Men Of Experience

Changes Likely Soon In The South Pacific Commission

by a Staff Writer

The new Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission, Mr. W. D. Forsyth, OBE, lately an Assistant-Secretary of the Australian Department of External Affairs, will leave Sydney on March 21 to take charge at Commission headquarters at Noumea. Mr. T. R.

Smith, of New Zealand, whose five-years’ term as Secretary-General expires this month, is due in Sydney late in March.

THE proposed “review con ference” of the Commission, which is to make a special ex amination of the structure, functions and powers of the Com mission, in the light of some 12 years’ experience, and which was expected to assemble in Wellington in early March, will probably be held later in the year.

It is believed that conversations are taking place between the mem ber nations regarding international developments—as, for example, the possible replacement of The Netherlands, and the appearance in the Pacific area of a new nation, in West Samoa.

The photograph on this page of the officials who took part in the last meeting of the Commission (at Noumea in October) is pub lished by courtesy of the SPC’s South Pacific Bulletin. The group gives a good idea of the ex perienced personnel the Commis sion has available for its work.

The names of the people in the group, from left to right, are:

In The Front Row

Mr. Dudley McCarthy, Senior Commissioner for Australia. He is an Assistant Secretary of the De partment of Territories, and takes a leading part in most matters

affecting Australian interests in the Islands.

Dean Knowles Ryerson, Senior United States Commissioner. He is a well-known academic, and has taken a prominent part in the Commission since its establish ment.

Mr. T. R. Smith, retiring Secretary-General. He was a prominent civil servant in New Zealand, at one time Secretary of the West Samoan Administra tion.

Mr. C. G. R. McKay, New Zealand’s Senior Commissioner.

Before retirement, he was an Next page, please

executive officer in the NZ Public Service, and especially in West Samoa. He, like Dean Ryerson, has been a leading figure in the Commission since its establish ment. He has recently announced his retirement as Commissioner.

Mr. H. Nettre, Senior Commis sioner for France.

Sir Kenneth Maddocks, KCMG, Governor of Fiji, who is Senior Commissioner for United King dom.

Second Row

Mr. K, R. Douglas Scott, a new member of the Australian party; former Australian Consul in Noumea.

Mr. T. R. Cowell, of the UK party. He has held several ad ministrative posts in the British colonies in the South Pacific dur ing the last 20 years, and is now in Suva.

Sir David Trench, KCMG, a member of the UK party. He is High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, at Honiara.

John Akunai, of the Papua-New Guinea Administration, a member of the Australian party.

Mr. Carlton Skinner, a member of the United States party.

Mr. B. Hebert, a member of the French party. He is Chan cellor and Acting French Resident Commissioner in the New Hebrides.

Mr. H. M. Loveday, of the Australian Department of External Affairs, who has replaced Mr. D, W. McNicol as Australia’s Second Commissioner.

Mahuru Rarua Rarua, of the Papua-New Guinea Administra tion, a member of the Australian party.

Teariki Tuavera, MLA, of the Cook Islands, a member of the New Zealand party.

Mr. Richard F. Teitano, of the United States party. He is Director of Territories Office, Department of Interior.

Back Row

Dr. Jacques Barrau, a member of the French party. He is the Commission’s Executive Officer for Economic Development.

Dr. Richard Seddon, the Com mission’s Executive Officer for Social Development.

Mr. Edward J. Thrasher, of Department of State, a member of the United States party.

Mr. J. D. Walsh, of the Aus tralian Department of Territories, a member of the Australian party.

Mr. A. M. Wilkie, who was recently appointed British Resident Commissioner in New Hebrides, a member of the United Kingdom party, Mrs. Frances Mcßeynolds Smith, a member of the United States party.

Dr. Guy Loison, the Commis sion’s Executive Officer for Health.

Mr. J. M. McEwen, a member of the New Zealand party. He is Secretary of the Department of Island Affairs.

Mr. Charles Craw, a member of the New Zealand party.

Afoafouvale Misimoa, MLA, of Western Samoa, a mem ber of the New Zealand party.

Mr. R. H. Gardner, of the Department of External Affairs, a member of the Australian party.

Not In Photograph

Mr. George Gray, United States Consul at Suva, a member of the US party.

Mr. F. Lamodiere, a high officer of the French Public Service, a member of the French party.