finger in

New Hebrides

An Aussie finger in many a pie

Britain and France aside, Aus

tralia enjoys a physical,

business and diplomatic pres ence in the New Hebrides which is unequalled, writes

Greg Nosworthy, who recently

returned to Australia from a two-year stay there. According to the latest available figures, a total of 60 000 Australians arrived in 1977 on cruise ships or by air, compared with 2700 Japanese, their nearest rivals.

An Australian consular office was established in 1977, headed by Bill Fisher. It re

mains the only foreign diplo

matic establishment in the British/French condominium.

Since 1970 it has been largely Australian banks, trust companies, law and account ancy firms that have capitalised on the New Hebrides’ tax haven status. All Australian

private national trading banks

are or have been represented, along with French, British, Hong Kong and Swiss banks.

Cruise ships berth either in Vila or Santo on an average almost once a week. It is from these that most visitors arrive.

Carrying up to 2000 passen gers, they usually stay less than 24 hours. The balance of Aus tralians, who arrive by air, are generally on airfare and ac commodation package hol idays, with the heaviest numbers arriving at Australian

school holiday time, especially

August.

Accurate figures on the num ber of Australians resident in the New Hebrides are not available, although it is known that they are second in num bers to the French. It is possible that after independence, with the departure of many of the British and French public ser vants now working there, the numbers of Australians and New Zealanders will go up still further.

The attitude to Australians

of the average New Hebridean is friendly and co-operative.

The tourism and finance indus tries provide valuable jobs in Vila, where the unemployment rate is more than 80%. Some Islanders have come to regard Australia as some kind of para dise when they hear stories of high wages, 95% employment,

and people actually getting

paid by the government when they’re out of work.

It is to be hoped that in the coming years financial and physical assistance from Aus tralia will increase, in order to foster the development of this vital new nation.