Air-Drop At Mendi

Extending Administ’n in NG Highlands

LAE. Nov. 1.

THE landing, this month, of a plane on the new air-strip at Mendi, in the almost unknown region in the centre of New Guinea, between Mount Hagen (New Guinea Highlands) and Lake Kutu bu (in behind the Gulf of Papua) will mark a new stage in aviation develop ment and in administration.

Hitherto, the exploration and control of this vast new Highland region—which Australia, until about 1932, did not know she had —have been carried out mostly from the east. Step by step, from the Markham into the Benna Benna Valleys, and thence on westward through Goroka, Chimbu, Wahgi, Hagen and Wabag, the patrols followed the explorers, the air strip makers followed the patrols, and the administrative machinery settled in alongside the air-strips.

Now, in all these great valley systems, there are good air-strips; and, under the direction of DO George Greathead, at Goroka, there is a series of government stations, serviced entirely by air, through out the region. The way in which the Highlands have been brought under con trol and direction is the most creditable achievement in the record of the post-war Administration.

BUT the thrust has come from the east.

Planes, in order to reach Wabag, away west of Hagen, have flown usually from Lae, in the far east, or Madang, in the north-east.

Now, the thrust has turned south-west and south from Hagen, around the western end of the central mountain mass which cuts off Papua from New Guinea.

These fairly open plateaus run away south and lose themselves in the bad limestone and jungle country near the Gulf of Papua—explored in the ’twenties and ’thirties by Hubert Murray’s young men (Ivan Champion, Jack Hides, etc.,) from Papua, and the gold-seeking Leahy brothers, from the north.

In September, a party under ADO Smith left the Lake Kutubu station (serviced by Catalina from Moresby) and made their way to a point midway between Hagen and Kutubu, called Mendi, and proceeded to construct an air-strip.

On October 15, a Gibbes’ Norseman plane arrived in Goroka from Moresby, was loaded with supplies and, guided by ADO Timperley (from Hagen) and as sisted by ADO Les Williams, from Goroka, they went out into this new country, located the air-strip party, and, in two trips, dropped the supplies, in war-time fashion.

Later on, ADO Smith’s party returned to Kutubu and ADO Timperley took in a party to finish the job.

Not only will Mendi allow servicing planes to make a sort of round trip (Lae- Goroka-Hagen-Mendi-Moresby); but it appears also to be the intention of the Government to establish an important station there. It will be centre of still another valley system, carrying a large population, about which comparatively little is known.

The Rev. Fr. R. J. Quirk, of the Fran ciscan Fathers, and stationed at Vanimo, New Guinea, is in Melbourne on six months furlough. The new Catholic mission at Vanimo has risen from the ashes of the old one destroyed during the war. Ft. Quirk is the only European there, but besides his house there are school rooms, a church, dispensary and a small native hospital.