Deaths Of Islands People

Mr. Arthur H. Cresswell

The death occurred in hospital in America (at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester) on September 6 of Mr.

Arthur H.’ Cresswell, an English born former goldminer and planter who became one of the best-known figures in the NG planting industry.

Mr. Cresswell retired three years ago and was on a world tour at the time of his death. He is sur vived by his wife and his daughter Jeanette, both of whom were in London when he died.

Mr. Cresswell was born in Eng land in 1900; and in 1916, when only 16> and a resident of Queensland, pU £ up ju S ag e and enlisted in the AIF for world War I. He served in the Australian First Machine-gun Battalion, and had y le unusual record of serving in same unit—the Second First—in World War 11. As a corporal, he was in the Mount St. Quentm battle in 1917 and was Mentioned in Despatches. T «..v M Mr. Cresswell went to New Guinea for the Expropriation Board in the

early 1920’5. He looked after plantations m the Kavleng and Manus Districts and at Arawe (New Britain); and he went from there to the goldfield at Edie Creek and was a successful miner. When World w a r H began he enlisted and served m the Middle East, and later in Guadalcanal and in New Guinea.

He had owned Lil-i-na-kai Plantanon in the Bammgs for some years, and after returning to New Guinea (after the war) he rehabilitated it and lived on it for some years until he sold it about three years ago.

Since the war he has travelled extensively with his wife and daughter in Europe, America and other places, They were a remarkably welltravelled and well-informed family.

Mrs. Cresswell was formerly Miss Hazel Ormerod, of Brisbane who had trained as a nursing sister She shared the hardships and ex eitement of gold-mining “on th a Edie” and was accounted a good miner among the hard-bitten citizens of those early days. Many a sick miner was nursed back to health at the Cresswell shack on their claim. Jeanette, the daughter, was at Edie Creek as a small child and was a great favourite with the min ing fraternity. Later, Jeanette went to a Girls’ School in Brisbane and then to a school in Switzerland, where she became an accomplished linguist and won many prizes for winter sports.

Recently Mr. Cresswell received

specialised medical treatment Switzerland, and then went to 3 for an operation which, it was . posed, would not keep him t: for more than a week, first operation, however, disclos< double tumor of the brain; anc did not rally from a second ' very dangerous operation. He h then what he was facing, and vs of it quite calmly to friends Rabaul—his letters arrived aftei death was announced.

Many tributes have been pai his life and his work in New Gui The president of the New Gu Planters’ Association said that Cresswell had been a promt member of the Association unti] retirement, and would be gr« missed. The Association and community in general, extendec deepest sympathy to Mr. Cressvi family, Mr. Thomas said.

Mr. Maxwell Taylor D 1

One of the largest crowd mourners ever seen at Lae Ceme paid their respects at the funen Inspector Maxwell Taylor Dull the RPNGC, on September 8.

Duff, who was 44, had recently turned to NG from Greenslopes patriation Hospital, Queensl where he had been receiving tr ment after a long illness.

He is survived by his wii Dorothy.

A fighter pilot with the RAAF„ Duff went to P-NG at the ent the war as a member of the R P-NG Constabulary and served New Britain, Bougainville, Wau Lae. He was a keen worker for RSL and represented BougainvilJ State Branch Congresses at La

Mr. Patterson Alsop

A well known Territorian who action on the Kokoda Trail with 7th Division of the AIF, diet Sydney recently, after a long ill: which took him South early in year for medical treatment. He Patterson (“Pat”) Alsop, aged He is survived by his wife, Ms his mother, Mrs. B. Keane, brothers Ted, Brian and Von.

Mrs. F. M. Addis

We have recently been adv that another old ex-resident of ; Mrs. Florence May Addis died her home, Stanley Point, Auckk NZ, on March 22 aged 77.

Mrs. Addis was born in So Australia but accompanied parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Bisl to Suva in 1894.

Young Florence Bishop went b to Adelaide for her education i later rejoined her parents in J where she eventually married Jos- Victor Addis, of Nausori, where ti made their home, Mr. Addis was an engineer in CSR Co. mill there until his ret! ment to Auckland in 1931. He o in 1933. There were no children! the marriage.

Mrs. Addis was interested in mm was widely read, and a keen won for community and patriotic cau.

Mr. A. H. Wright

Arthur H. Wright, of Auck one-time manager of the ,lofa Branch of the now it Auckland firm of Vines, & Perston Ltd., and for some secretary to the grandfather een Salote, died early Sep • at the age of 96. Mr. Wright Robert Louis Stevenson when sottish poet and writer was in Western Samoa. s survived by a son and two iers.

Mr. W. J. Gatward

William J. Gatward, a well- Fiji personality, died in Syd i September 14 after a short linent in the Fiji dairying in- Mr. Gatward was a member Agricultural Advisory Com and chairman of directors * Rewa Co-operative Dairy ny. It was through hi s ve that one of the world’s lodern milk processing plants tablished in Fiji last year. He /arded the MBE for his con m to Fiji’s agricultural de ,ent.

[R. Matthew Whan

Matthew Whan, founder of lian Construction Company (which recently changed died in Sydney early in iber at the age of 75. He had i poor health for some years, in Fiji as a member of the list Mission in 1909, Mr. later returned to Australia nt back to Fiji to found his ly in 1915 following a hurri which had caused much ral damage. The firm built of Suva’s well known older gs.

Vhan is survived by his wife, is. and two married daughters, the sons, Walter, is in busi ; Chatswood, Sydney and the Milton is a missionary in

Dr. W. M. Ramsay

William Miller Ramsay one ,’s best known doctors and ner District Commissioner, t Suva in September at the 84. He had been living in tent for some years after ig all of his working life in parts of Fiji. His wife died I, and a son. Hamilton, died jan Island some years ago. r son, James, is attached to istoms Department

On. Ulukalala-Ata

lis issue went to press, news ceived of the death in Auck where he was undergoing 1 treatment, of the Hon. ala-Ata, Tonga’s Minister of who had also recently been ted Deputy Premier, He was in Tonga on October 11.