Guide to the Papers and photographs of Jim Taylor
MS 9218
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Jim Taylor
- Title
- Papers and photographs of Jim Taylor
- Date Range
- 1914-1987
- Collection Number
- MS 9218
- Extent
- 0.9 metres (7 boxes)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Content
Papers and records documenting Taylor's career as a Patrol Officer (kiap) in the New Guinea Highlands in the period 1927-49. The major component of the collection comprises photographs taken on the famous Hagen-Sepik Patrol led by Taylor in 1938-39. Taylor's patrol diary and reports, together with workbooks, field notes, letters and other papers accumulated during the expedition are represented amongst the supporting documentation. Other items of interest include materials recording the Bena-Hagen Patrol (1933-34), correspondence concerning the Leahy gold discovery, vocabularies, pocket diaries, lecture notes, papers relating to early post-World War II administrative policy and notes about Taylor's post-government career.
Except for Series 2, the original order of the collection had fallen into disarray, and pages of the same document were often widely separated amongst the papers. Between 1987-99 Gammage organised the papers in their present arrangement, and in 1998-99 produced this descriptive list under contract to the Library.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn43306).
Conditions Governing Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers and photographs of Jim Taylor, National Library of Australia, MS 9218, [series and/or file number]'.
Provenance
The Taylor Papers were donated to the National Library by Bill Gammage, on behalf of Taylor's nephew Russ Robinson, in 1998. The core of the collection is comprised of records Taylor brought to Sydney in 1940 to prepare his report on the Hagen-Sepik Patrol. This material spans the period 1932-40, though Taylor also drew on other records relating to the Patrol in his assessment. On completing the report Taylor passed the records to his nephew, Russ Robinson, who in turn added papers to the collection. In 1986, at Taylor's request the records were lent by Robinson to Bill Gammage for his book about the Hagen-Sepik Patrol, entitled The sky travellers: journeys in New Guinea 1938-1939 (Melbourne University Press, 1998). Gammage added further Taylor records to the original body of papers, principally acquired from John Black and Ian Downs.
Related Materials
In addition to the records preserved in MS 9387, other papers and photographs relating to the Hagen-Sepik Patrol are filed in the papers of John Black (MS 8346), Ian Downs (MS 8254),
Pat Walsh (MS 9217) and Bill Gammage (MS 9220). Film footage taken on the Patrol forms part of the collections of ScreenSound Australia.
Biographical Note
Jim Taylor was born on 25 January 1901 in Alexandria, Sydney, second surviving son of George Henry and Harriette (née Carter) Taylor, who had arrived from London a year before. He attended Bondi Public and Sydney Technical High Schools, but cut short his schooling to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 22 March 1917, aged 16. He served in France with the 34th Battalion, and was wounded and gassed on the Somme. In 1919 he matriculated from King's College London, and in 1920 studied science at Sydney University. There he failed a subject and consequently the year, and after various jobs joined the New South Wales Police in 1923.
Taylor transferred to the New Guinea Police in Rabaul in September 1926 but moved to Salamaua as a kiap (patrol officer) in February 1927. He returned to the Police force to reform internal corruption in Rabaul in 1928-31, before serving again as a kiap, principally in the Highlands. During the ensuing 18 years, Taylor was notable for opening up the Highlands to more outsiders than any other European.
In March-August 1933 Taylor, prospectors Mick and Dan Leahy and surveyor Ken Spinks explored Simbu, the Wahgi, and the country around Mt Hagen, finding a scenic wonderland and meeting large populations and rich cultures unimagined by the world. Between March 1938 and June 1939 Taylor led the Hagen-Sepik Patrol from Mt Hagen to the Dutch New Guinea border. It was the longest patrol in New Guinea history, and the world's last major land exploration.
In 1942-45 Taylor served in the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU). In March 1942 he was wounded by rebel police at Angoram, but on recovery served behind enemy lines in the Sepik, then in the Highlands. Between November 1944 and June 1945, with J.V. Barry and Ian Hogbin, he planned a war compensation scheme for Papua New Guineans, then moved to Port Moresby as Assistant Director of Labour. As such Taylor ranked as the Territory's second senior kiap, but in September 1946 dropped salary to take charge of the Highlands. In January 1948 he was reprimanded for not reporting a shooting of natives by a junior kiap, and resigned in October 1949. He married Yerima Manamp, grew vegetables and coffee, and worked gold leases on tribute at Porgera. He settled west of Goroka, and died there of pneumonia on 28 June 1987. His wife, two daughters and an adopted son survived him.
Item Descriptions
Series 1. Photographs, 1916-1943
Consists of photos taken on the Hagen-Sepik Patrol, one roll (11/I) taken soon after at Kuta south of Mt Hagen in 1939 (probably by Mick Leahy who owned the camera), and 15 miscellaneous prints 1916-1943, relating to Taylor.
Of the photo sets the patrol made for official purposes and personal records, only Black's survived. Taylor's and the official sets were lost during World War II; Walsh's in the 1974 Brisbane flood. Black's set comprised unattributed prints, including 303 from the Leica camera which Taylor borrowed from Mick Leahy, and 31 cards totalling 945 contact prints from this Leica, numbered 1/A - 1/R, 1/Z (a duplicate of 1/A), 2A - 2/E, and II/1. All the 303 Leica prints were selected from the 945 card contact prints, which except for 11/I are clearly Taylor's.
