Deaths Of Islands People

Mr. Tom Yeomans One of New Guinea’s pioneer gold miners and mining engineers, Mr.

Tom Yeomans, died in Sydney on June 1, aged 79, after a long illness.

Mr. Yeomans was a mining en gineer with the Bulolo Gold Dredging Company, a subsidiary of Placer Development. He established the first mining camp at Bulolo and rieared the area for an aerodrome.

He was a veteran of World War [, being a member of the Ist Field \mbulance Corps at Gallipoli. He jxperienced many adventures during iis early years in New Guinea, like he time he was chased for miles iown the Fly River in a canoe by leadhunters.

He worked for Placer Develop nent in New Guinea from 1928.

Te left New Guinea in 1931 to work or Placer in Sydney as a consultant md adviser, making frequent trips >ack to New Guinea during this time.

He leaves a widow Bobbi, sons *eter and Clive, and a daughter Mrs. 3ynthia Doone.

Mrs. Tepoa Teanau Mrs. Tepoa Teanau, the oldest /oman in Penrhyn Atoll in the orthern Cooks, believed to be over 0, died on June 29 at Teuatua illage, Penrhyn.

She was the wife of Captain 'eanau, a Tahitian who was a former laster of the trading schooner, 'aite. She is survived by many grand hildren, great grandchildren and reat-great grandchildren living in the took Islands and Tahiti.

Mr. Frederic Van Ness Budd Frederic Van Ness Budd, a retired laster mariner, died at Rarotonga fospital on June 18 aged 78.

Captain Budd, born in Boston, r SA, first went to sea in square gged sailing ships. He became First fficer on the passenger-cargo Grace ine boats sailing between the US id east coast South American ports here they loaded bananas.

In World War I he joined the merican Air Force but was still arning to fly when the war ended, uring World War 11, in spite of s age, he skippered US sea trans )rts under army command, and was iptain of a tanker when it was tor :doed in Okinawa.

He later became totally deaf. He

was awarded a small pension and after the war made delivery voyages of yachts.

In 1947 he arrived at Rarotonga in his yawl, Te Manu, then one of the smallest yachts to make the Pacific crossing. He sold the yacht in Samoa and returned to Rarotonga about a year later to settle. On a number of occasions he took com mand of local vessels when the ser vices of a master mariner were required. He never married.

Ratu Luke Dawai Ratu Luke Dawai, the Tui Nadi, died suddenly on June 20 in Nadi, Fiji, aged 53. Ratu Luke was an active leader, with the welfare of his people always uppermost in his mind. He held the rank of Tui for 10 years, and served as the Buli Nadi in the Provincal administration for 17 years. He was a member of the Nadi Local Rural Authority and the Nadi Township Board. He was also a member of the Great Council of Chiefs, the Ba Provincial Council, and the Native Land Trust Board.

During World 11, he served as a

sergeant with the Fourth Battalion.

He represented Fiji in Rugby tests against Tonga in 1947.

He leaves a widow Adi, Saini mere, a son and three daughters. His funeral was held at the chiefly burial ground at Narewa Village.

Mrs. Sybil Karius Mrs. Sybil Karius, wife of New Guinea explorer Charles Karius, died in Christchurch, New Zealand, on July 16. She was 77.

Mrs. Karius was born in Christchurch, and went to work in Port Moresby, as a typist in the Govern ment Secretary’s Department, in 1927. She met and married Charles Karius in 1928 when he was Assistant Resident Magistrate in the Papua Administration. In the same year Karius, with Ivan Champion, led the first expedition to cross New Guinea at its widest point.

With their party of Papuans, they traced the Fly River from its estuary in the south to its source in the highlands, crossed the headwaters of the Sepik, and sailed down that river northwards to the other coast. The party went through some of the most rugged country in the world. Karius’ journey earned him the Patron’s Medal of the Royal Geographical Society of London.

In 1940, Charles Karius and his

wife went to Sydney on sick leave, where Charles Karius died a few months later. Mrs. Karius remained in Sydney until a year ago, when she returned to Christchurch, to live with her sister, her only living relative.

The Karius’ had no children.

Mrs. Karius was cremated in Christchurch.

Mrs. Winifred Bertram Mrs. Winifred Bertram, who was well known in Rabaul, NG, in the 1930’s as Mrs. Winifred Jenner, was fatally injured when knocked down by a car at Bilinga, Queensland, on June 12.

She spent about nine years in New Guinea and was a clerk in the Department of Agriculture. She was a popular figure among the Rabaul “Befores”.

In 1943 she married R. G.

Bertram, living for a time in Sydney before settling in Queensland. She enjoyed a modest career as a singer in Sydney and in London.

Mr. Thomas Tobunbun President of the Gazelle Peninsula, Local Government Council, Rabaul, and a leading Tolai, Thomas Tobun bun, died in hospital in Rabaul in July as a result of injuries he received when a car he was driving

and another collided. He was 47.

He was educated in Rabaul, being one of the pupils of the famed Waterhouse—and one of the Water house characteristics that he carried to his death was his excellent com mand of spoken and written English.

He became an Administration school teacher in 1946 and taught widely in schools in New Guinea, before returning to Rabaul, where he held a senior position involving education; He was closely involved with Workers’ Associations, and he quietly got on with grassroots political and trade union work while others, in other parts of the territory, received publicity for doing a great deal less.

He represented New Guinea at an ILO Conference in Geneva at one stage.

Thomas Tobunbun was a man who attempted always to see both sides of the question and was equally critical of Administration or Euro pean paternalism as he was of New Guineans who were racist for the sake of racism. His influence waxed and waned over the years but it was in the ascendancy when he died, and his tragic death has removed what would have been a strong and respected influence for commonsense and clear thinking during the present critical time on the Gazelle.

His wife and three children survive him.