deaths

Charles Dunford Rowley In Canberra on August 18, aged 79.

Professor Rowley was the founding professor of political studies at the University of Papua New Guinea.

Professor Jim Griffin, former ly of UPNG, said Rowley’s study, The New Guinea Villa ger (1965), was still “the most sensitive and thoughtful intro duction” to Papua New Gui nean society written by a Euro pean.

“Professor Rowley had in tended to follow this up one day with a sequel, The Papua New Guinean Citizen, which would portray both villagers and urban dwellers coming to terms with their own indepen dent nation state,” he said.

“But this was never written because Rowley turned his attention to the Aboriginals, who had been even more un happily colonised by the white Australians. ”

Before his UPNG appoint ment, Rowley had been princi pal of the Australian School of Pacific Administration (ASPOA) in Sydney.

He received many honors for a monumental trilogy, The De struction of Aboriginal Society, Outcasts in White Society, and The Remote Aboriginals.

“However, he did not lose interest in Papua New Guinea, and visited Port Moresby last November to sum up at the colonial centenary history semi nar,” said Mr Griffin.

“He did his work with an appropriately scathing but calm view of white Australian racism both at home and on its Melanesian frontier.”

One of Professor Rowley’s early students, Paulias Matane, who is now PNG’s secretary for foreign affairs and trade, said he was deeply saddened by his death.

“He was one of the best expatriates ever to work in Papua New Guinea.

“He was selfless, dedicated and a very level-headed person.

“My family and I are sad dened by the death of this man who did so much for Papua

New Guineans and the Aborigi nals,” Mr Matane said.

Professor Rowley died within a week of being told informally that the University of PNG had decided to award him an hon orary doctorate of philosophy.

Edwin H. Bryan Jr.

In Honolulu on July 24, aged 87.

Edwin H. Bryan Jr. was one of Hawaii’s outstanding scien tists, and a fixture at the Bishop Museum since 1919.

The Honolulu Advertiser said in an editorial tribute: “Edwin H. Bryan Jr. some times complained that his mind was used as a library by those who wanted to know about the geography and natural history of the Pacific. Yet he was always glad to answer the ques tions of anyone from leading scientists to students with school assignments.

“What he could not instantly recall from his encyclopedic memory of the Pacific Islands he could probably find in the books he wrote and the note books of original manuscripts of his over 2000 published articles and shorter works which he kept near his desk at the Bishop Museum.

“Bryan was associated with the museum for almost his entire career. In 1960 he estab lished the museum’s Pacific Sci entific Information Center. In 1968 he was named the first Brigham Fellow after the museum’s first director.

“During World War 11, how ever, Bryan left his job as curator of the museum’s collections to serve in the U.S.

Army. His intimate knowledge of the islands of the Pacific, gained during numerous field trips and constant study, was an invaluable resource for Amer ican forces.

“Today, he is best known for Bryan’s Sectional Maps of Oahu which has been the standard street guide reference for years. The royalties from that book, and at times Bryan’s own pension, have often gone to support the Bishop Museum in hard financial times.

“Edwin Bryan was a unique

figure, a real museum ‘old timer’ with a computer-like mind that collected data in a variety of disciplines and an all-round ability to do the things that needed doing. His con tribution to the world’s know ledge of the Pacific is im measurable. ”

John Bell Kerr Taylor At Kaiata, New Zealand, on August 6, aged 90.

Colonel John Bell Kerr Taylor was the commander of the Ist Battalion, Fiji Infantry Regiment in World War II and coach of the Fiji rugby team which toured New Zealand without loss in 1939.

Colonel Taylor, known fami liarly as JBK, has been given much of the credit for estab lishing the skill of Fiji soldiers as jungle fighters and the reputa tion of Fiji in international rugby.

In June 1940 Colonel Taylor was seconded to the army and later was placed in command of the First Battalion.

The battalion trained at Nata bua, near Lautoka, and Colonel Taylor’s reputation as a disciplinarian is reflected in a battalion song “Natabua that’s where the Colonel broke us in”.

Johnny Halafihi In Yorkshire, United Kingdom, recently, aged 52.

Described by Wellington Evening Post sports writer Nicolaas Venter as “arguably the best boxer to come out of the Pacific Islands”, Johnny Halafihi, a short, muscular Ton gan, fought most of the world’s top light heavyweights in a professional career which be gan in 1950 and ended in Europe in the early 19605.

Venter wrote; “New Zealand fans remember him as a skilful, exciting boxer who knocked out many of his opponents. He fought here from 1953-56, win ning the New Zealand title from Charlie Beaton in Wellington, and then headed for Europe.

“There he beat Jamaican Yolande Pompey on a foul, drew twice with the world num ber five Mike Holt, and lost to

Empire champion Chick Cal derwood.

“In 1961 he returned to New Zealand, and a record Auck land crowd of 15,500 people saw him lose on points to top American Eddie Cotton.

“Mr Halafihi returned to Europe after fighting Cotton.

He married an English girl and settled in the UK, continuing to fight all over Europe.

“In all he had 58 professional fights, winning 37, drawing six, and losing 15.”

Su’a Fritz Thomsen In Western Samoa on Septem ber 11, aged 60.

One of Western Samoa’s leading magistrates, Su’a Fritz Thomsen had a long and distinguished career in his country’s public service.

He was secretary for justice before his appointment as a magistrate in 1977.

In 1953 he took the title of Sua Leituposa, from Salelavalu in Savaii. He was accordingly best known to his countrymen as Sua Leitupose Thomsen.

Taraariki Pitomaki On Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on September 15, aged 57.

A former school teacher, the Rev Taraariki Pitomaki was ordained as a minister of the Cook Islands Christian Church in 1958 and became its general secretary in 1976, having a hand in the drafting of the church’s new constitution.

He preached his last sermon at Nikao, Rarotonga, on the day he died.

The Cook Islands News said in a tribute: “He was a most outstanding minister of the church, a man who had faith in his own people, who had confi dence in the ability of Cook Islands ministers of the church, and who, during his days as general secretary, strongly advocated that the church be governed by local ministers.”