Young Explorers
p. 16 · Read in the full issue
Differ
Hides and Leahy
AN unpleasant incident marred the felicitations with which Messrs Jack Hides and James O’Malley were sur rounded, when they arrived in Australia in August, after their successful explora tory patrol in the hitherto unknown centre of New Guinea.
The achievements of Mr. Hides, in Papua, and of the Leahy Brothers, in New Guinea, are described elsewhere. One is the complement of the other —there can be no suggestion of rivalry or plagiarism.
That has been the consistent attitude of Mr. Hides. Unfortunately, the noteworthy feats of Messrs Leahy have been almost ignored by the erratic Australian press; while those of Mr. Hides have received 100 per cent publicity. Life is like that.
As it happened, Mr. M. J. Leahy, well-known -New Guinea prospector (one of the Leahy brothers, who penetrated to the Mount Hagen area) was in Mel bourne on his way to London: and he supplied the Melbourne Star of August 16 with an article in which he claimed to have previously made many of the geographical and ethnological discoveries announced by Mr. Hides. He denied the existence of the light-skinned race described by Mr.
Hides, and he claimed that he and his brothers had ‘‘thoroughly explored” the highlands along the border. He said that two of the mountain peaks described by Mr. Hides were incorrectly placed on Mr. Hides’ map; and he made a whole series of comments in the Star of August 16 and 17. which appeared to cast doubt upon many of Mr. Hides’ statements.
and rather to belittle the importance of his discoveries.
Sydney reporters immediately dug out Mr. Hides, and asked him to reply to Mr. Leahy. Mr. Hides said simply that he was quite sure that he was the first white explorer to cover the country he had described, but he suggested that if Mr. Leahy had been there before him, he (Leahy) would have pictures and maps to prove his statements. He added: “I think Leahy is one of the greatest bush men who has ever been in New Guinea, and I am sure that most people in the Territory think so, too.”
Back went the reporters to Mr. Leahy in Melbourne and Mr. Leahy replied in a querulous and bad-tempered fashion.
He said that he and his brothers had been all through the country described by Mr. Hides and he stated that the Fox brothers had also been through the same region. He proceeded to criticise Mr.
Hides’ report and field map in unfavour able fashion.
The opinions of Mr. Leahy were given some prominence in Sydney and Mel bourne newspapers; but they missed their mark. Comment on Mr. Leahy’s sports manship and his attitude towards the young Government official who obviously had done an excellent job was far from flattering to Mr. Leahy.