Deaths Of Islands People

Mr. C. 0. Taylor Mr. Cecil Osmond Taylor, a for mer Deputy Postmaster-General in Fiji, died at Suva on September 30 at the age of 62. He was born at Great Morven, Worcestershire, and went to Fiji at an early age. He joined the Colonial Service in Fiji in 1916.

He is survived by his widow (for merly Nita Griffen, a member of a well-known Suva family), one son, James (Suva) and one daughter, Mrs.

L. C. Gustafsson (Te Atatu, New Zealand).

Mr. J. Dowling Mr. John Dowling, a prominent figure in Fiji commerce for many years, died at Sydney on September 29 at the age of 78.

He arrived in Fiji before the first world war to work for Henry Marks and Co., and when that firm was ab sorbed by Morris Hedstrom Ltd. he was replaced in his post as manager of the Lautoka branch and trans ferred to Calcutta as Morris Hed strom’s branch manager there.

Mr. Dowling returned to Fiji in

1923. From 1927 to 1929 he was Morris Hedstrom manager at Apia.

Mr. Dowling went back to Fiji in 1929 and in 1935 became manager of the Morris Hedstrom subsidiary.

Millers Ltd. In 1942 he went to Syd ney as manager of the Sydney office of Morris Hedstrom.

He retired in 1946.

Mr. Dowling is survived by his widow and a son by an earlier mar riage.

Mrs. May Alice Holmes Mrs. “Pat” Holmes, one of the best-known of Rabaul’s earlier resi dents, passed away at Turramurra (Sydney) on September 24, aged 77.

For some considerable time she had been suffering from a heart ail ment, yet, notwithstanding this, her death came as a shock to her relatives and a host of friends.

Mrs. Holmes first went to New Guinea during the years of the Mili tary Occupation when she was then Mrs. Robins, wife of a member of the AN&MEF, who, owing to ex perience gained in Fiji, was sent to manage Raua plantation in Bougain ville, where he died.

His widow remained in the Terri tory with her two children, and she occupied various key positions. She was for a time manageress of the Kokopo Hotel and later was in charge of a Domestic Science School, run by the Administration in Rabaul.

In 1927 she married Mr. Eric P. (“Pat”) Holmes, Secretary for Lands and Mines in the NG Administration and was a popular figure in Rabaul’s social life for many years until November, 1941, when some of the Government departments were trans ferred to Lae.

On retiring from the service after the war the Holmes lived for some years in Brisbane and then later moved to Sydney.

Sorrowing relatives included Mrs.

Thelma White (daughter) and her son Michael and Mrs. Kath. Robins (daughter-in-law) and her two sons.

Many New Guinea friends at tended the funeral, among them being: Mr. and Mrs. S. A.

Lonergan, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Browning, Mr. and Mrs. E.

Bishton; Mesdames M. Foxcroft, J.

Edwards, E. Ormonde, J. Hawnt and Stafford Grimes; Messrs. C. L. An thony, L. C. Roberts and B, T. Webb.

May Holmes will be long remem bered by her many friends for her kindly and generous disposition and her understanding nature.—G.T.