Islands People
pp. 73-74 · Read in the full issue
Deaths of Islands People
Mrs A. K. Sharma
Mrs Amrit Kunwar Sharma, founder of the Saraswati Sewa Sabha in Fiji, and an active religious and social worker, died recently, aged 53. She was particularly noted for her work for the Samabula Old People’s Home. Her husband, Mr K. P.
Sharma, is a magistrate and Deputy Registrar of the Fiji Supreme Court She is survived by her husband, three sons and
four daughters.
Mrs N. M. Luke
Mrs Neva Millicent Luke who lived in Papua New Guinea for more than 20 years, died in Sydney in March. She went to the Fead Islands in 1927 and left in 1929 for Australia, and after several years went to work on the North-West Frontier of India. She returned to New Guinea in 1935 to marry Mr Charles Boles, who was a pioneer of the timber in dustry on the south coast of New Britain.
On the death of her husband she took over his sawmill at Waterfall Bay.
In January, 1942, she arrived at Rabaul in the Iboki with a load of milled timber at the same time as the Japanese mounted an air raid with 1 10 aircraft. On the advice of Mr Bill Luke, she set out to return to Waterfall Bay. Her boat was at Tol two days before the infamous Tol massacre. There she transferred to a government patrol vessel, which called at several points before arriving in Port Moresby. Mrs Boles was evacuated to Australia.
Three weeks after her arrival in Sydney she again met Bill Luke. They were married there and then went to Perth. In 1946 they returned to Rabaul where they remained till 1960. They then went back to WA for four years. In 1965 they went to Nauru for a year, and then returned to Australia, setting up their home in Sydney.
Tamatoa Ariki
Tamatoa Ariki, a high chief of Aitutaki, died in Auckland on March 23.
He was one of the first group of Cook Islanders who left home in 1914 to serve in France in World War I. His body was flown to Aitutaki for burial.
Mr J. D. Harrington
Mr John Douglas Harrington, a well known businessman in the Cook Islands, died on March 19, aged 63. He was born in the US, and first saw the Cook Is as an American serviceman in World War 11.
He took his discharge in New Zealand and became naturalised. He then went to live
in Aitutaki when he married, and set up in business. He went back to NZ for five years, and returned to Aitutaki. In 1957 he sold his Aitutaki interests and built a store in Rarotonga. His wife died in 1955.
He later remarried, and is survived by his second wife and five children from both marriages.
Mr E. B. Chapman Mr E. B. Chapman, British Phosphate Commission manager at Ocean Islands, has died suddenly. He joined the BPC in 1938 and worked at both Nauru and Ocean Islands. He was a prisoner of the Japanese during World War 11.
Mr P. F. D. Palmer Mr Phillip F. D. Palmer, who died on April 22 at Cairns, was a member of the Burns Philp and Co Ltd staff for 47 years.
He was at Fanning Island for many years.
He is survived by his wife.
Rev Father J. Wall
The Rev Father James Wall, SM, known to Solomon Islanders as "Patere Wall” and “Jimmy Wall” died recently in Wellington, aged 69. He was a priest for 45 years. He was one of the first Marist missionaries to arrive in the Solomons, where he was stationed from 1933 to 1969. Father Wall served as an appointed
member of the old Legislative Council and was awarded the QBE for his work on that council. He had a wide knowledge of island names, figures and genealogies.
Mr C. G. O. T. Parr Mr Cecil Guy Orsbourne Trulove Parr, who died in Fiji recently, opened the first tourist resort at Savusavu. Mr Parr went to Fiji from England in 1926 to work for the CSR Co Ltd. He was later a teacher and also worked in the Fiji Department of Agriculture. In 1946 he acquired Muanicula, a copra plantation near Savusavu. He started his tourist resort there in 1957. Mr Parr is survived by Mrs Parr and a son.