Seen In

Vast New Country Seen In Central N. Guinea

From R. W. Robson.

GOROKA (N.G. Highlands) Oct. 14 .

ADO Alan Temperley, from Mount Hagen, is here today organising an airlift. On Sunday, a plane will fly south from Mount Hagen and, at a place between Hagen and Lake Kutubu (western Papua) it will drop supplies to a large party which, under ADO Smith, from Kutubu, is clearing a new air-strip in this hitherto almost unknown and un mapped region.

This gives the measure of the astonish ing progress made in the last three years by the officers of District Services in opening up the New Guinea Highlands and the “uncontrolled” region to the west and south.

There is to be another Government station at this new air-strip; and then there will be a continuous string of ad ministrative posts from Lae, right across the Markham-Ramu-Hagen country to Wabag, in the west, and southwards to Kutubu and the Gulf of Papua, in the south.

The only really uncontrolled country left is that adjoining the Dutch border.

It is now evident that in this vast, fertile and beautiful plateau there are at least a million people.

Twenty Chinese residents of Fiji were passengers in a plane that left Sydney for Nadi in October. They had arrived in Sydney on the steamer Taiping. There were 10 Gees, three Fongs, three Lees, two Seetos, one Tom and one Low.

Death Of Mr. Percy R. Hinds

THE death occurred at Kikori, Papua, on October 27, of Mr. Percy R. Hinds’ at the age of 69. He was one of Papua’s well-known old traders. He went to the Territory some 30 years ago, to the goldfields. Later, he became one of the first staff men of Steamships Trading Co.

For the last 15 years he had been running his own business at Kikori, as a trader and recruiter, with considerable success.

When he died, he was negotiating the sale of his business, with a view to retirement.

He is survived by his wife and his daughter Judy.

A successful sports meeting was held at the Rove Police Depot in Honiara, BSI, on September 30. Some events were open to all Islanders, others only to police.

Cups for all the major events were pre sented by public-spirited citizens.