Deaths Of Islands People

Dr. F. M. Keesing The death occurred in the United States in June of Dr. Felix M.

Keesing. He was very well known throughout the Pacific Islands Terri tories as a scientist, a research worker, an author and as a former Senior Commissioner for the United States on the South Pacific Com mission, where he occupied a seat for several years after the establish ment of the Commission in 1948. He was an internationally-recognised authority on Colonial affairs and the application of anthropology to the problems connected with the contact of native peoples with modern civilisa tion.

One of Dr. Keesing’s great grandfathers was one of the first missionaries in Fiji. Dr. Keesing was born in Malaya, grew up in New Zealand, and was educated at Uni versities in New Zealand, USA and England.

He first came into prominence about 30 years ago when he was a research worker on the staff of the Institute of Public Relations and his first book—a monograph by Felix M.

Keesing and Marie Keesing—was published in Honolulu in 1931. When World War II came he was Professor of Anthropology at the University of Hawaii; but his most important public services were given in his last post —namely, Professor of Anthropology and executive head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Stanford University, California.

Dr. Keesing was an indefatigable writer, and his numerous books and pamphlets have an important place in all libraries covering the social history and development of the Pacific Islands. He was a kindly man of broad vision and outstanding scholar ship and he will be long remembered m the South Pacific countries for the good work he did as a member of the South Pacific Commission.

Mr. W. J. Knox A former New Guinea planter, Mr. William John Knox, who saw many years in the Territory before he retired in 1946, died in Melbourne recently, aged 73.

As a member of the First Australian

Naval and Military Expeditionary

Force that went to German New Guinea in September, 1914, on the liner Berrima, he took part in the capture of Kokopo. Later he fought with the AIF at Gallipoli and in France, winning the Meritorious Service Medal.

After World War I, he went back to New Guinea as an overseer with the Expro Board; and later took up planting, both as manager and then on his own account in Manus area and at Buka Passage. Mr. Knox served with ANGAU from 1942 until the end of World War 11. After wards, he went to Australia to live in retirement.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs.

Rachael A. Knox, and two sisters, Mrs. I. Bould and Miss H. E. Knox.

Mr. Ken Bolton The death occurred suddenly in Sydney on June 16 of Mr. Kenneth McLeod Bolton, who was active for many years—mostly before the War —as an exporter to the South Pacific Islands. He was 64, and he was widely known and highly respected in New South Wales as a leading official of the Returned Soldiers organisation. He had many friends in the Australian Islands Territories.

Mr. S. R. Rose Mr. Sydney Roydon Rose, for many years merchandise buyer with W. R. Carpenter and Co. Ltd., died in Sydney on June 21. He was 55.

Mr. Rose joined Carpenters at the age of 16 and in his early years with the company became somewhat of an authority on the selling and grading of green snail and trochus shells. In more recent years he had been concerned with the buying and selling of cocoa and coffee.

Although stationed in Sydney, Mr.

Rose made a number of trips to Papua-New Guinea and was well known as a keen sportsman, parti cularly in golfing and fishing circles.

The sudden death of Mr. Rose at the age of 55 came as a shock to his many friends and business ac quaintances and a very lage gathering attended the funeral. He left a wife and married son.

Rev. William Moren The death occurred in Middlesex, England, on July 2, while he was on leave from New Guinea, of Rev.

William Moren, Church of England Minister at Lae. His visit to England had been his first holiday for many years, and he was due to return to Lae at the end of the year.

Mr. Moren had been C. of E.

Minister at Lae for 14 years but was also known in Suva, where he served before he went to NG.

Mr. Moren was responsible for the erection of All Souls Church, Lae, after earlier preaching and living in an old tin shed.