New Gold

In Ng

Reports of Very Rich Find In Western Highlands

From Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby. April 7.

REPORTS— all unofficial as yet, but generally accepted here as substan tially correct —indicate that a rich new goldfield has been found at a point westward of Mount Hagen, towards the headwaters of the Strickland River, near a place called Wabag.

It is also stated in reliable quarters that the find is colossally rich—but that it may be found to be too big for small syndicates to handle.

Information has been hard to get. The Administration follows its usual invari able hush-hush policy, and the gold seekers primarily concerned are, of course, refusing to talk.

A “rush” is believed to have started.

Right in the forefront are members of the Leahy family, John Black (former public servant), and various old-timers, as well as representatives of Bulolo Gold Dredging, one of the pioneers of the Bul olo field. mo understand what is happening, it is J. necessary to recount a little history.

When the Bulolo-Morobe goldfield was established, in the late twenties, the interior of the great island of New Guinea, comprising thousands of square miles around the point where the bor ders of Papua, Mandated New Guinea and Dutch New Guinea meet in the centre, was marked “unexplored.” From 1930 onwards, exploration commenced.

A most formidable mountain range runs the entire length of the great island, and this backbone separates Papua and Mandated Territory. On the south side it descends steeply into Papua, forming a terrifying barrier. On the north side, it stretches away in a series of great plateaus, cut up by minor mountain ranges.

Some very large rivers take their origin in these plateaus, break through the island’s backbone in a series of tremen dous gorges, and flow southwards into the Gulf of Papua. Most notable of these are the Purari, the Kikori and the Strickland (largest of the tributaries of the mighty Fly). Only one great river flows northwards from these central plateaus—that, of course, is the Sepik, largest river in New Guinea.

Papuan officers, following up those great rivers, gradually penetrated the unknown region from the south, notable among them being the Champion broth ers and the late Jack Hides. Hides, on his last patrol before he died, reported gold in the Upper Strickland.

On the New Guinea side, young ex plorers tackled the unknown from the north-east, from the headwaters of the Markham, and the region behind Madang. The first notable patrols were made about 1932 bv the brothers Leahy and an Administration officer, Mr. James L. Taylor, who penetrated from Benna Benna to Mount Hagen—all new coun try, There were some minor expeditions by private gold-seekers.

The next notable patrol was in 1937- 38, when J. L. Taylor and John Black travelled across the plateaus from the Benna Benna region, to Mount Hagen, and on westwards towards Wabag. They were then apparently not far from the region that Hides had reached from the Upper Strickland.

Leahy Brothers —Jim, Mick and D an — W ere more or less closely asso ciated with all these explorations: and they located gold near Mount Hagen about the time of the Taylor-Leahy ex pedition. Later, owing to trouble with the natives, the whole area was “closed”; but the Leahys were allowed to retain and work their gold leases.

It was generally believed that the Taylor-Black expedition found import ant gold prospects; but the war came soon afterwards, and little was said about it.

After the war, both Taylor and Black occupied positions of responsibility in the Administration. Taylor, after being Dir ector of Natiye Labour, went over to the Highland Division (the central plateaus) as District Officer; Black was in the District Services Department in Port Moresby.

The secret has been well kept for some years, and it is not known why this sud den move has taken place. Probably, it is because other prospectors—especially a BGD expedition—have begun to push into the interior. Many old-timers have been hungry, for years, for a peep at the virtually unknown region westward of Mount Hagen; but they have been kept out by the Administration’s strict orders. This was, and still is, “uncon trolled territory.”

However, Mr. Black is reported to have resigned his job and departed with Mr.

Mick Leahy for Mount Hagen, there to await a Government permit to go into the uncontrolled area. Also on the way are the BGD outfit, and several experi enced prospectors.

IT was generally understood that dead line was April 1; all in the line-up were then to get permits. Then the date was altered to May 1; and now the lads are cooling their heels at Mount Hagen and other hill stations there abouts.

It is reported that two well-known officials have resigned their Administra tive posts in the Highlands Division, and are joining in the “rush.”

It is believed that the decision to post pone the deadline to May 1 was the result of the Administration’s anxiety concerning the effects of the influx on the Wabag natives, who have seen few white men. The Director of Health, Dr. Gunther, has been busy in the Gar oka-Mt. Hagen area during April—which strengthens the general belief that the Administration has decided to let the miners in, at last.

THE Wabag area towards which Leahy and Black are believed to be head ing, is called “inaccessible,” and this will be a handicap. However, the diffi culties of terrain and isolation are not expected to be any greater than those experienced by prospectors in the early days of Wau and Edie Creek, and they are unlikely to stop the local populace who. tired of the frustrating daily round of the rehabilitation era, is in a mood to rush to the Highlands with all speed at the slightest justification.

The prospect of a gold-rush in the carefully preserved Highlands seems scarcely to accord with the Wardian policy of “New Guinea for the Fuzzy wuzzies.” Perhaps, however, Mr. Ward and his advisers have seen the light, and are thinking about Highlands gold in terms of American dollars.

Congratulations were showered upon Mr. W. H. (“Tavua”) Johnson, who at tained his 86th birthday in Suva on April 10. He has been in Fiji for 56 years. The story of “Tavua” Johnson’s adventurous life will be published in the “PIM” in May or June.