More Accommodation

And Services For Booming Norfolk Is.

From Mrs. Merval Hoare Norfolk Island is booming.

Tourist and business figures tell the story. A record number of 3,577 tourists visited the island

during 1964, says the retiring

president of the Norfolk Island Tourist Bureau, Mr. F. J. Need

ham, who has just presented his

annual report.

COMPARISON with the 1959 figures—6s9—show the spectacu lar growth of the island’s tourist industry during the past five years.

Mr. Needham, who has worked hard for many years for tourism on Norfolk has been succeeded as Bureau president by Mr. Laurie Couper.

To cope with the island’s ever increasing number of visitors, blocks of flats are going up and new shops are opening. A building boom is really under way.

In January the Fletcher Christian Apartments, owned by Christian- Bailey Bros, and situated in the centre of the island, were occupied for the first time.

They comprise two large flats, which have accommodation for four or five people and cost 20 guineas a week, and two smaller flats, for three or four people at 17 guineas a week.

The Fletcher Christian flats were

Mr. F. J. Needham.

esigned to blend in with their arroundings, and this aim has been chieved by skilful use of Norfolk ine timber. Their pine weather oarded exteriors and pine-shingled oofs are most attractive.

Mr. K. A. Prentice plans to con ert his home in Taylors Road into jurist flats, and also to have them i keeping with the local scenery.

The new Morningside Flats, situa id in Taylors Road, overlook a eeply-wooded valley. They are wned by Mr. Jim Lamb and each nit accommodates three persons, he tariff is 12 guineas a week, plus 5/- for gas and electricity.

Nearby are the Pines Holiday lats, owned by Messrs. Bruce fldfield and Max Craig, who also m Norfolk Island’s first shoe store.

Two more new shops are the Fig ;af and The Browse About. Miss leidre McGuinness and her brother Ir. Ardan McGuinness own the igleaf, which sells clothing and jurist gifts, and Mr. and Mrs. Andy Lebo are the proprietors of The rowse About, which features toys *om the American firm of Matell, s well as goods from Europe and outh America.

Just off the Burnt Pine area, in lew Cascade Road, is Mrs. Elva r ager’s restaurant, Valley View.

Tiis is open weekdays from 10 a.m. 11 late in the evening; a restricted jrvice operates at the weekend.

Mrs. Yager is a Norfolk Islander 'ho recently returned to the island fter 22 years in Sydney.

There are other signs of prosperity, >o.

The island will shortly have its wn weekly newspaper, which will e published by Tom Lloyd, of the ireenways Press, who is the first ilander to become a printer. The roposed name of the paper is The Jorfolk Islander. At present Norfolk as a weekly roneoed administration ews sheet.