Deaths Of Islands People

Mrs. Bella Riechelmann Mrs. Bella Riechelmann, one of Tonga’s leading and most popular citizens, died on August 7, aged 66.

Educated in NZ, on her return to Tonga she married David Riechel mann and lived at Mu’a, where her husband managed the branch store of Riechelmann Bros, for many years. Mrs. Riechelmann went to Auckland during the war and on her return opened Beach House, at one time Nukualofa’s only hotel, where through her kindly and efficient ser vice she became known to thousands of world travellers. Many remember her as a true friend; one of the great ladies of the Pacific. To the local community she was always sympathetic and remained both friend and benefactor.

Bella is survived by her husband, three sons, Carl, Alan and Jack and a daughter, Mrs. Jean Robertson, who in recent years has taken over the responsibility of Beach House.

The large crowd at Bella Riechel mann’s funeral included Crown Prince Tupoutoa and the British Consul in Tonga.

Mr. Lois Gabriel Frouin The death occurred in Vila on June 29 of one of the New Hebrides oldest identities, Mr. Lois Frouin, at the age of 89. Mr. Frouin was born in Paita, New Caledonia, and had lived in the New Hebrides from the age of 10, almost without inter ruption, Mr. Geoffrey Bliss Mr. Geoffrey Bliss, who died sud denly in Melbourne in July at the age of 64 will be remembered by old Territorians as the general manager of New Guinea Estates.

For 15 years he and his wife Olga lived at Dylup and from here he managed the company’s group of plantations in Madang.

An Englishman who arrived in Australia in the early depression years, he went to NG in 1929 and worked on plantations and the goldfields be fore going to NG Estates, one of the most highly-regarded plantation posts in the territory.

In World War II he served with the NGVR and was one of the small party that stayed behind to stem the Japanese invasion at Madang.

Here he helped organise a drive of 500 head of cattle from Bogadjim to Wau and at this time he saw the potential of cattle in the territory.

After a spell at Dylup after the

war he tried to start cattle raising in several places but he could not get support, either government or private.

Geoffrey was not given to wasting words needlessly but he was a man of great clarity of mind and one whose opinion, when he gave it, was sound and full of good sense.

At the time of his death he was with the Victorian Public Service.— Malcolm White.

Mr. Edmond Caillard Mr. Edmond Caillard, a pioneer planter in the New Hebrides and a keen agriculturist and businessman in both the Condominium and New Caledonia, has died in Noumea, aged 84.

A relative of an early French mariner in the Condominium, Captain Briault, Mr. Caillard went to the New Hebrides from France in 1902 with his mother and brother.

They settled first on Aore, a small island south of Santo, where, despite setbacks from cyclones and the loss of three boats, Mr. Caillard built up a thriving cocoa and coconut planta tion.

He sold the plantation in 1920 and for two years worked as a journalist on the Noumea-based paper La France Australe. In 1923 the three Caillards returned to France; but in 1925 Edmond went back to the New Hebrides and formed a company, la Campagnie Cotonniere.

For the next 25-odd years, Mr.

Caillard built up another plantation near Norsup, Malekula, and estab lished a coconut husking factory and helped provide work for nearly 600 Vietnamese. For many years he was president of the New Hebrides Planters Association before he moved to New Caledonia in 1951.

Chief Patricio Gorai Chief Patricio Gorai, the oldest known Solomon Islander and a famous one-legged leader with a great know-how of traditions and stories, died recently on Fauro Island, Shortland Islands, in the northern Solomons. His age was reputed to be over 100 years.

“Koputui” (the man with one leg) could remember the early European traders to the Shortlands and he could also spin yarns of his part in war parties which raided Bougain ville in the late 1800’s. He acted as interpreter between local people and the traders and he was believed to be the first Shortland Islander to be baptised. His wooden leg was made by a friend.