Pat O’Hara’s Secret Gold

Mine A Memory of Early Papua

AN old resident of Papua, Mr. Robert Bruce, was much interested recently to learn of the intense activity on the various goldfields of Papua. He knows the Territory well as a gold prospector, and he believes that there is much rich gold to be located there. Incidentally, he has many interesting memories of the early days in Papua.

“Thirty years ago,” he said, “I led a small party of 15 native labourers into the interior from Cloudie Bay and on one of the rivers there —I have forgotten its name —we came upon an extraordinary sight.

“Some scores of European miners had been at work there on good gold. The natives were unfriendly, and the miners were nervous. One day a miner on an isolated creek heard a noise in the bush, and fired his rifle. No natives were seen, but an alarm was given and a gong struck right throughout the settlement. Every man there collected what necessary things he could carry and bolted. Within two days the place was completely deserted.

“I got this history later, but when I arrived there with my party there was not a man to be seen, but picks, shovels, camping equipment, and all sorts of things were there simply abandoned. I spent some time there seeking payable gold, but I did not find it. What I obtained was merely sufficient to pay expenses.

“There is good gold in that end of Papua, however. At the time I am speak ing of —thirty years ago—there was a big Irishman named Pat O’Hara, who used to go over into the mainland from Samarai and disappear into the mountains; and he never came back without a large chamois bag full of gold. Many attempts were made to follow him, to discover where his secret mine was, but he was too clever for us. Sometimes he would be away a week or two —sometimes months.

One day he disappeared on one of these expeditions, and he never returned.

“Mrs. Elizabeth Mahony was the then

proprietress of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Samarai, and when Pat arrived with his gold he virtually took possession of the hotel. Everyone became his guest, and for a time he would not allow anyone to pay for anything. All drinks were free.

There was always a dance to celebrate Pat’s return; and Pat, in new white mole skins and new red shirt, always led the dance, clumping round in his big heavy boots in the most jolly manner, “I have had reports recently from Milne Bay that good gold has been found in that vicinity. I wonder if that was the district from which Pat O’Hara got his gold.”