Exploring

Aviation and Radio In Exploring News of Central New Guinea Patrol

THE New Guinea official patrol led by Messrs. Taylor, Black and Walsh, which is visiting the unexplored coun try in Central New Guinea, was 100 miles due south-west of Mount Hagen on June 3, and was in good health.

The party reported by radiophone that it was running short cf certain food stuffs, etc., and arrangements there upon were made with, Guinea Airways Ltd. to drop supplies by parachute. There was no area in the vicinity of the camp suitable for easy conversion into a land ing ground. Parachutes were made and thoroughly tested in Lae by Guinea Air ways, and then one of the Guinea Air ways Fords was flown out into the unex plored region by Pilots Tommy O’Dea and Garden. The camp was duly located, and the supplies were dropped, attached to parachutes.

The party later reported by radiophone that everything was picked up safely, the only damage being a dent in a tin of kerosene, and two axe-handles broken.

On the night of June 1, a very inter esting incident occurred. With the aid of A.W.A., the patrol leader, Mr. Taylor, using a radiophone, spoke from the mid dle of th,e unexplored region to Govern ment House in Rabaul, and held a con versation with the Rt. Hon. W. M Hughes (Minister for External Affairs) who was then visiting the Territory. The patrol leader described the situation of the camp, etc., to Mr. Hughes, who nat urally was intensely interested by the circumstances of the conversation.

“Old hands” will compare the new method of exploring, aided by radio and aviation, with the conditions of a couple of decades ago.

Mrs. Elizabeth Mahoney, of Bathurst, New South Wales, who many years ago was famous in the Western Pacific as the “Queen of Sudest”, has had the misfortune to break her hip and, dur ing June she was receiving attention in the Mater Misericordiae Hospital.

North Sydney.

Mr. E. A. James, proprietor of the “Papuan Courier”, left Port Moresby by the airliner on June 4, for Cairns and immediately entered hospital, where he underwent an operation for appendi citis.

Mr. E. H. Pratten, a director of Gold Mines of Papua, Ltd., left Sydney by the “Macdhui“ early in June for an in spection of the Company’s workings on Misima Island, at the Eastern end of

Papua.

Rev. H. S. Hipkin, of the Melanesian Mission at Taroaniara, Gela, 8.5.1., will shortly proceed to England where he will spend several months’ furlough.

Rev. R. V. Longden of the Melanesian Mission at Moewe, New Britain, will leave the Territory shortly for a short furlough in New Zealand.

Rev. W. L. I. Linggood, accompanied by his wife and their two childre/n arrived in Rabaul, New Britain, by the “Nankin” on May 24 on their way back to the Methodist Mission station at Raluana after doing several months’ deputation work- in Australia.

Mr. J. Trotter, manager in Fiji for Messrs. Burns, Philp (South Sea) Co.

Ltd., made a quick business trip to New Zealand and return during May.