Deaths Of Islands People

Mr. L. E. Ashton The death of Lawrence Edward Lea) Ashton in a Sydney private lospital on May 5 ended a career hat enriched Papua-New Guinea in ervice and heroism and was out tanding by every standard.

One of the original ANGAU force, le rose to the rank of major with no irevious military experience.

He was in the thick of the coastal ighting against the Japanese, then >ecame a Coastwatcher and member »f the famous Z force.

Just turned 68 when he died of i sudden heart attack, Lea grew ip in Papua-New Guinea from the ige of 10.

I first met him when I went to >apua in 1919. Lea was then 17, and i cadet on the staff of the Admin strator, Hubert (later Sir Hubert) Murray.

The only Europeans at Govern nent House desks then were Hubert Murray, his nephew, Leonard, and Lea, who could have stayed on in hat snug atmosphere with the “Old Vlan”, with whom he was a great 'avourite.

But Lea regarded the desk-bound ;ervice as too dull. He became a jatrol officer and was an Assistant Resident Magistrate when the big Sold strike was made in Edie Creek.

Lea resigned from the Papuan Administration, and with his brother, syd, headed for the diggings.

He did well enough, and when the aig companies took over, he made lis home in Lae after marrying his aoyhood sweetheart, Margaret (Meg) Bunting, of Samarai, sister of the ate R. F. (Bob) Bunting and laughter of that fine couple, Arthur md Ella Bunting, pioneers of Papua.

Lea’s commercial activities in Lae, and the gracious hospitality of his ovely home in Lae, are well known ;o Territorians.

I was their house guest there in 1956 when passing through to the Solomons, and again, with my wife, in 1965 when we made an extended ionr of Papua-New Guinea.

Of Lea’s courage and initiative in that period, one has only to look at Eric Feldt’s tributes to him in his book The Coast Watchers.

Feldt reported that on one oc casion Lea had arrived, weary and spent, at a native hut, removed his boots from his tired feet and then instantly had to flee without them into the bush as the Japs raided the hut.

It was a hairbreadth escape, but

just one incident among the risks and privations he endured then and would never afterwards talk about.

With Tom Grahamslaw, who, as a youngster of the same age as Lea lived next door to him on Ela Beach, Port Moresby, the three of us formed a friendship in 1919 that endured through the years.

As old Territorians know, Tom, too, had an outstanding career in World War 11, rising to Lt.-Col. after being one of the founders of

Angau.

We were among the many relatives and friends who gathered in North Sydney to pay our last tributes to Lea Ashton, whose memory will be cherished by those privileged to know him.— Vince Kelly.

Mr. E. P. Holmes The sudden death in Sydney on May 22 of Mr. Eric P. (“Pat”) Holmes at the age of 77, removed from the scene another New Guinea old-timer.

He first went to New Guinea in 1923, and in 1927 married Mrs. May Alice Robins, who was the widow of a member of the AN&MEF dur ing the Military Occupation. After retirement in 1952 the Holmes lived for some years in Brisbane and later moved to Sydney where Mrs. Holmes died in 1963.

Pat Holmes started his career as a licensed surveyor with the Queens land Lands Dept, and after World War I service with the AIF he was sent to New Guinea in 1923. He was made secretary of the New De partment of Lands in 1928, a posi tion he held unti retirement, except in World War II when civil admin istration was suspended.

For a large part of his service with the Administration Pat Holmes was an official member of the Executive and Legislative Councils. In its early days he was a member of the Rabaul Amateur Turf Club and was a keen supporter of the RSL. He was an enthusiastic motorist, an interest he maintained up to the time of his death.

A large number of former New Guinea residents were at his funeral in Sydney.

The passing of Pat Holmes closes another chapter in the early history of New Guinea. As the first staff surveyor, he became the first Sec retary for Lands and after the war the first head of the Lands Depart

ment for the combined territories.

He was a loyal and conscientious public servant, and most of all a man of honour and a hard worker.

In lands administration he was an authority and had an astounding memory for important details. Even in his later years his knowledge proved invaluable in title restoration and re-establishment work.

Pat was popular. He enjoyed jolly company, as was the fashion of old Territorians, and any excuse was good enough for a get together and sing-song.

Pat and his wife May were a legend, a couple well suited to each other. A comedy pair spontaneously the life of any party. The loss of May six years ago was a severe blow, but he remained active and alert, and found pleasure in good reading and old friends. He valued greatly the care of his stepdaughter, Thelma White, whom he visited daily at her home in Killara.— L. M. Clout.

Mr. D. C. Brown Mr. Dick Charles Brown, leading Cook Islands businessman and ship owner, and Leader of Government Business before the advent of internal self-government in the Cook Islands, died at Rarotonga Hospital on May 6. He was 63.

Mr. Brown was born in Mangaia, the fourth child of George and Rakitai Brown. He was educated in the Cook Islands, and in his youth was an excellent sportsman.

He entered business on his own account as a young man. During World War II his business boomed when he sold hula skirts, shell neck laces and other craft work to Ameri can servicemen stationed in the Cook Islands. He also traded in copra and pearl shell.

In 1945 be boueht his first vessel, the schooner Tahitienne, and over the years this was followed by the Fairmile Mahurangi, Kororo, Rannah, Inspire, Taveuni, Apanui and Bod mer.

Mr. Brown served for many years on the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly. In May, 1964, as Leader of Government Business, he led a five-man delegation from the Cook Islands Legislative Assembly to New Zealand for constitutional talks with Mr. R. Hanan, then Min ister of Island Territories. This was the first step towards internal self government for the Cook Islands.

Mr. Brown was chairman of Tereora College Committee from its inception in 1955. He is survived by his wife, five children, seven grand children, seven brothers and three sisters.