Death Of "Alf" Belfield

MR. James Walter Bel field, well known throughout the gold fields end of New Guinea as “Alf”, died at Wewak, on January 17, at the approxi mate age of 80.

Mr. Belfield was one of the rapidly-diminishing band of prospector-explorers who, 20 years ago, went out into the unknown hinterland of Papua and New Guinea in search of gold. He arrived in New Guinea from Papua in the early days of the Morobe Goldfield, when a small band of men and women, cheer fully suffering great hard ships, were developing Edie Creek.

This photograph was taken by Mr. L. V. Waterhouse in 1933. It shows Mr. Belfield (left) with another of the Morobe pioneers, Mr. Dick Glasson, just before they left on a trip into the Sepik River district.

Mr. Belfield died as the result of toxaemia from a gangrenous arm.