A Well-Known New Guinea “Youngster”

Thomas Patrick Byrne is one of the youngest of the well known men if New Guinea.

HE was born in Port Moresby in 1925, his father being Tom Byrne, who had arrived from Ireland in 1912, and who died as Chief Collector of Customs a few years ago.

Pat’s mother arrived from Ireland in 1919, to be married. After going to the Convent School at Moresby, Pat went on to Nudgee College in Brisbane, where he passed the Senior in 1943.

While trying in vain to get into ANGAU, he took a job in the Prime Minister’s Department at Canberra, and got back to the land of his birth in late 1945.

He joined the Native Labour Department of those days, the functions of which were many and varied. They included attestation and

paying off labour, control of Admini stration compounds, inspections of places and conditions of employment, and the stevedoring of overseas vessels.

Service with the Administration took him from Moresby to Samarai, Rabaui, Madang and Lae. His last appointment with the department was District Labour Officer for the Morobe District.

In 1952 Pat became manager of Edgell & Whiteley Ltd,, with the store at Lorengau serving as head quarters for the firm’s scattered plantations in the Manus District.

Pat married Shirley Higham in Brisbane in 1948. They now have three children, Maureen, Kevin and Peter, all of whom have enjoyed a wonderful childhood at Manus.

The two eldest are now at school in Brisbane, where Peter will follow in a year or two.

Pat’s work is a full-time job, so his only hobbies are his family and a keen interest in cricket and other sport. His mother is still living at Moresby. He has a brother, Kyran, and a sister, Mrs. Eileen Webster.—

Brett Milder.

Pat Byrne, of Manus.