Deaths

of Islands People

Philip Woonton, old 'Pearl King of Penrhyn'

The Cook Islands lost another colourful link with its past when Philip Woonton died on Penrhyn atoll in early July, aged 91. Philipa, as he was known in Penrhyn, skip pered sailing vessels, ran his own store and was once known as the ‘Pearl King of Penrhyn.” He was a lard-drinking, robust character vho weighed about 200 lb in his Drime and /as famed for his tremen dous voice and lavish hospitality.

He was born at Penrhyn in 1886, he son of an English trader from Devon and a Manihiki mother. Dur ng his childhood he saw the wrecks )f the four-masted barque, Derby Q ark, and the schooner, Flying Venus. Both piled up on the same 3 enrhyn reef. Derby Park had left Vancouver, British Columbia, with i cargo of timber for the Melbourne exhibition and when that cargo fail id to arrive the consignees shipped a limilar cargo for the Exhibition on he Flying Venus which came to jrief so close to the wreck of the Derby Park that the crew could see he men salvaging its cargo.

Woonton senior bought both the ost vessels and their cargoes and iold the timber for a profit that mabled him to set himself up in bus ness in Auckland.

Philip Woonton was taken to New Zealand when he was nine and, after caving school, took on various jobs fom driving bullock teams to going 0 sea round New Zealand’s coasts n sailing vessels. When he was ibout 18 he returned to Penrhyn vith Captain Thomas Harries in the chooner, Vaite. Some years later, le himself became the master of the /aite. Later still, he commanded agger and Harvey’s Hurunui, A. B.

Donald’s schooner Tiare Taporo, ind the Cook Islands Trading Com

>any’s Tagua.

He became a leading trader and lealer in pearls in the northern -ooks and owned and operated div ng machines in Penrhyn and Manihiki. He was said to have made 1 fortune from pearls, and one of his dients was Father Rogier of Tahiti vho visited Penrhyn to buy pearls fom him.

Philip Woonton outlived all his old shipmates, including schooner captains Joe Winchester, Viggo Rasmussen and famous Andy Thomson who died in Rarotonga in 1975, aged 89. Great friends of Philip's were authors Robert Dean Frisbie and James Norman Hall of Mutiny on the Bounty fame. Philip Woonton was married three times and is survived by eight children all of whom live in New Zealand.

Mrs H. S. Williams Mrs Harriet Sarah Williams, 92, and Lord Howe Island’s oldest re sident, died on the island in March.

As Harriet West, Mrs Williams left her birthplace, Norfolk Island, late last century with her family to make their home on Lord Howe. She mar ried Herbert Wilson, and they rais ed a family of four. She later mar ried Jack Williams, who predeceas ed her.

A member of Norfolk Island’s bowling team who was recently on Lord Howe for matches said Mrs Williams played for the local team skippered by Bill Adams, and “lick ed the pants off us”. He also observ ed that on her way home after the match she rode pillion on a Honda motor bike.

Mr R. T. Gallemore Mr Roy T. Gallemore, former district administrator in the US Trust Territory, has died in Florida, US, aged 81. He went to the Trust Territory in 1955 and served in Truk, Yap and the Marianas. He retired in 1965. Mr Gallemore earlier served in the US Navy and reached the rank of captain.

Mr A. Rossi Mr Antoine Rossi, owner of the Rossi Hotel in the New Hebrides, has died in Sydney, aged 76. Mr Rossi was born in the New Hebrides, son of Mr Charles Rossi who had arrived there late in the 19th century. Earlier in his life he worked for the Public Works Department, and in World War II was a Home Guardsman.

In 1951 he became owner of the Rossi Hotel, which was previously a store. He was founder of the Amicale Soccer Club, Vila. He is survived by a son and four daughters. One of his daughters, Helene, is the wife of Mr Remy Delaveuve, Mayor of Vila.

Mr E. A. Hussein Mr Edward Ali Hussein, a Fiji schoolteacher for 44 years, died at Lautoka after a fairly long illness, aged 69. He first taught at St Colum ba’s School, Suva. Later he taught at Nasinu Training School, finally returning to the Marist Bros Prim ary School (as St Columba’s is now called) where he taught till Decem ber, 1976. Mr Hussein leaves a widow, four daughters and two sons.

Dr F. Wilson Dr Freddy Wilson, a consultant pathologist at Lautoka Hospital, and former Fiji hockey rep resentative, died suddenly on June 28, aged 44. He graduated from the Fiji School of Medicine and did a special course on pathology in Australia. In his younger days he represented both Suva and Lautoka at hockey, and in 1961 was the only Indian in the Fiji hockey team which toured NZ. He is survived by his widow and three children.

Mr C. Hamer Mr Charles Hamer, formerly of Fiji, has died in San Francisco, aged 68. He was born at Ono-i-Lau and was educated at Levuka Public School. He went to sea in sailing ships soon after leaving school. He sailed to the US in the Lollie Ben nett in August, 1931, and settled on the west coast, where he became a well-known seaman among fellow mariners. He is survived by his wife, four daughters and four sons.

Mrs B. H. Wright Mrs B. H. Wright, who lived in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, for many years, has died.

She was living in the Wau area before World War II and was

evacuated before the Japanese inva sion. Her husband, the late Jim Wright, was one of the many gold miners who flocked into the area.

Mrs Wright is survived by a daughter, Mrs Kathy Hannam, of Lae.

Mrs E. Christian Mrs Evelyn Christian, known to all as “Nurse” has died on Pitcairn Island, aged 82. She was born in Australia and trained as a nurse at the SDA Sanitarium Hospital, Wahroonga, Sydney. She spent 17 years in the Solomons at the SDA Hospital, Batuna, and in 1944 was appointed to the dispensary on Pit cairn. After 12 years she went back to Australia, but in 1947 was back on Pitcairn again to marry Elwyn Christian. Although she retired from nursing in 1956, she continued to assist with maternity nursing and attended her last case on October 14, 1975, when Shaun Christian was born.

Adi Unaisi Gadai Adi Unaisi Gadai, a great-grand daughter of Ratu Seru Cakobau who ceded Fiji to Great Britain in 1874, has died. She was in her early 60s.

She was the daughter of Ratu Etuate Wainiu, a son of Ratu Seru's eldest son, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau. A chiefly assembly of mourners was held at the home of the Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, at Veiuto in Suva. Adi Uniasi is survived by her husband, Ratu Dr Vakaruru and a son, Ratu Drainubaka.

Pandit G. N. Pathik Pandit Gopendra Narayan Pathik a leader of the Hindu community in Fiji, and a pioneer in education there, has died, aged 82. He was born in Uttar Pradesh and went tc Fiji in 1925 to help to launch educa tion programmes. Schools he helped to establish were the Bhawani Dayal Memorial School at Nasinu, Swami Shradanand Memorial School al Samabula, DAY Boys’ College DAY Girls’ College, Nadera Prim ary School and Yishnu Dec Memorial School. He edited and published a weekly, Pradash, in 1966. He leaves five sons and two daughters. One of his sons, Mr Da vendra Pathik, is a magistrate, and another, Dr Bhupendra Pathik, is principal of the Fiji School of Medicine.