Deaths Of Islands People

Richard Seddon Waddingham

„ tragic car accident in February led the Nadi area of Fiji of a ular figure, Mr. Richard Seddon Idingham, of Vuda Point. 0 one saw what happened but ut noon on February 8, Mr. Wad ;ham was found by Fijians and ans dying in a badly damaged car • the Natabua Bridge. nly minutes before, he had left house and driven down a per [y sound stretch of road towards toka. For some reason his car left the road along a stretch and hed into a tree. [r. Waddingham died on the way .autoka Hospital. he Waddingham family has been ciated with the Lautoka and Nadi icts for many years. Mr. Wad ham, who was 59, spent the le of his working life in the cal department of the Govern t service. hat service began in 1924 with appointment as a third-class clerk Jadi. It ended in 1958 in district inistration in the Western District.

Dultry farming followed at Vuda it, on land adjoining the property his brother, Albert, formerly ager of the Lautoka branch of is Philp (South Sea) Company. n enthusiastic fisherman, Mr.

Idingham had a retiring dis tion, and, although he played ; part in the district’s social life, lad a wide circle of friends, e leaves a widow, formerly Miss mdoline Garnett, and a son, iam, who is married and living in tralia. is three brothers are Mr. Albert Idingham, Mr. S. M. Wadding , who retired last year from the of senior accountant in the Ac itant General’s Department, and Jack Waddingham, one-time ager of the Ba Hotel and now Burns Philp at Ba.

Mr. Jack Hutchison tie death occurred in Auckland ntly, at the age of 91, of Jack ■Jutchison, who was a trader in ga for 65 years. tr. Hutchison belonged to a well vn Auckland family. The 90’s of century were depression days in 1 Zealand and when Jack Hutchi finished his apprenticeship to an kland firm, he, like many others, d find nothing to do. He was

offered a post in Tonga. After a short time in Nukualofa, he went to Vavau, which became his Tongan home.

When the firm for which he worked decided to pull out of Tonga, he bought their Tuanuku station and set up in business for himself. About 30 years ago, he retired from business and moved to Neiafu. An interesting sidelight on his business ability is shown by the fact that when he sold his business, he had no book debts.

His years of retirement were not spent in idleness. For a time he ran a picture theatre in Neiafu, and many local residents received help and en couragement from him.

Mr. Hutchison married in Vavau, but his wife died some years ago.

His son, his daughter and two grand sons live in Auckland. One other daughter died a few months ago.

Mr. George Kiss The death occurred in Suva in February of Mr. George Kiss, one of the pioneers of Fiji’s banana in dustry. Mr. Kiss, who was 78, was born in Sydney and went to Fiji as a young man to work with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company.

He took up farming in the Vun idawa area when a market developed in Australia for bananas from Fiji, and with the late Mr. A. H. Witherow and Mr. H. L. Gerrard. he organised an extensive export industry.

Mr. Kiss turned to dairying and livestock breeding at Serea when the Australian banana market collapsed, and continued with this until 1944, when he sold his farm and moved to Suva. He became one of the most active members of the Suva Bowling Club.

Mr. Kiss is survived by his widow, two sons and a daughter.

Mr. Wilfred Hesper McKinlay

Mr. Wilfred Hesper (“Mac”) Mc- Kinlay, a well known planter in P-NG, died in Namanula Hospital, Rabaul, in February.

Mr. McKinley was born in Christ church, New Zealand, and served in Greece, Crete, and the Middle East during World War 11. He suffered much ill-treatment in a prisoner-of war camp in Italy, and was finally repatriated after being removed to Germany.

After the war, he spent a holiday with friends at Pondo Plantation, in

the Bainings area of New Britain, and this led to his purchase of an adjoining plantation, Tonui, which he worked for about a year.

His wartime illness then compelled him to go south for a long series of operations, after which he took up a trading post in Bougainville and then bought an area of virgin jungle there which he converted into Mac- Kiwi Plantation, a model of its kind.

Mr. McKinlay, who married in 1958, is survived by his widow, Mrs.

Nancy McKinlay, a stepson and two stepdaughters.

High Chief Mauga Palepoi

The death occurred in Pago on February 7 of High Chief Mauga Palepoi, holder of a powerful Samoan title. He was 60. Holder of the title before Mauga Palepoi was Mauga Moimoi, who was one of those who signed the Deed of Cession of Ameri can Samoa, and who died at 83.

Mauga Palepoi was a Senator for his county until the time of his death. He left a wife, four sons and four daughters.