AIRMAN AS MISSIONER

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1931, Page 5

AIRMAN AS MISSIONER

WILDS OF NORTH AUSTRALIA

USES OF AVIATION,

The first aeroplane to be luej 1,1 aboriginal mission work in the wilds of Northern Australia left Sydney recently in charge of Mr K, LaiiglorclSmitii, a young missionary pilot at* taolied to the Church Mission Society. Ho worked for lids certificate.so that he could reach by air settlements in the “Never-never,” which are inaccessible by land) for six months of the year. He has been in charge of the Roper River Mission for two years, and now lie has been granted six months’ leave of absence so- that he can explore the wild Arnheim Land by air. His object is to select possible sites for new mission stations and to make plans for a. new base on the Roper River for the mission hospital and as a centre for the industrial work.

Apart from exploration work tlie aeroplane is going to be useful in many other wavs. Tlie Church Mission Society has three stations in Arnheim Land. One is at Oenpelli, on tlie Alligator River, some 309 miles from Roper River, but the route takes such a course that it takes longer to go from Roper to Oenpelli than it takes to go from Sydney to Roper River, and nobody in Roper has ever seen the other settlement. .

The nearest town with a railway station and a hospital ig Mattar.anka, 250 miles from Roper. In a motor-car, during dry weather, the journey from the railhead to Roper occupies three days, providing all goes well, which frequently is not the case owing to the rough nature of the country. By pack horse the trip takes over a week, and during tlve six months’ rainy season cannot be made at all.

White people living near the missions often send for help in-the case of sickness, but relief work has hitherto been severely handicapped bv the impassible nature of much of the country in Northern Australia. Recently, when two white women were ill, a missionary with medical knowledge went to their help, while another started out in a car for the Mattaranka Hospital. No doctor, was available, and when the missionary .returned with the medicine one woman was dead. Had an aeroplane, been available her life would probably have been saved. According to Mr Langford-Smith no attempt is made to force the bush natives to adopt civilised attire. In Arnheim Land the few a.borktines remaining have ihot been affected, by civilisation,, and every effort is being made to shelter them from its evils.