Sidney Ashton*

Member of a pioneering fami in Papua, Mr. Sid Ashton died i May 10 at Southport, Queenslai where he had been living in i tirement, aged 61.

The Ashtons went to the Ter tory from Queensland in 19 settling on a plantation at Keren Gulf Division. Both Sid and 1 brother, Lea, were in the Papu Patrol Service, but resigned in li to go across to New Guine Morobe goldfield. Later, he returr to Papua to manage the fair plantation.

One of the first from Paj to enlist in the AIF, he served Tobruk and came back with i 2/9th Battalion to take part the New Guinea campaign. He v the Military Medal for patrols i Japanese-held areas. He recer commission rank and, as a lieutens was Mentioned in Despatches al being seconded to ANGAU.

He is survived by Mrs. J.

Ashton, Mr. Lea Ashton (Mon NG), and five sisters (now living Queensland).

Mr. Graburn

Barrack

After living in NZ for seven yt since his retirement from servia Fiji, Mr. Graburn Stanley Barr died suddenly in Auckland on 1 21. He was 63.

Stan Barrack joined the Fiji G ernment as a revenue officer in 1 and served for many years accountant and auditor both in District Administration and I Audit Department. Later, he joi the Western Pacific High C( mission in Suva, serving there I he retired in 1956.

Mr. Arthur Lewis I

Formerly well known in Suva, Arthur Lewis died in Auckland! on May 25. He had gone to Fiji a World War I to join the ship! and customs firm of Williams!

Gosling Ltd. Later, he married!

Gladys Williams, daughter ofl late Captain Frank Williams.!

Because of his expert handliq natives, he went to BSI as a m in World War 11, and helped! the BSI Labour Corps. Mr. Lew survived by his wife and « married daughters (Doris, The and Joan).