STUDENT'S ADVENTURE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 130, 25 January 1932, Page 6

STUDENT'S ADVENTURE

ROTORUA BOY'S WANDERINGS IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR MEDICAL MISSION WORIC An old Rotorua boy who has been fortunate enough to travel half round the woGd, and to see many little known places, mainly hy his own hard work and resourcefulness, is Mr. Hilton L. Willcox, who returned to Auckland from New York on Friday. January 15. Mr. Willcox is a son oi Mr. W. Willcox, for many years heac' gardener at the Government Gardens in Rotorua, and now retired and living at Papatoetoe. Mr. Willcor wiil commence the sixth year' of hi: medical studies at Auckland Hospita'' in March next, at the end of whicr he hopes to qualify for his M.D. degree. . During the summer vacation of the Otago University in 1929-30, Mr Willcox obtained a position on the "City of New York," which went tc Little America on Whale Island, to bring back the Byrd expedition afte* its return from the South Pole. Wher the party returned to New Zealand Mr. Willcox was asked by Rear-Ad-miral Byrd to accompany him back tc the United States, so, giving up his studies temporarily, he went to New York. where he was presented with the Congressional Medal, which aF members of the exnedition received. - While in New York Mr. Willcox was introduced by one of the partj to the secretary of Sir Wilfrid Gren fell's mission to Northern Newfounuland and Labrador. He applied for and obtained a position as house sur geon, under Dr. C. S. Curtis, of Bos ton. at the St. Anthony Hospital Northern Newfoundland, where he re mained for 12 months. Lnst year hf accomnanied an expoditmn, arranged by Sir Wilfrid Grenfell, which carried out a comh'ned aerial and land survey of a soction of the Northerr Labrador Coast. Mr. Willcox then re turned to New York, and after ? short time obtained a position on the motor-shin Arden vohr, in which he returned to New Zealand. The St. Anthony Hospital. to whicl Mi\ Willcox was attaehed, serves ar ?T^. of some 200 snnnre miles, anc during the winter months. from De cemher to May, when the rivers were frozen over, he .travelled many miles hy dog team in order to visit his ratients, the majoritv of whom wev fishermen. Mr. Wihcox srieakr glowingly of the work the mission is dome, and pays a warm tribute to Sir Wilfrid Grenfell, whose periodical visits were a wonderful inspiration to workerr in the district. Mr Wfflcox was greatly impressed hy life in Northern Newfoundland. and states that tbough wild and primitive, it has a lure of its own. and would apneal strongly to anyone fiond of the hig and open spaces.