Deaths

Adi Laisa Ganilau One of Fiji’s best loved personali ties, Adi Laisa Ganilau, wife of Ratu Penaia Ganilau, Fiji’s Minister for Tome Affairs, Lands and Mineral Resources, died suddenly on July 25.

She became ill while on a flight vith her husband from Labasa to Juva after attending the Adi Baba iga Festival. The plane was turned jack but Adi Laisa died at Labasa lirport before an ambulance could ;et her to hospital.

Charming, ebullient Adi Laisa was in outstanding leader in women’s welfare work and a driving force ►ehind the Soqosoqo Vakamarama Women’s Association) which she yas due to represent at an Associated Country Women of the World meet rig in Oslo in a few weeks.

Bom Adi Laisa Delaisomosomo, he daughter of Livai Yavaca, she narried Ratu Penaia in 1949. She eaves her husband, five sons and two laughters.

The funeral was at Taveuni on uly 28.

Mr. D. Metuarau Flags were flown at half-mast on uly 12 in Rarotonga to mark the eath in Rarotonga Hospital on that ay of Mr. Davida Metuarau, JP, !EM, of the Justice Department.

Aitutaki-born, Mr. Metuarau was 1. He was first employed by the took Islands Administration in 1918 s a draughtsman and later became clerk-interpreter for the High ourt. In April, 1956, he was ap ointed resident agent for Penrhyn Hand in the northern Cooks and eld the position until December, 960 when he retired. He was made Justice of the Peace in the same ear.

He came out of retirement for )ur months in 1970 to act as ssident agent in Manihiki and later, ntil May of this year, was employed i the Justice Department.

He was twice married in ctober, 1925 to Tearuru Tuakana, id in July, 1952 to Pauline Pepe lanuela.

The Premier, Mr. A. R. Henry, ie High Commissioner, Mr. L. J. avis, and the Minister of Internal ffairs, Mr. T. A. Henry, were at e funeral service at the Avarua ook Islands Christian Church and id wreaths.

Rev. Father M. Shumack The Rev. Father Martin Shumack, OFM, died at Suain, New Guinea, recently, aged 50. He was founder of the Franciscan mission at Aitape in 1946.

Father Shumack worked with the New Guinea people and taught at the native school at Vanimo. He was rector of the school on Seleo Island from 1952 to 1964.

Maj-Gen J. R. Stevenson Major-General J. R. Stevenson, who accepted the surrender of the Japanese forces in Nauru and Ocean islands in 1945, died suddenly in Fiji early in July. He had been visiting Fiji on parliamentary business.

During World War II he served in the Middle East and the Pacific.

In New Guinea he commanded the 11th Australian Infantry Brigade, and was awarded the CBE.

In civilian life he was Clerk of the NSW Parliament.

Mr. C. R. Lambert The Governor-General of Austra lia, Sir Paul Hasluck, attended the memorial service in Canberra for Mr.

Cecil Ralph Lambert, who died in Canberra on July 21 at the age of 72.

Mr. Lambert, known widely as “Eski”, was Secretary of the Depart ment of Territories from 1951 to 1964, almost the same length of time that Sir Paul was Minister for Terri tories. Together they laid the foun dations for the political, social and economic development of Papua New Guinea—Mr. Lambert, with great drive, carrying out the policies of the Minister.

They made a good team. Like the Minister, Eski Lambert was a com pulsive worker, with a clear and penetrating mind, and he was an astute and tough negotiator. When he became secretary he was faced with a New Guinea whose Public Service had run down, which had no real planning—or funds—for health and education services. It was grass roots work.

Bom in Sydney, Mr. Lambert had been a public servant since 1915, but until he joined the Department of Territories his skills involved Austra lian rural development, both with the Rural Bank and rural development and reconstruction bodies. He was involved, in 1947, with the pioneer planning work for the great Snowy scheme. He was a qualified accountant.

Eski Lambert was made a CBE in 1954.

He left a wife and two daughters.

He was cremated in Sydney at a pri vate service.

Mr. J. F. Griffiths Mr. J. Fraser Griffiths, Accountant- General in Fiji from 1955 till he re tired in 1968, died recently in London. South African-born Mr.

Griffiths worked in the Standard Bank of South Africa from 1930, till he joined the Colonial Service in 1937.

During World War II he served in the RAF and was badly injured in an air crash.

Before going to Fiji in 1953 as Deputy Accountant - General, Mr.

Griffiths served in Basutoland and Nyasaland.

In Fiji he served for several terms as an official member of the Legisla tive Council.

Mr. Vernon Rice Mr. Vernon Rice, for 35 years representative of the Shell Co. at Lautoka, Fiji, died in July after a short illness. He was 65.

Mr. Rice was born in Ceylon and when 17 went to Fiji with his father and sister. After working for the CSR Co. as a field officer he joined the staff of Burns Philp (SS) Co.

Ltd., and then moved to the Shell Co.

He retired after he was badly in jured in a road accident in 1964 and went to live at Korotogo.

Mr. Rice leaves a widow.

Lieut-Col. A. B. Ackland Known in Fiji as “Hop”, Lieut- Col. A. B. Ackland died at the end of July.

Most of his Fiji civil service life was spent in the Agriculture Depart ment, playing an important part in attempts to create a flourishing rice industry and to revive the cotton industry. When the copra industry was threatened by the levuana moth, he gave great support to the gov ernment entymologist, the late Mr.

H. W. Simmonds, in his successful campaign against the moth and intro duction of a predator to control the levuana. “Hop” Ackland was the first manager of a dairy scheme launched in Tailevu to support returned sol diers.

He was a member, and for a time chairman of a board set up to organise relief during the 1930 s de pression and was a member of the Suva Town Board, which preceded the municipal council, and was later deputy chairman.

His civil service career was twice interrupted by war, in 1914 when he joined the Australian Army and fought at Gallipoli and in France, and again in 1939 when he com manded the 2nd (Territorial) Bat talion of the Fiji Defence Force, later becoming commander of the Ist Battalion of the Fiji Labour Corps.