A NOTED PIONEER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1659, 28 January 1913, Page 2

A NOTED PIONEER.

There.'are few people,residing-in the coastal towns of North , Queensland '.who have not heard of 'Mrs. Withnall, of Whitsunday Island (writes'& contributor to the' Sydney "Mail"). Far 23 yeat's this remarkablo woman lived, on the' island, andXonly left it-a few years back to engage in farming pursuits at Bo wen. ,Wlicn Mrs..Withnall, accompanied by her husband, first made a home on Whitsunday : Island, the placo'was populated by a tribo of aboriginals, , some'.of : whom had never: wen' .tho face of a White "woman.' Mr. Withnall erected a sawmill,,for tho island was thickly'' covered with, pine, but lie met with little 1 success'lU aboriginesto work, for him, (is. theirs' Ivas.a rich hufiting-groiind, the surround-, iuj waters swarming 1 with fish, turtle, tortoise, and .diigtog, and the interior of tho island 6dntaili'iVig game of many kinds. Mr 3. .Withnall gradually worked - herself into : their , good graoes, She thoroughly mastered their . language, accompanied them "on their fishing exoureions, attended •to female blacks who Were ill in their camps, and showed: them many other kindnesses. Tho Hacks were slow; in showing their appreciation' oftji6 white woman's favours* but at last recognised her as their friend/ with tho result that 'sever al, of the men consented ,to ..work' at the sawmill. Mrs. Withnall knew, that there was muoh money to bo'made out of bechc-de-mer and tortoise-shell, -which wore' plentiful in tho waters surrounding the island, and it was not long before sho had -.many- of the female aborigines: engitged in this work. Tho result, was a big success financhlly, but the news was carried to the coastal towns, and presently there were several boats in the vicinity •of the island, at work on the tortoise-shell and beche-de-mer. The aborigines employed by Mrs. Withnall deserted her,as, the crews of the Coastal boats offered thchi. n plentiful supply of opium and ruhl in' return for their labour.