Guinea's

Death Of New

Norman Whiteley

A tribute by B. G. EDGELL

Planters who were in New Guinea 40 years ago—and there aren’t many of them left—will be sorry to learn of the death of Norman Lane Whiteley, who died in Sydney in January,

aged 74.

Norman Whiteley went to the terri tory in 1921, became manager for the Expropriation Board, and con trolled various properties in the New Ireland and Manus districts.

In 1927, he acquired the Buke group plantations and Inrim planta tion, both in the Manus district. Three years later he went into partnership with me, and together we controlled most of the properties in and around Manus.

After World War II the partner ship became a company and, though Norman retired in 1955, he remained a director to the end.

He served with the Australians in the Field Artillery during World War I, and was wounded.

During the Japanese occupation in World War II, he escaped from Manus in the plantation schooner, and reached the mainland of New Guinea. He assisted in evacuating other planters and was eventually flown out of Mount Hagen, where he had trekked from Madang—a pretty hefty walk for a man minus half a foot (he lost part of his foot during World War I).

After the war, he re-opened the Edgell and Whiteley properties where plantation houses, stores, wharves and facilities had been destroyed by enemy action and/or “scorched earth” policy.

The success of the Edgell and Whiteley Ltd. operation over the years had been largely due to Norman’s sterling qualities.

Our partnership was certainly tried by the trials of adversity. In the depression years, when copra brought as little as £5 a ton “on the beach”, we eked out an existence by exploit ing trochus shell and beche de mer, timber and anything else to keep the pot boiling.

Somehow, in those years, we were able to feed our 500 indentured native labour, while maintaining properties

Deaths Of Islands People

on Manus and 30 or more islands dotted north, south, east and west around the main Manus island, and as far afield as the lonely Purdy islands, 70 miles south of Manus.

Norman was a good book man, and at night he would write up our partnership books by Tilley lamp.

Even in the early days, we always knew how we were going because Norman got out his regular balance sheets in a form that many a better endowed organisation would have been proud of.

He is survived by his wife, Nita, and his sister, Mrs. Le Fanu. Nita nursed him through the illnesses.

Norman Whiteley was a credit to England, his place of birth, a credit to Australia, for whom he fought and bled, and an outstanding example of tolerance, understanding and in tegrity in New Guinea, the land of his adoption.

Mr. 0. K. Von Schill Mr. Oswald Kevin Von Schill, chairman of the P-NG Land Board, died on January 15 when the light aircraft he was in crashed on take off at Unea Island, Witu Group, north New Britain. The pilot and three other passengers escaped un hurt.

Mr. Von Schill, 41, served in the

RAN from 1945 to 1947. He went to New Guinea as a draftsman in the Lands Department in 1955 from the New South Wales Lands Depart ment.

In 13 years in NG’s Lands Depart ment Mr. Von Schill was executive officer of the Land Board, Principal Lands Officer, Acting Chief of Division and chairman of the board from September, 1968.

His wife and four children, aged from eight to 16, live in Port Moresby.

In the absence of the Director of Lands, the Chief of Division of the Lands Department, Mr. N. Logan, said that the department was deeply shocked by Mr. Von Schill’s untimely death. He said that Mr, Von Schill was highly regarded as an efficient, loyal and pleasant officer who was popular with his colleagues. His death was a serious blow to the department.

At the time of the accident, the Land Board was touring the territory, interviewing applicants for leases in the West New Britain oil palm scheme.

Mr. R. J. Woolbridge The death occurred at Papakura, New Zealand, on November 28, of Mr. Robert John Woolbridge.

For many years he was Collector of Customs and Postmaster in Tonga —first at Vavau and later at Nukualofa.

He married Dorothy Whitcombe, the daughter of Mr. J. D. Whitcombe, once of Tonga and now resident in Auckland.

Mr. Woolbridge is survived by his wife, his sons David and Robert, and daughter Elizabeth (Mrs. Graham Coles), all of Papakura.

Mr. Abela Fred Williams Mr. Abela Fred Williams, longtime businessman and civil servant in the Cook Islands, died recently at his Rarotonga home. He was 77.

Seven times clerk-in-charge for Rakahanga and Manihiki he was made Commissioner of the High Court for the Northern Cooks in 1955. His business activities included copra dealing, pearl shell buying and operating cinemas.

He is survived by his wife and their two adopted children.

Mr. H. W. A. Riechelmann Mr. Henry William August Riechel mann, a longtime Tongan merchant,

died in January in hospital at Glendowie, NZ.

Born in Nukualofa in 1890, Mr.

Riechelmann was educated in Tas mania and NZ. After his schooling, he joined his father who owned coconut plantations and a general store (now know as Riechelmann Brothers).

Mr. Riechelmann retired to NZ 11 years ago but he remained a director of the family firm and made frequent trips to Tonga.

Mr. Riechelmann’s family has long been connected with Tonga. His grandfather, Mr. William Cocker, was appointed first British Consul of Tonga during the reign of King George Tupou I, and it is believed that his mother, Charlotte Cocker, was the first white girl to be born in Tonga. Mr. Riechelmann himself often went fishing with King George Tupou 11.

Mr. Riechelmann is survived by his wife, his son, Cliff, his daughter, Mrs. Joy Mcßobie, and three grand sons.

Mr. Miramande Mr. Miramande, French Resident Commissioner in the New Hebrides from 1913 to 1921, died recently in Agen, France, aged 100.

Mrs. May Paisley

Mrs. May Paisley, widow of the late Sidney Paisley, a longtime planter in NG, died recently at Ballina, NSW.

Sidney Paisley had gone to NG in the thirties. They married during World War II and the couple lived on Burns Philp or Carpenter planta tions on Bougainville, New Britain and the mainland.

Mr. G. J. Danielson George John Danielson, a car penter for the US Navy in Pago Pago for 40 years, died at Aua, American Samoa, in early January.

He was 79.

Educated at Levuka, Fiji, and Napier, NZ, he became an apprentice carpenter and moved to Pago Pago in 1928. His wife died in 1946 and 13 of his 15 children survive him. • Each year the P-NG Admin istration provides approximately 20 scholarships to enable primary school pupils to receive secondary schooling in Australia, mainly in boarding schools in Queensland and New South Wales. This year 18 pupils have been selected from 98 applicants. They are drawn from Administration and mission schools all over the territory.

Mr. Norman Whiteley