LIFE IN NEW GUINEA

Southland Times, Issue 24879, 20 October 1942, Page 4

LIFE IN NEW GUINEA

Visiting Missionary’s Impressions All the things for which New Guinea was famous —its gold, aeroplanes, the wide diversity of the types of natives, the universally understood and spoken language and the great missionary work that has been carried on over a period of years by the various denominations were discussed by the Rev. A. H. Voyce in an address to the members of the Southland Travel Club yesterday afternoon. Mr Voyce spent 16 years doing missionary work on the islands and left on furlough just before the outbreak of war. He tried to return, but was able to get only as far as Sydney. , “Before the war New Guinea carried the greatest aeroplane freight service in the world,” said Mr Voyce. It had been necessary to establish some form of transport for the gold, and before aeroplanes were used it took the natives 11 days to reach the fields, whereas it was now possible to get there in 35 minutes. Even motor-cars were now flown to the plateau, and the morning milk was delivered by plane. New Guinea was well known to anthropologists and linguists. The pidgin English spoken was very amusing and through it the natives had no difficulty in making themselves understood. The Polynesians were very akin to the Maoris, and Mr Voyce expressed the opinion that if the Maoris were to live with the Polynesians for even a very short space of time they would soon pick up the customs and characteristics of the Polynesian people. WORK OF MISSIONARIES Not only did the missionaries of the Lutheran, Roman .Catholic, Methodist and Anglican churches attend to the religious side of life; they also took an active part in the educational and medical work on the island. Mr Voyce said he was often asked if there were any fifth columnists in New Guinea. He could say that after the bombing of Pearl Harbour there had been a few Japanese interned and that the people of New Guinea had no love for the Japanese—they knew them too well. But many people were perturbed about the sympathy that was shown towards the Germans and it was no uncommon thing to see the swatiska displayed. The president, Mr A. W. Jones, asked Mr J. Pickard to thank Mr Voyce for his interesting address.