Nauru Council Opened
p. 39 · Read in the full issue
IT was pomp and ceremony, plus informality, at the inauguration of Nauru’s Legislative Council on January 31. Two plane loads of VIPs flew from Aus tralia to take part in it all, including the Australian Minister for Territories, Mr. C. E. Barnes, who declared the council open. The council, seen above at the opening session, with the Administrator, Mr. R. S.
Leydin, in the chair as council president, has a Nauruan majority—nine Nauruans to five official members, plus the president. Leader of the elected members is Nauru’s Head Chief Hammer Deßoburt, right, who is a dominant personality in Nauruan affairs. At the con clusion of the inaugural ceremonies he announced that the “first responsibility of the elected members will be to prepare and implement a programme which will
ensure attainment of independence for Nauru by January 31, 1968”.
An important prerequisite for self-government for Nauru will be control of the rich phosphate industry, and there will be talks in Canberra in April at which a final solution is expected to be hammered out. The three-day festivities to mark the council opening ended with an open air barbecue (below) of Nauru’s famous flying fish. It was staged by the Nauruan people for their guests.