Deaths of Islands People

Tributes To Colourful Png Figures

The deaths have occurred in Australia of Ralph Ormsby and Johnny Young, two men who spent the best part of their lives in New Guinea. Here, some of their comrades pay tribute to them. Messrs Tom Ellis and Max Orken write about Ralph Ormsby, who died in Adelaide on December 12.

John Pasquarelli recalls the career of Johnny Young, who died in his sleep in Cairns on January 3.

Tom Ellis and Max Or ken write: “Ralphie” Ormsby was one of the most colourful figures in Papua New Guinea over a period of 30 years.

Much of his time there was spent as a magistrate and—for his last 10 years—chairman of the PNG Liquor Licensing Commission, but he went to New Guinea as cadet patrol officer in 1934 after an education at Sydney Grammar School. He was born in Sydney.

His earlier service was spent in the Sepik under that redoubtable kiap, “Kassa” Townsend, and Ralph’s large, bulky figure (even as a young man he weighed more than 16 stone) was wellknown in the villages and waterways of that vast, sprawling district.

Stories about him are legion, and perhaps the most famous of them concerned the origins of his fondness for claret. This was while he was Assistant District Officer at Ango ram, and his eyes began to play up.

He was advised by a visitor to the station to eat plenty of carrots, so he radioed Roy McGregor at Madang to forward 12 cases of carrots to Angoram. Roy knew his Ormsby, and decided that the signal must have been corrupted in transit and that surely Ormsby wanted 12 cases of claret. Which he sent and which Ormsby drank. He never mentioned carrots again.

He served with distinction in Angau during World War 11, reach ing rank of major, and was men tioned in despatches for his work in Bougainville. There, to the many American senior offices of all ser vices, he was fount of all knowledge on New Guinea affairs.

After the war he went back to the Administration, and served as ADO.

DO and acting DC in the Sepik, Ma dang, Morobe and Bougainville.

Whilst District Commissioner Bou gainville his health began to de teriorate, and he reluctantly admitted he was getting beyond arduous field

work. He became a full time magis trate.

With his huge figure, his gargan tuan eating and drinking capacity, his astringent wit and his razor-sharp mind (which he retained to the end), Ralph Ormsby was a truly Hogar thian figure. But he never let a friend down, and on matters on which he held strong views, such as the sensible and meaningful application of the rule of law, he never compro mised. Like all strong-minded per sons he had his critics, but he bore these with composure.

His wife Madge, whom he met and married when she was serving as a nursing sister in Madang, will receive some consolation from her knowledge of the regard with which Ralph was held by those who truly knew him, John Pasquarelli writes: Johnny Young, about 77 when he died, had already left a great vacuum in the Sepik when he left there in 1967 after a lifetime in New Guinea.

Born in Cooktown, he became after World War I (in which he was a de vastating machine-gunnerQ one of the major recruiters of his time. He worked on the Wau goldfields, on the Ramu and the Sepik, where he was noted for his fairness and honesty and rapport with the people.

When World War II came he actually set himself up as a soldier of fortune on the Ramu River, estab lishing several camps and supply dumps. “J, Young’s camp” was marked on wartime maps. But Johnny was finally confronted by the Australian Army, and he walked out of the Ramu and was flown to Australia where he became an in valuable Intelligence adviser to Allied forces in Brisbane.

After the war he went back to the Sepik after a brief stay in Rabaul where he equipped himself with a boat and a Japanese lathe. He was a fine marine engineer and he loved that lathe. From headquarters at

Angoram he became the chief croc hunter of the area, and played a major part in the croc skin boom, when more than 2,000 outboard motors were in use on the Sepik.

From his most efficient workshop at Angoram he kept the motors turning.

If there were no spare parts, Johnny made the parts himself.

It was Johnny who was instru mental in bringing into the Sepik Dutch skin buyers from West New Guinea, and he saw prices jump by 200 per cent. When Johnny left the Sepik, village after village had un serviceable outboard motors by the score, hanging up, rusting. The boom was over.

Johnny Young’s own shooting skill remained first class, and no crocodile was safe. Witnesses were present when he shot 25 black duck on the wing in consecutive shots, using a .22 repeating rifle, at Timbunke vil lage. Johnny shot them from his moored boat as they flew across the

Sepik River.

There is no doubt that Johnny Young was one of the world’s crack shots, who could have made a good living on the sharpshooting circuit.

But he chose New Guinea, and loved it. He was brother of the equally famous “Flo” Stewart, who still lives in Lae.

