100,000 New People

Will Enter The P-NG Fold P-NG’s Last Frontier Surveyed From the Air

A USTHALIAN newspapers in May Cx and June had an acute attack of Shangri-laitis following the mnouncement from Port Moresby ;hat an aerial survey party had ocated large groups of hitherto ittle-known people in the Highland ireas of P-NG.

There was a spate of Letters-to he Editor from respectable John Citizens; and the newspapers hemselves beat the editorial chest ind inquired: “Should tve leave hem alone?”

But it was a rhetorical question >nly: nothing will induce any lewspaper to leave F-NG alone if wents there can be twisted to pro luce a sensation.

The representative of one London laily has been inquiring how he ;an hire a plane and fly into one tf these “mysterious” valleys, to be irst in the field with an exclusive nterview with the savages.

Most of the newspaper stories, jased on conjecture and imagina ion, are sheer nonsense.

The facts are these: [N accordance with Administration policy, the Director of District Services, Mr. A. A. Roberts, md the Regional Director of Civil Aviation, Mr. John Arthur, in late \Jl ay began a 10-day aerial survey >f the last large area of unad ninistered country in the Territory.

Phis extends northwest from Tari, n the Southern Highlands District, ,o just beyond the Strickland Gorge. ;t represents some of the most •ugged country in Papua or New 3uinea. , It is predominantly of limestone md jagged peaks rise to over 12,000 ? eet, The inhabited valleys he at >etween 5,000 and 6,000 feet.

It was known that some of these valleys were populated: but basing estimates on the extent of the gardens observed, in the ie^ survey it is now estimated that Drobably 100,000 people live in this intouched area.

The survey showed that tne Vluller and Karius Ranges, which parallel each other, and run N-W Torn south of Tan to the Strick and Gorge, enclose three valleys, rhere is a gap into this valley system at about 7,500 feet but it is £o narrow for aircraft. ' Thes survey Sane used a second and wider gap and rivers in the /allev appear to dram into a.senes D f small lakes, and then into a arger lake. It is thought that the

water then finds an outlet through subterranean channels in the stone formation—there appears to be no other outlet from the valley for it.

Other population groups were located by ,the survey team N-W of Tari, and also near the extinct volcano of Bosavi.

The floors of the valleys appeared

Lexy’s

Birthday

Popular Lexy Seagar, of Port Moresby, with some of her admirers who helped her to cele brate her birthday with a party on June 6. (“Lexy’s” is Moresby’s best known restaurant). —Photo by Papuan Prints.

swampy and it is doubtful if there will be any suitable sites for land ing strips.

With this preliminary aerial survey, many years of hard ground work is eliminated and it is hoped now that patrols will be able to go into the area towards the end of this year.

Tari will be the base from which these ground patrols will operate and these will be supplied, not from the Highlands area, but from Kikori on the Gulf of Papua where a new aerodrome is under construction.

This involves fewer flying hazards, besides being a more direct route.