People

“Ah, horses for courses”, thought Nauru’s President Hammer Deßoburt when he received the credentials of the United States new Ambassador to the republic, Mr James W. Hargrove, on April 20. The president learned that Mr Hargrove, before becoming a diplomat, was Assistant Postmaster-General of the United States, so, the next day, the president had the ambassador ceremoniously opening Nauru’s new Post Office at the Civic Centre.

The Most Rev Petero Mataca has been named as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Suva, to succeed Archbishop George Pearce. Archbishop-elect Mataca, who was ordained in 1959, was consecrated auxiliary bishop in December, 1974 and is the first Fijian to become a bishop. He had previously held important positions in the Catholic mission in Fiji. American born Archbishop Pearce, who succeeded Archbishop Victor Foley in the late 19605, has suffered ill-health for long periods in recent years. He was con secrated bishop and named Vicar Apostolic of Western Samoa in 1956. He became Bishop of Apia when Western Samoa was raised to the status of a diocese.

Two well-known diplomats in the South Pacific will soon take up new ap pointments. Mr Harold Bullock, Australian High Commissioner to Fiji, Tonga and Western Samoa since February, 1973, is to return to Australia to take up a post in Canberra. Mr Ramesh Chandar Arora has been named to suc ceed Mr Bhagwan Singh, Indian High Commissioner in Fiji and Tonga since 1971. Mr Arora has served in a number of overseas embassies for the Government of India. Mr Bhagwan Singh was one of the most popular Indian High Com missioners in the South Pacific, striving at all times to identify himself with local in terests as well as representing the interests of his government.

Samoan-born Peter Tali Coleman has effectively taken over as High Com missioner for the US Trust Territory, although the outgoing incumbent, Edward E. Johnston, does not finish until July 1.

Mr Johnston resigned to join the Pacific Area Travel Association as executive vice president. Mr Coleman, who has been deputy High Commissioner, first came to the Trust Territory in 1961 as ad ministrator of the Marshall District. Born at Pago Pago in American Samoa in 1919, he was educated in Honolulu (St

Louis College) and Washington

(Georgetown University) before being ap pointed to the Office of Territories in 1951 and a year later as Public Defender in American Samoa. He became Attorney- General and then Governor there before being transferred to the Trust Territory.

The Fiji Visitors Bureau has opted for hard business experience in appointing Irishman Paddy Doyle as bureau general manager. Mr Doyle, a younger brother of a former Fiji Attorney-General, has been in Fiji since 1958. He was a Taylor Woodrow engineer on the Nadi airport reconstruction. On completion of that project Mr Doyle joined up with American businessman and airline pilots to develop several hotel projects, in cluding the Sky Lodge, the Mocambo (which was built by Mr Barry Philp) and the Fijian Hotel. He left this consortium, which became Fiji Resorts Ltd to become a consultant for the company developing the Soqulu project in Taveuni.

After a major heart attack his third Sir Albert Henry, premier of the Cook Islands, said he had never felt better upon his return home from New Zealand and the South Pacific Festival of Arts in Rotorua. Despite the attack during the festival in March, Sir Albert showed no signs of any ailment when he stepped from a plane in Raratonga towards the end of April, and appeared full of his usual vigour and good humour. He told a welcoming crowd he had no intention of retiring from politics between now and the next elections in 1978.

Mr Laki Niu, a young Tongan, has returned home from New Zealand to be his country’s Assistant Crown Solicitor.

He first became a legal assistant in the Crown Solicitor’s Office after receiving his LL.B. degree at Auckland University, but went back to NZ in 1974 to finish his professional units and to be admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of NZ.

Fiji-born Philip Best, 41, will become general manager of Burns Philp and Co Ltd in July, succeeding Mr Maurice (Dan) O’Connor, who will then retire. Mr Best came to Australia in 1975 from Suva, where he was general manager of Burns Philp (SS) Ltd. Mr O’Connor was also on the staff for the South Sea company for some years. Mr O’Connor, along with two other BP men in the South Pacific, Mr R.

M. Stobo and Mr B. C. Goodsell, retires from the parent company board in July.

Among them they have chalked up 122 years service with the “old firm’’. They will be replaced by Mr Best, Mr P. J.

Ferris, 43 and Mr R. T. Heiler, 40. Mr Best joined the South Sea company 25 years ago.