Queen Emma’s” Empire Now

Little But A Memory

Over 60 years ago, before the turn of the mtury, Ralum, just north of Kokopo, on impsonhaven, New Britain, was a notable place.

VHARVES extended from the beach out into the deep water of the bay, and behind them were many uildings, mostly stores and offices.

Half a mile away, on top of the point, was an npressive residence, “Gunantambu”, surrounded by iwns and gardens, and backed by huge coconut planta ons.

This was the headquarters of E. E. Forsayth and Company, merchants, planters and shipowners. The :tive head of the big, rich organisation was Mrs. Paul ’olbe, formerly Mrs. Emma Eliza Forsayth, and still jmembered in the South-west Pacific as “Queen Emma”.

For many years, during the “German time”, she eld court in “Gunantambu”, once famous in three antinents for its lavish hospitality.

Every morning, she left her beautiful house, descended series of very wide concrete steps to her waiting arriage, and was driven to her big offices behind Ralum 'harf.

She was a financial and political power in German lew Guinea. Although she then was in her forties, n aura of romance still clung to her, for “Queen !mma”, in her youth, was the very beautiful Emma

Coe, who cut a mighty social swathe in the Samoa of the ’Seventies.

This writer recently explored the area. Of “Gunantambu”, nothing remains except some cement piles, and the massive cement steps which led down to the beach.

The house stood until 1942, when the Jap invaders destroyed it. Ine road from the stairway to Ralum is completely lost, overgrown.

There is scarcely a trace left of the wharves and buildings which constituted Ralum—only a collapsed stone wall leading into the water, and the ruins of a wharf (see photograph).

Sic transit gloria mundi.

Once “Gunantambu” was surrounded by exotic trees.

Emma’s brother-in-law, R. H. Parkinson, a famous botanist, successfully established beautiful trees and shrubs from other tropical countries.

Many are there still. Others, which he introduced, now shelter his lonely, forgotten grave, some miles away, near the RabauTKokopo Road.

After “Gunantambu” was destroyed, a smaller house was built there by the Rowe family, which owned the plantation after World War 11. But in recent months that house was dismantled and re-erected a couple of hundred yards away to become the home of the all races Ralum Club, directed and managed by Mr. John Aquiningo (see photograph).

One hopes that this enterprising man and the mem bers of his club will preserve there something to show the glory that once was Ralum, and something that will remain as a permanent memory of “Queen Emma”.

Rwr.

his is all that remains of the once flourishing establishment ailed Ralum, on the shores of Simpsonhaven, New Britain.