Deaths Of Islands People

Mr. Justice David Hunter Mr. Justice David Blair Hunter, fudge of the Supreme Court of tonga from March, 1954, until ill lealth forced him to retire in July, 963, died in Concord Military Jospital, Sydney, on September 30.

Je was 66.

Mr. Justice Hunter’s 10 years in fonga made him widely known hroughout the Kingdom. For several 'ears, he was president of the Nukualofa Club.

Born in Sydney, Mr. Justice lunter was admitted to the NSW lar in 1923 after being educated in ierlin, London, and Sydney. He erved as a private in World War I ,nd was a major in the Australian Legal Corps in Australia and ■Jew Guinea in World War 11.

He served for two terms as Mayor if North Sydney, and was an Iderman for 13 years. He was well mown in Sydney surfing circles in he 1920’s and 1930’5.

Mr. Justice Hunter is survived by lis widow Gladys, who was ill in lospital in Sydney at the time of lis death. They had no children.

Mr. G. W. Cockburn Mr. George W. Cockburn, a ormer foreman printer in the jovernment Press, Suva, died in lydney on August 22.

He retired in 1941 after about 0 years service, during which he wice acted as Government Printer.

Mrs. Alison Niall The death occurred in Sydney on eptember 9 of Alison Niall, wife of he Speaker of the Papua-New iuinea House of Assembly, Mr. H. .. R. Niall. She was 59.

Mrs. Niall had been flown to ydney when she became ill a short me before and Mr. Niall had left er bedside to open the second sitting f the House of Assembly in Port Moresby on September 1. When her ondition worsened he returned to ydney.

The Assembly adjourned as a mark f respect when it received news of ier death, and there were many ributes to her on both sides of the louse. The Deputy-Speaker, Mr. J.

L McCarthy, said her many friends eeply regretted her passing; Govern ment leader of the House, Dr. John Junther, said it was sad to think hat Mrs. Niall had not been spared 3 enjoy the quiet retirement that she

so much sought. Simogun Peta said he had known Mrs. Niall during the war and he wished to express the sorrow of the people of Papua-New Guinea.

Mr. and Mrs. Niall were married in Sydney in January, 1930, when Mr. Niall was a cadet patrol officer.

Shortly afterwards the two returned to Gasmata, New Britain, where Mrs.

Niall was the first white woman to be stationed there.

In subsequent years she moved with her husband to New Ireland and the Sepik and she was in Wau when World War II broke out.

After the war, which she spent in Sydney, she was the first white woman to return to Wewak, when Mr. Niall was appointed District Officer there in 1946.

For the last 16 years she had been living at Lae, where until his retire ment in January, Mr. Niall had been Morobe District Commissioner. She undertook with charm the onerous job of being a District Commis sioner’s wife in an important area— playing hostess on occasions to Prince Philip, to Governors-General and other VIPs.

Her funeral in Sydney was attended by a very large number of New Guinea friends, many of them now living in Sydney. There were more than 140 wreaths.

Mrs. Niall is survived by Mr. Niall and a daughter, Lois (Mrs. Frank Johnson).

Mr. R. D. Blandy The British Resident Commis sioner in the New Hebrides from 1940-1950. Richard Dennis Blandy, died in South Australia on Sep tember 7, aged 72. For a tribute see page 23.

Mr. K. P. Proctor Mr. Kenneth Rodda Proctor, a senior engineer with W, R.

Carpenter & Co. Ltd., died in Sydney on August 30. He was 54, Mr. Proctor, who was born in Tasmania, joined W. R. Carpenter in January, 1948, after wartime service with the RAAF. He went to Suva two months later to take charge of the milling plant of Island Industries Ltd., a company sub sidiary, and remained there until 1952. He then went to Rabaul to supervise the installation of plant at the Toboi mill of Coconut Pro ducts Ltd.

In January, 1955, Mr. Proctor returned to Sydney as engineer responsible for the general super vision, maintenance and expansion of both the Suva and Rabaul plants.

Mr. Proctor left a widow, and a son and a daughter, both of whom are married.

Mr. T. W. Brunt Mr. Theodore Weber Brunt, formerly of Western Samoa, died in Auckland on August 17, aged 92.

He was born at Fagamolo, Savaii, and was a planter and baker in both Savaii and Apia.

He had been living in retirement in New Zealand for 15 years.

Mr. Brunt is survived by Mrs, Brunt, six sons and three daughters, Mr. Andre Jacquemin The death occurred in Tahiti on August 31 of Mr. Andre Jacquemin, who was manager in Papeete of the Compagnie Francaise des Phosphates de I’Oceanie from 1931 until his retirement in 1955. CFPO exploits the phosphate deposits at Makatea, Mr. E. F. Gibbes Mr. Ernest Francis Gibbes, who was well known in shipping circles in Fiji for many years, died at Tamavua, near Suva, on August 1. aged 73.

Hon. Lavaka The Hon. Lavaka, a Tongan noble, died early on August 24. He had been receiving treatment at Vaiola Hospital for two months before his death.

He was the first noble appointed by Queen Salote after her succession to the throne.

He served as a District Officer, and was a member of the Legislative Assembly and the Agricultural Coum cil for many years.

Captain Raymond Jaensch

Captain Raymond Jaensch, 42, one of the best light aircraft pilots in Papua-New Guinea, died while being flown to Madang on September 4 for emergency treatment for injuries he received in an air crash near Dumpu, Madang District.

Captain Jaensch was piloting a Dornier single engined aircraft belonging to the Lutheran Mission when it crashed soon after take-off.

Captain Jaensch, who was married with four children, was formerly a member of the Royal Australian Air Force. He had flown Lutheran Mission planes in New Guinea for more than 10 years.