A Xmas Card Today
p. 79 · Read in the full issue
A Tent On Tulagi - 63 Years Ago; A Xmas Card Today
Sixty-three years have 'passed since the first Resident Com missioner, Mr. Charles Morris Woodford, CMG, established his headquarters in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, at Tulagi.
He was taken to Gavutu, with a small party, some tents and personal equipment, in the 760 tons, single screw steamer Titus.
She was the first steamer owned by the then new Burns Philp & Co. Ltd., and was commanded by Captain John Williams.
A reconstruction of the scene —a loaded whaleboat leaving the ship with Woodford arid his paraphernalia—has been put on canvas by another Burns Philp man, Captain Brett Hilder; and this painting has been repro duced in colour on a Christmas card, which has just been used this year by Burns Philp & Co.
Ltd.
The whaleboat made its way from Gavutu, through un charted reefs and passages, to the little island of Tulagi. The boat’s crew remained, while the newcomers cleared a space and erected some tents.
Thus the first one-man gov ernment of the BSI Protectorate went into residence.