ALMOST A KING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 July 1938, Page 5

ALMOST A KING

GOLD PROSPECTOR’S SUCCESS IN NEW GUINEA. ONLY WHITE MAN IN AREA. Mr Michael Leahy, 36-year-old prospector and explorer, is now practically king of the wild Wahgi natives on Mount Hagen Plateau, 8000 ft high, in the centre of New Guinea. He is the only white man in the region. The story of this adventurous Queenslander was told by B. D. Parer, of Watut river, a passenger on the Montoro. Leahy discovered gold close to the foot of the 13,120 ft peak of Mount Hagen, and employed between 200 and 300 Wahgis to work his claims. They were paid with knives, tomahawks, or shell money, ordinary currency being unknown and useless to them. Mr Parer, who has flown to the locality, with his famous brother. Ray Parer, said that the Wahgis were a splendid type of native and were good agriculturists. Leahy was permitted by the New Guinea Administration to live in the area, in recognition of his pioneering work. He had established a remarkable influence over the Wahgis, and spoke then- language. Leahy was born in Toowoomba. He left school when 16, and worked for eight years in the railways as a clerk. At 24 he was stationed at Cairns, but as news of the gold strike at Edie Creek filtered across the Coral Sea, he left his railway- job and went to New Guinea. His brother, who has a claim at Watut river, near - the Bulolo field, is travelling on the Montoro. This brother employs about 200 natives and is winning gold at the rate of 2500 z a month. Since Christmas he has obtained £lO,OOO worth. A report of the discovery of a new goldfield in the headwater of the Sepik river, near the Dutch border, was also made by mining men on the Montoro. It is believed that the new discovery will be of considerable importance.