Deaths

of Islands People

Rose Christine Young

At the Norfolk Island Hospital on December 2, 1980. Born Rose Christine Quintal on September 20, 1890, Aunt Lil, as she was known, married her childhood sweetheart, Rupert Young, on his return from the Boer War in 1914. They had five children including Edgar (Brud) Young, whose recent death was reported last month (PIM Jan pB2). In an obituary tribute The Norfolk Islander wrote: ‘A strong character, always with a witty remark, she was a person who radiated gentleness with her firmness and had a particular care about all who came in contact with her ... Another of the older Norfolkers whose lifestyle we should all remember has been taken from us.’

Fredrick Stuart

Baker

On December 4, 1980, aged 86.

His son Len Baker writes: ‘My parents went to Fiji in 1922 on the SS Suva and lived there until 1948. Since 1961 they have lived at Woolgoolga, NSW, Australia. In 1924 my father joined the Prisons De partment in Suva and remained with it until his retirement in 1948. He would also be remem bered for his work with the Royal Life Saving Society as he founded the Fiji Branch in 1937 with the assistance of Charles

Lament, a teacher at Suva Boys’ Grammar School, who was later killed in a bombing raid over Germany while serv ing with the RNZAF in World War 11. On October 20 last year my parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary an event which brought together all their immediate family to a celebration at Woolgoolga. To have lived so long in such harmony is I believe proof that life in the islands cannot be as destructive as some critics would have us believe.’

Bruce Adams

On February 8 in Sydney, of cancer, aged 50. Bruce Adams was widely known and re spected in the Pacific Islands as a photo-journalist. He made more than 50 visits to Papua New Guinea, and was a regular visitor to other Island groups.

PIM published hundreds of his photographs over the years, including many memorable cover pictures. His last illus trated feature, prepared follow ing a visit to Solomon Islands, appeared in PI M’s February 1981 issue.

While working as a freelance, he produced Battleground South Pacific, a magnificent pictorial record of the after math of the war, which he later revised as Rust in Peace, a work which is still selling. He also produced two other books.

In recent years he joined the Australian Defence Depart ment as a photographer with the RAAF. His splendid, fre quently dramatic air-to-air photographs, published widely in newspapers and magazines, enhanced the public image of the RAAF, and he was always a popular and welcome super numerary with aircrews.

Bruce Adams was an unpre tentious man, modest about his skills, with a deep affection for the islands. His memorial is his extensive and invaluable library of film, in colour and black and white, which captured the Southwest Pacific and its people during an important period of their development.

S.I.

Nabetari Biribo

On January 5 in Kiribati, aged 58. The South Pacific Com mission Intermediate Reader 2 for Primary Schools tells the story of Nabetari, known in his

own country as The Marathon Swimmer’. The book contains the stories of his two great ordeals at sea. The first oc curred in the 1930 s when he, his father and companions were lost for a week on what should have been a one-day journey from Nikunau to Beru they eventually made landfall at Tabiteuea. The second was in 1942 when, in an effort to escape the Japanese occu pation, Nabetari and some com panions tried to sail from Ocean Island to the Gilberts, but wind and current being against them sailing east, they decided to sail westward. After a seven-month journey, during which all his mates perished, Nabetari eventually made landfall in the Ninigo Islands, in Papua New Guinea. It was 2400 km from his starting point. Apart from these experiences, Nabetari’s title came from his great ability as a long-distance swimmer.

Atoa Te’O Tuvale

In New Zealand in January, aged 64. Regarded as ‘irre placeable’ as a translator, Atoa was chief interpreter/ translator of Western Samoa’s Legislative Assembly. ‘Fifty years of public service was the enviable record of this greatly loved true servant of the people,’ was the comment of one Apia resident on news of his death. His former boss at the Legislative Assembly Lew Clare regarded him as ‘most diligent’ and having ‘a common sense approach to life’. Fata Faalogo Pito, manager of the Samoa Times, called Atoa’s translating ability ‘a God-given gift’. Though plagued by ill health for most of his life, Atoa never let it interfere with the goals he had set himself. His death during a holiday in New Zealand drew a spate of eu logies from his colleagues in the assembly, the elected members of the legislature, and from church and business leaders in the country.

Tu’Iha’Angana

In Auckland on January 24.

One of the nobles of the realm of King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, Tu’iha’angana was a former MP. He was first elected as a representative of the Haapai nobles in 1941, shortly after being installed in the hereditary noble title of Tu’iha’angana.