Yesterday

Tragedy struck Tahiti on July 20, 1950, when one of Tahiti’s best known and highly respected citizens, Mr. Arthur Brander, was found murdered at his home at Hamuta, near Papeete. Mr. Brander, aged 87, was the nephew of the last king of Tahiti, Pomare V. Two young Tahitians, intent on theft, savagely attacked Mr. Brander with knives when he challenged them in his home. The murderers were arrested a few hours after the crime.

Other news in PIM, for August, 1950, 20-years-ago, included: Air travellers between Sydney and the New Hebrides and Solomon Islands were all smiles when Trans Oceanic Airways announced sub stantial cuts in air fares between these three ports. TOA’s fare from Sydney to Vila was £7l/2/- return.

The firm of C. Sullivan (Pacific Islands) Ltd. general traders and agents for wholesale distributors, registered as a company in Suva.

Principals of the company were Mr.

Charles Sullivan, of the Sydney firm, C. Sullivan Ltd., and Mr. Claude Israel, a Fiji merchant Qantas Empire Airways started a survey of the Fiji islands with the idea of operating internal air services

in Fiji. Captain W. H. Crowther directed the survey and Captain H.

Birch commanded the survey aircraft, a Catalina, which investigated Levuka, Nadi, Kadavu, Lautoka, Savusavu, Labasa, Dreketi, Buca Bay.

Taveuni, Lomaloma, and Lakeba.

Politics was at fever pitch in the Indian community of Fiji towards the end of July when members of the Legislative Council of Fiji were being elected.

When nominations closed on July 28, Mr. H. Maurice Scott was elected unopposed for the European North-Western Division seat. There was no marked European interest in the elections, but for weeks the Indian electorates were very active.

The Indian Southern Division seat was contested by the holder Mr.

Vishnu Deo, and Mr. Hari Charan, a Suva barrister and solicitor, and in the North-Western Division the holder, Mr. A. D. Patel, was opposed by Messrs. C. C. Singh and Tulsi Ram Sharma, and in the Eastern Division Mr. J. Madhavan was defending his seat against Mr.

Tularam.

Mr. Cyril William Lambert, formerly of New Guinea, died in Sydney on July 24. Mr. Lambert was well known in the territory where he served in almost every district as a medical assistant from 1924 to 1949.

Fiji’s Pix plantations on the south coast of Viti Levu began experiments on strawberry growing. Young strawberry plants were flown from New Zealand to Fiji for the experi ment. Pix plantations planned to pulp the fruit and turn it into essence in New Zealand. Little more was heard of the experiment after its mention in PIM of August, 1950.

Suva hit the big time in July, 1950, when the Secretary of State for the

Colonies approved a scheme for an automatic telephone exchange for the city. About £170,000 worth of equipment was subsequently brought from Britain to Fiji.

Young Sydney scientist Mr. lan MacDougall was climbing volcanoes on the island of New Britain 20 years ago this month looking for sulphur as a commercial proposition for the Australian Government. Over a period of a month he managed to explore every volcano on New Britain.

The Australian Government hoped to save thousands of pounds if enough sulphur was found on the island.

The Yen. Geoffrey David Hand was consecrated as Anglican Bishop in New Guinea on St. Peter’s Day (June 29), and at the same time became the youngest Anglican bishop in the world at the age of 32.

The ceremony took place in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, Dogura.

The Royal Australian Navy an nounced that a group of 100 Papua- New Guinea natives would be trained at Manus Island naval base as seamen, for the first time.

The UN Trusteeship Council visited Western Samoa in July, 1950, when the nation was a mandated territory of New Zealand. Mrs. Fa'amu Mata'afa, mother of Faime Mata'afa (recently defeated Prime Minister) was present to welcome the party at an official reception. Western Samoa was later to become independent in 1962.

Mr. Arthur Brander, shortly before his murder.