Mr Finau Riechelmann Mr Finau Riechelmann, a promi nent Tonga businessman and sports man, died suddenly in Brisbane on January 5, aged 75. After education in Tonga and Auckland he joined a firm established by his father, and remained with it all his life. For many years he operated the launch, Fujave, between Nukualofa and Eua.

In his youth he was a keen sports man. He was a founder-member of the Tonga Horse Racing Club at Matakieua. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

Sister Mary Albine Sister Mary Albine, one of the longest-serving nuns in Tonga, died recently at Vavau, where she was living in retirement. She arrived in Tonga from France about 60 years ago. She worked in most parts of Tonga.

Miss Irene G. Milne A daughter of Henry Milne, sec retary to King Cakobau and a wit ness of the signing of the Deed of Session of Fiji to Queen Victoria, in 1874, Miss Irene Gertrude Milne died suddenly in hospital at Mosman, NSW, on January 2, while con

ilescing from a broken thigh. She as 88.

Born in Suva, one of nine daugh rs and a son (who died in infancy) f Henry T. Milne and Louisa (nee addock), she made a career in the iji Government service and was varded the 1937 Coronation Medal, ic was private secretary to several jvernors, retiring in 1943.

In her younger days, she was an xomplished horsewoman and led i the tennis and golf championships, ic drove one of the first cars to avel from Suva to Lautoka and ick on the opening of the King’s oad about 1930.

Miss Milne lived most of her life Fiji, moving to Australia in 1970 i be with her remaining close rela ves. She is survived by two sisters, ry Whitehouse, aged 92, and Connie arcourt, aged 86, both in Sydney, id by numerous nieces and nephews.

Mr V. Fox-Strangways Mr V. Fox-Strangways, Resident ommissioner of the GEIC from 941 to 1946, has died at his home i Dorset in England.

He held the rank of colonel as immander of the Gilbert and Ellice ilands Labour Corps and was pre ;nt at the raising of the flag after le Battle of Tarawa. He began the ost-war rehabilitation of the colony.

Chief Suapilimai

High Talking Chief Suapilimai, dnductor of Samoan language and ustoms television classes in Pago ago since 1966, died in December.

He joined the Education Depart lent as a teacher in 1940 and served s a teacher or principal at nine lementary schools and at Leone unior High School. He headed the amoan contingent to the New York World’s Fair in 1965.

Mr K. Masia Mr Kalotiti Masia, of Lelepa, Tate, New Hebrides, well known or his long association with the 'resbyterian Church, has died, aged 5. After four years training as a ;acher-catechist at Tangoa Training 'ollege, he started a teaching career /hich extended over 20 years. In 947 he was appointed elder of the hurch in his village, and served for 1 years in that capacity. He is sur ived by his wife and eight children.

Mrs M. P. Chin Mrs Miriam Pinkoris Chin, mother •f the Papua New Guinea Finance Minister, Mr Julius Chan, has died it Rabaul, aged 65. She was the wife if a well-known businessman, Mr -hin Pak. She came from Nokon

Village, Susungu, in the Namatanai sub-district. She is survived by Mr Chin, three sons and three daughters.

Elder Thomas Elder Thomas, of Taviak, New Hebrides, one of the first people in South-east Ambrym to be converted to Christianity, died recently. He was in his 80s. After his conversion he accompanied the Rev Wilfred Paton, an early missionary, round the villages, converting the people to Christianity. Elder Thomas worked among the people of Maskelyne for many years.

Mr Jimmy Pang Fong

Mr Jimmy Pang Fong, a pioneer Chinese settler in Fiji, died recently in Sydney. He went to Fiji in 1903 as an indentured labourer. Later he traded as a merchant, mostly in the Yasawas, and as a restaurant pro prietor and grocer in Nadi. He migrated to Australia in 1961. He leaves 10 children, who live in Cana da, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji.

Keep an eye

on timetables

Quick shipments are more impor tant than prices, says Mr D. M.

Kamerling, managing director of the well-known marketing organisation of DEMKA (Australia) Pty Ltd, the newly-established company which is continuing the business Mr Kamer ling built up over more than 20 years in the South Pacific with his own company DEMKA Pty Ltd. And quick shipments are important, he says, because, with cost-push inflation everywhere, by the time merchan dise lands at its destination, its “landed cost” is lower than it would be for a repeat order.

DEMKA is closely associated with A. Hartrodt (Australia) Pty Ltd, in ternational forwarding agents with head offices in Hamburg and branches all over Germany, in Holland and Italy.

This connection gives DEMKA wide scope in its exclusive operations around the Islands for a wide circle of customers.