Wis Lett,

Kplorer, Author

Entleman

Deaths Of Islands People

By R. W. Robson

Lewis Lett, dead on April 23,

the advanced age of 88, >bably knew as much as any

s about Hubert Murray’s

pua. Yet, although he wrote

)iously and interestingly about

t primitive territory, he never med to be accepted as an

hority.

R.OBABLY that was because he was a modest gentleman, and no ister. He stayed in the background, le others gathered kudos. ,ett was the product of an English lie school, and had had experience a qualified civil and marine ineer before he went to Papua in 1, at the age of 32, to the service the British-New Guinea Develop it Co. He did not remain in that ice. /ith a partner (Mr. G. H. Thomas, > lost his life during one expedi ), he went almost immediately Papua’s unknown jungles, ex ing and prospecting. He is credited i the first discovery of oil, in the f Division. Many millions have i spent since then in the vain ch for a commercial oilfield, ut oil and gold were elusive, and ight exploration returns no profits; Vlr. Lett settled very early in the f Division, near the Vailala River, was a planter, trader, lumber i. He was head of Maira Estates (1916-1925) and Romilly Saw s Ltd. (1925-1930).

Ir. Lett was about 52 when I met him and his talented wife, lie, in Port Moresby, in 1932. y then were close associates of Hubert Murray—in fact, I got the ression that the lonely Lieut.r ernor discussed some of his ;hest administrative problems with lie. She was the Papuan cor ondent of Pacific Islands Monthly a its first issue in 1930 until she [ in 1945. Mr. Lett retained some his Gulf Division interests, and ied out commissions for the r ernor. Mollie and Lewis were abers of the only cultural set wn in Port Moresby in those years before World War 11. hiring World War 11, Mr. Lett ed, to reside in Roseville, Sydney son and a daughter live in Aus

tralia), and to devote himself to journalism and authorship.

Altogether, six of his books, all dealing with P-NG history and problems, were published. Most were warmly praised and all went into the libraries as valuable reference works.

I think that his biography of Sir Hubert Murray, and his careful, skilled analysis of what that much publicised administrator accomplished —and tried to accomplish—is easily the best work on the Murray regime.

Stories of his own jungle ex periences, between 1911 and 1925, told in his books modestly and with out fuss, suggest that Lewis Lett should have had a higher place than has been accorded him in Papua’s chronicle of pioneer explorers.

Mr. Nick Penglase Nick Penglase, who spent about l c years as a patrol officer and then a district officer in New Guinea before and during the World War 11, died in Brisbane on April 12 aged about 64.

“Pen”, as he was known to his friends, first arrived in New Guinea as a teller with the Commonwealth Bank at Rabaul in 1925.

Two years later he gave banking away and began working as a patrol officer at Salamaua.

He served in New Ireland, Manus, and then the Morobe District when, in 1929, he led a patrol into the primitive Kukukuku region after the prospector, Helmut Baum, was killed.

The patrol was successful and “Pen” arrested several natives for the murder.

He was moved to the Markham Valiev, the Wau goldfields, Madane and Finschhafen.

Because of illness he left the ter ritory in 1945 for Canberra and worked as an administrative officer with the Department of Territories until his retirement about three years ago.

Said Mr, Eric Feldt in Brisbane: Pen did sterling work in the Morobe District in the early days”.

He leaves a widow, Mollie, and a married daughter, Mrs. D. Gough.

Mr. J. P. Katrei A man who was a credit to his race and to the nation under whose protection he lived and worked, died in Noumea early in April. He was Jewine Paul Katrei, High Chief of Medu, on Mare Island. He was 57 and the father of 10.

A member of the Territorial As sembly since 1957, he had been re elected three times —always under the Union Caledonienne banner.

A special plane carried his body back to Mare for burial.

Pastor Gerald Peacock Pastor Gerald Peacock, a man well known in many parts of the Pacific Islands, died at the Newcastle (NSW) Hospital recently, aged 76. Born in Durham, Victoria, Pastor Peacock, from 1920 until his retirement in 1960 was a minister and missionary of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

His first Islands appointment was as a missionary to Papua in 1923.

He later served in the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides and New Guinea, returning to Australia in 1946 to serve as Superintendent of Seventh-day Adventist aboriginal mis sions in Queensland.

Pastor Peacock leaves a widow, Winnifred, and two married daughters.

Serupepeli Rokotuiloma

Serupepeli Rokotuiloma, a Metho dist missionary in Fiji and Papua- New Guinea, died at Tamavua Vil lage, near Suva on April 19, aged 98.

He spent seven years in P-NG, and the remainder of his missionary career in Fiji.

Mrs. A. G. Mansell, MBE Mrs. Anne Grace Mansell, who was closely associated with the Scout, Cub and Girl Guide movements in Fiji for many years, died on April 13, aged 68.

When she retired from the Girl Guide movement in 1950 she offered her services to the Scouts and Cubs.

She was responsible for raising the standard of both movements through out Fiji, and held high appointments.

She is survived by her husband, a daughter and a son.

Mr. W. J. May Mr. Willard (Bill) James May, who died at Brisbane on March 14 after a long illness, was one of the first soldier settlers at Kerema in the Gulf District of P-NG.

He served with the 6th Division AIF in the Middle East, Greece and Crete, and later in New Guinea.

Mr. May was a foundation member of the Port Moresby Sub-Branch of the RSL, and was well known in other activities.

He leaves a widow and two children.

(Continued next page)

Captain F. B. Smith The death occurred on March of Captain Fred B. Smith, well-kno master of several inter-island ships Fiji. He had been ill for seve months.

Captain Smith, who was 54, v a member of a Vanua Lava fami and spent almost all his life at s Ships of which he was master eluded the Fijian Princess, Niki Zephyr 11, Yanawai and Ratanui.

He left a widow and six childn Mr. G. L. Maharaj Mr, Guljari Lai Maharaj, belie\ to be the oldest man in Fiji, died April at the age of 105 at Suva.

He was born on September ! 1861, at Handai, India, and v educated at Vanarsi Kasi Universi where he took a Brahmin religic course, regarded as the high course in the Hindu religion.

After finishing his studies, whi took 25 years, he went to Fiji unc the indenture system.

He leaves a wife and two sons.

Mr. Leslie Crofts Mr. Leslie Crofts, manager Arigua plantation, Bougainville, w killed in a Land-Rover accident < the plantation on March 24. He w 33. Mr. Crofts was born in Edi burgh, Scotland, and joined Choise Plantations Limited in June, 195 He was appointed manager of Arigi plantation in May, 1963. He leav a widow and two young sons.