Deaths

of Islands People

Mr B. G. Edgell Mr Broughton Gordon (Tony) Edgell, an inspector with the Papua New Guinea Expropriation Board after World War I, has died at Grafton in NSW, aged 79. He went to PNG after service in the Royal Flying Corps, and worked for the Expropriation Board in most parts of the country.

He bought two copra estates, Pak and N'Drova in the Admiralty Islands when the board started to run down its activities. About the same time Mr N. L. Whiteley ac quired M'Buke and Inrim estates and the two men decided to form a partnership.

In addition to running their four estates and building them up with more plantings, they recruited their own labour from the Sepik area in their own schooners, and set up a general store at Lorengau.

Mr Edgell went to the UK after the outbreak of World War II to join the RAF He served in Europe and the Western Desert.

On his return to Australia, Mr Edgell joined the family processing firm, Gordon Edgell and Sons Ltd, as sales director, and remained in that position till he retired in the 19605. He maintained his links with PNG with frequent visits as the partnership of Edgell and Whiteley had become a limited company with extensive commercial and planting interests in the Manus group.

He retired to the Queens land Gold Coast, but for a man like him, that was not the life. To keep himself occupied he bought a property just out side Grafton where he and his wife established a Charolais cattle stud. He is survived by his wife, Elsie, daughter of Bob Whitten, one of the early pioneers of Samarai, and a son, Robert.

Ten Wateti Takooa Ten Wateti Takooa, presi dent of the Betio Island Court in the Gilbert Islands for the last four years, has died. He is survived by his wife and a son.