Mrs Emelia Hedewig FARRELL (nee Rundnagel) (25
December 2002, aged 85 years)
Emelia or 'Hede' was the youngest daughter of Wilhelm and Florence Rundnagel.
She was born in 1917 at Herbertshohe (Kokopo) and along with her two siblings
(both deceased) experienced a happy and carefree childhood on the family
plantation, Rivien, on the Gazelle Peninsula, until being sent to boarding
school in Australia.
While doing her nursing at Crown Street Children's Hospital, she was introduced
by Flo Gilmore to Daniel (Denis) Farrell whom she later married. She made her
home in Sydney but her parents and brother were interned in Rabaul by the
Japanese and the plantation was subjected to much devastation.
Her love of homeland never left her, and she later returned to Rabaul along with
Denis to run Rivien and Bitikua plantations. This she continued to do even after
the death of her husband in 1974. In 1983 she reluctantly severed her ties with
plantation life and settled once again in Sydney. Until plagued with ill health
she travelled extensively and enjoyed the arts.
Emelia's niece, Jillian von Leixner (Una Voce - March 2003)
