Deaths Of Islands People

Molitoni Finau Molitoni Finau, a leading Tongan, died at Vaiola Hospital, Nukualofa, on December 1, aged 84.

He was the son of a Methodist preacher, who with five other boys, was chosen to go to Newington College, Sydney, in 1896.

After a fine career at Newington he went back to Tonga to go into Tupou College, from which he matriculated with a pass of 95 per cent., a record which has not been surpassed.

Molitoni went into the Lands Department and later transferred to the Police Department to reach the rank of inspector.

He left the Government service to go into private practice as a lawyer.

In 1919 he was elected a re presentative of the people in the Legislative Assembly and was never subsequently defeated.

He was noted for his steadying influence in the House and for several constructive motions he in troduced, including one to set up the Post Office Savings Bank and another to provide overseas scholarships for Tongan students.

Molitoni was a foundation member of the Tongan Law Society and a leading figure in the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga.

He is survived by his second wife and seven children.

Mr. W. S. Bennett Mr. W. S. Bennett, who retired from the board of W. R. Carpenter Holdings Ltd. at the annual meeting in November, died a few days later.

He was in his 90’s.

He joined the board many years ago as Dalgety’s superintendent, under an arrangement between Dalgety and Co. Ltd. and Carpenters, because of Dalgety’s shareholding in the Islands trading firm.

Mr. Bennett remained on the board after Carpenters bought the shares back from Dalgetys, and after he retired from Dalgetys.

Gagaj Tokaniua

Gagaj Tokaniua, a retired District Chief of Oinafa, Rotuma, died on December 4, aged 87.

He was one of the few remaining Rotumans who were born before their island was ceded to Britain in 1881, and was a member of a chiefly family of Oinafa.

He was District Chief for 25 years —from 1936 till he retired in 1961.

Mr. G. F. Purdy The death occurred in Brisbane in December of Mr. George Frederick Purdy, a former planter at Aoba, New Hebrides. He was 60.

For about 10 years before his death, Mr. Purdy had been growing carnations at Mt. Tamborine, Queens land. His wife Vi survives him.

Mr. C. K. Johnson Mr. Charles Keith Johnson, a well known Kokopo planter, died at Rabaul in November. He was 61.

Mr. Johnson went to the Territory in 1927 as a cadet patrol officer.

He left the Administration in 1932 to take up gold mining in the Wau area. He bought Winalin plantation in 1958.

In World War 11, Mr. Johnson rose to the rank of captain with the Coastwatchers on the New Britain south coast.

Samisoni Fotu Samisoni Fotu, a well-known retired Assistant Medical Practitioner in Fiji, died in November at Sawana, Lomaloma, aged 73.

He was one of the first students at the Suva Medical School. He graduated in 1916 as a Native Medical Practitioner.

He served in several parts of the Colony and went on pre-retirement leave in December, 1953.

His eldest son, Tevita, is a medical officer at the CWM Hospital, Suva.

Mr. H. G. Marshall Mr. Herbert George (Tex) Marshall, who died in Sydney re cently, went to Papua after service in World War I.

After World War II he went to Lae, and later to New Britain, where he leased the Maritzoan plantation in partnership with the late Mr. Lou Fay.

When the lease expired the partners took an interest in a Bainings pro perty, and later Mr. Marshall managed Tallilis plantation on the south coast of New Britain, Mr. S. Kensett Mr. S. Kensett, one of the founda tion members of the Konedobu Club, Port Moresby, died in Brisbane in November, aged 57.

Mr. Kensett played a key role in the establishment of the club in 1946, shortly after civil administra

tion was resumed in Port Moresby at the end of the war. He first went to New Guinea in 1937, working as a telephone technician in Rabaul and Wau. He returned to the Territory in 1945 to work with the provisional Administration in Port Moresby and Lae, and returned to Brisbane in 1951.

Mr, Harry Hoerler, Snr.

After a long illness, necessitating his coming to Sydney from Rabaul, Harry Hoerler, Snr., died in St.

Vincent’s Hospital on November 21.

He was 58.

Harry Arnold Hoerler was a well known personality in the Kokopo area, where he had lived for many years engaged in plantation work for the Vunapope Mission.

His father, a master mariner, was a skipper for Queen Emma for a period and later was manager of the Tasman Island trading stations.

After prayers at St. John’s Church, Campbelltown (NSW), the late Mr.

Hoerler was buried at the Sacred Heart Cemetery at Douglas Park (near Campbelltown) on November 27, with relatives from New Guinea at the graveside. He left a widow, Elizabeth, and nine children.—GT.

Mr. Charles Julius Mr. Charles Julius, P-NG Govern ment Anthropologist, died in Port Moresby Hospital on November 29, aged 55. He had been ill for some time.

Mr. Julius was born in NSW. He joined the Public Service of the New Guinea Trust Territory in 1939. working for the Department of District Services and Native Affairs before joining ANGAU during World War IT. He returned to the Territory in the early post-war years to work for the Department of Education. Later he re-joined District Services and Native Affairs, becom ing Government Anthropologist in 1953.

Two of his contributions to Terri tory anthropological research com prise intensive studies of the Trobriand Islanders and the Fore people of the Eastern Highlands. The latter work was of great value to medical scientists when the disease kuru was later discovered in Fore.

Mr. Julius’ duties included lectur ing to newly appointed Territory Public Servants during orientation courses.

Mr. Julius was only the second Government Anthropologist to work in the Territory. The first was Mr.

F. E. Williams, of the Papuan Gov ernment Service, He was killed in an air crash during World War 11. (Over)

High Chief Liufau Tausolia High Chief Liufau Tausolia, of Aua Village, Tutuila, American Samoa, died on November 22 at the age of 91.

Chief Liufau was born in 1874.

He joined the Fita Fita Guard in 1900 and remained in the Navy until 1908. In 1916 he was selected by the family to hold the Liufau title.

He was appointed District Judge in 1938, and served in that capacity until 1945.

The chief is survived by his wife, Fa’afe’ai, eight children and more than 50 grandchildren. His daughter Punipuao, fourth in order of birth is married to High Chief Le’iato, Secretary of Samoan Affairs.

Mr. James V. Knight The death occurred in Lae, NG on November 27 of Mr. J. V. Knight! a prominent Morobe citizen and P-NG State secretary of the RSL.

He was 69, Jim Knight was an original Anzac, who first went to the Terri tory in 1947, living briefly in Samarai and Bulolo before moving to Lae in 1948.

He operated a public accountancy business, in which he was helped by his wife, Constance. Mrs. Knight was always alongside him when he was attending to official chores, for he was associated with a number of Territory organisations, including the Lae Chamber of Commerce, the Morobe District Agricultural Society and the Lae Cricket Association.

His great interest was the RSL and he was appointed State secretary in 1956. For his work he was given an OBE in 1960. He also found time to prepare a fortnightly RSL column for the New Guinea Times Courier.

More than 400 people attended Mr. Knight’s funeral at Lae. Mrs Knight plans to live in New Zealand with their daughter, Mrs. J. Black.

Mr. C. Corbett Mr. Carl Corbett, prominent Suva and a member of one of Fiji’s oldest pioneer families, died on Christmas Day, aged 65.

He was born at Labasa and served with the CSR Co. as an engineer, and with the Government as a seagoing engineer before taking over his father’s butchery business in the early 1920’5.

He conducted the business till he became ill a few months before his death.

He is survived by Mrs. Corbett and a daughter.