Hill, 13 years Bishop

Tribute to Bishop Hill, 13 years Bishop of Melanesia

Bishop Alfred Hill, 13 years Bishop of Melanesia, died re cently after over 30 years’ work in the Islands. This tribute comes from the Archdeacon of Melanesia, the Rt. Rev. H. V. C.

Reynolds.

As an old and close friend of Bishop Alfred, I feel moved at this time of his passing to pay tribute to a great man. We had known each other with affection and mutual understanding for over 30 years, and all this became deeper as the years passed on, in that close association we had with each other during his 13 years as Bishop of Melanesia.

In 1936, he joined the staff of the Diocese after an interview with Bishop Walter Baddeley in England. Alfred Hill, then a layman with an extra Master Mariner’s ticket, and a one time captain of a 20,000 ton vessel, had much to give the island Diocese of Melanesia, and it was initially planned, that he be Master of M.Y.

Southern Cross VII, then about to be launched. After leaving the sea, and before coming to Melanesia, he had, for five years, been a lay mis sioner in the East End of London, so he had gained much pastoral experience.

On arrival in the Diocese, plans were changed, and he went to New Britain then a part of this Diocese.

There he was captain of the ketch, M.Y. Cecil Wilson and began his tireless work as an evangelist. This lasted for about two years, when he was recalled to the Solomons to be headmaster of All Hallows School, Pawa, which, owing to many staff changes, was going through a difficult period.

Alfred Hill became the great head master of Pawa for over 14 years.

During these years, his influence over Melanesian youths was immense, and he moulded the lives of many Melanesians, so that now they are holding positions of responsibility in all walks of life, both in the Solo mons and the New Hebrides.

Father Hill, for he was ordained shortly after going to Pawa, also became Farmer Hill and did much to influence the government and all of us on the need of a strong agri cultural bias in the education of the Melanesian.

Then came the Pacific War. It

was a case of “carry on”, and carry on he did in a remarkable way, not a day’s schooling was lost. All the odds were against him, but he won through with a most wonderful spirit of perseverance.

On the resignation of Bishop Gething Caulton, Melanesia strongly nominated him as its next bishop.

So on May 30, 1964 he was consecrated as the ninth Bishop of Melanesia in the old quonset hut, All Saints Cathedral, the first Bishop to be consecrated in Melanesia—and remained so for 13 years.

He was a man’s man, there was no narrowness in his outlook on life, so naturally he was to the many who came to him, a guide and a counsel ler. Another interest of his, was keeping up with the news and thus he was public-spirited; all this was very evident in his forthright speak ing as a member of the Advisory Council and later the Legislative Council. In both the Solomons and the New Hebrides, the ecumenical movement is very much alive, and in the encouraging and promoting of this Bishop Alfred took a very leading and pioneering part in the earlier days.

In his episcopate he achieved much, widening the field of educa tion; the strengthening of the Melanesian Ministry; enlarging the sphere of the Melanesian Brother hood by sending brothers as evan gelists to the Diocese of New Guinea and preparing the way for them to go to Polynesia: increasing the medical work and, greatest of all, preparing and presenting for the episcopate two of his old Pawa pupils, Dudley Tuti and Leonard Alufurai, both consecrated on St.

Andrew’s Dav 1963 in the old All Saints Cathedral.

Bishop Alfred Hill.