Gets Three

South Pacific

New Knights

Three South Pacific men received knighthoods in the New Year Honours list. They are the High Commissioner Designate for the Western Pacific High Commission, Mr. Michael Gass {he leaves Hong Kong as Colonial Secretary in March to head the WPHC), who has been made a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George {KCMG); Fiji’s Chief Minister, Ratu K. K. T. Mara, OBE, who has been made a Knight Com mander of the Order of the British Empire ( KBE); and the Honourable Mr. Justice Bodilly, Chief Justice of the High Court of the Western Pacific High Commission, who has been made a Knight Bachelor {KB).

Fiji’s Chief Minister is now known as Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

Sir Michael Gass’ knighthood was expected. Western Pacific High Com missioners are always knighted, if they are not already knights when appointed. Ratu Sir Kamisese]s honour came as a surprise. He is the second Fijian to be so honoured by the Queen, and like the first, the late Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, he has chosen to put his Fijian rank of Ratu ahead of the “Sir”. Ratu Sir Lala, like Ratu Sir Kamisese, was

Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara

a high chief of Lau.

Among other South Pacific people in the New Year Honours:

Bsip

MBE (Civil Division) —Captain James Clifford, vice-principal of the Honiara Technical Institute.

BEM—Mr. Willie Vaka, a senior carpenter with the BSIP Depart ment of Public Works.

Fiji

Cbe—Dr. C. H. Curd, Qbe,

Director of Medical Services; Justin Lewis, QC, Attorney-General.

OBE—Ratu Dr. A. R. Dovi, retired Senior Medical Officer, and the first Fijian to become a fully qualified medical practitioner.

MBE—Mr. Charles Cheng, a leader of the Chinese community; Mr.

Mohammed Ramzan, noted trade union leader.

Colonial Police Medal—Superinten dent R. H. Bateson; Inspector J.

K. Sawau.

Geic

MBE—Mr. losefa Lameko, of the GEIC Education Department.

Colonial Police Medal—Mr. Cyril Arthur Williams, Chief Police Officer of the GEIC.

Nauru

OBE William Bernard Marston, manager, BPC, Nauru.

New Hebrides

OBE—Mr. Robert Urquhart Paul, member of the New Hebrides Advisory Council, planter, com pany director and founder of New Hebrides Airways.

MBE—Mr. John Kalsakau, of the Condominium Health Service.

Png

CBE—Herbert Keith Kienzle, MBE, planter and company director.

OBE—Walter William Watkins, Sec retary for Law.

MBE—Brere Awol, president, Siau Local Government Council; Phillip Gordon Graham, air traffic con troller, Department of Civil Aviation; Wamp Wan, president.

Mount Hagen Local Government Council.

BEM—William Pi 11 o Pomutmut, local government assistant.

Queen’s Police Medal Superinten dent Brian John Holloway; Superintendent Verdun Brian McNeil; Inspector Nelson Tokiel.

Footnote: Sir David Trench, KCMG, Governor of Hong Kong and former Western Pacific High Commissioner, was given the higher honour of GCMG. Captain Stuart Middlemiss, general manager of Airlines of NSW and well-known in Pacific aviation, was awarded an