To avoid assigning a different item number to a photo that is held both as a contact print and a Leica print, both the contact cards and the prints have parallel numbering. For example, Card 1 (Taylor's Card 1/A) is numbered MS 9218/1/1/1, while Leica print 1 from this card is numbered
MS 9218/1/1/1: A1. Thus photo binders 1-2 (the cards) and 3-5 (the Leica prints) all have a MS 9218/1/1 number.
Each card displays one film roll, originally of 36 prints but usually less here because some prints failed. Originally the cards were randomly numbered 1/A, 1/B, 1/C and so on, but are here arranged and numbered in their presumed chronological sequence: 1 = 1/A, 2 = 1/Z, 3 = 1/B, 4 = 1/F, 5 = 1/C and so on. Thus the first card (already marked 1/A) is MS 9218/1/1/1, the second (already marked 1/Z) MS 9218/1/1/2, and so on. Several cards have Taylor's margin notes ordering prints.
Contact prints for which a Leica print exists are starred (*).
In Taylor's hand, each Leica print has on reverse a number in pencil matching its parent contact print on a card: for example print A4 matches Card 1/A, contact print 4. This numbering is retained: A4 is thus MS 9218/1/1/1:A4; F7 is MS 9218/1/1/4:F7. For captions see the card listing for Files 1-2.
Then follow 15 miscellaneous prints 1916-1943, numbered MS 9218/1/5/32-47. Due to its large size, MS 9218/1/5/32 is filed at the rear of File 2 (Box 1); the remaining prints are in Photo Binder 5.
Some contact and Leica prints parallel prints Walsh took (MS 9219), and can thereby be located and dated. In 1998 Bill Gammage added captions; more information is in his The sky travellers.
Cards 1-16: Ogelbeng - Hoiyevia - Waga Valley - Wabag, March-July 1938 (MS 9218/1/1/Items 1-16) (File 1) - Box 1
(Card 1/A) Ogelbeng Base Camp - Gormis (Mt Hagen) Patrol Post, March 1938 (Item 1) - Box 1
1 Wireless mast, carriers' huts and Europeans' tents, Ogelbeng, March 1938
2 House and huts rented from Ogelbeng Lutheran Mission, Ogelbeng, March 1938
3-4*Taylor, police and carriers check loads, Ogelbeng, 5-6 March 1938
5*-6* Bugler Gershon of Nodup near Rabaul calls the patrol to start; in background the mission house, Ogelbeng, 5-7 March 1938
7 The distant patrol lines up in front of the mission, Ogelbeng, 5-7 March 1938
8*-9 Bugler Gershon calls as the patrol lines up, Ogelbeng, 5-7 March 1938; the theodolite stand (to measure a base line) is at right.
10-11 The patrol ready to leave; Taylor, Black and Lopangom near its head, Gormis, 9 March 1938
12-13 The patrol leaving, Gormis, 9 March 1938
14-15 Similar: Taylor, Black and Walsh head the line.
16-19 Similar, without Europeans.
20 Similar: Taylor and Walsh in foreground.
21-23*-24 Similar: Taylor, Black and Walsh in foreground.
(Card 1/B)? Benaria-Tari Valleys, May 1938? (Item 3) - Box 1
1*-3* Huli men in a banana grove?, Benaria Valley, May 1938?
4*-6* -10*-11 Panorama: Tari Valley from Benaria Valley?, May 1938?
12*-14-17*-18*-21*-22 A local house of European-like design under construction,
Tari Valley?, May 1938?; a few poles seem steel cut; Taylor's 4 and 5 May camps were on the sites of Champion camps of 30 August 1937 and 13 March 1938.
23*-24* Huli man at a camp, 4-5 May 1938?
25-28 Fighting ditches, Tari Valley, May 1938
(Card 1/F) Hoiyevia Base Camp, May 1938 (Item 4) - Box 1
1-2* Huli man in front of a sheet to show his wig, 11-14 May 1938
3-4*-5* Carriers lengthening the strip, south east end, 11-14 May 1938
6* Huli men and boys meet police and carriers at the camp banis (fence), 11-24 May 1938
7-8*-10*-11* Huli men and boys at the banis, 11-24 May 1938
12-14 Mainch, Constable Karo's wife, outside the police married quarters, 11-24 May 1938
15*-16 A wig maker who came to Taylor's tent to maintain wigs he had sold, 23-24 May 1938
17*-18*-19* Wigged Huli men with pan pipes, 23-27 May 1938
20*-21* Huli men and boys, one inside the banis amid kaukau (sweet potato) debris, playing pan pipes, 23-27 May 1938
22*-23 Constable Kenai on duty outside the wireless tent, 23-27 May 1938
24-25 Mainch (r.) and another police wife, 27 May 1938
26-27 Mainch, 27 May 1938
28* Huli men and boys, 27 May 1938. The tall man, centre, is Ivaia from east of Hoiyevia, first to befriend the patrol.
29 Food sellers line the banis, 27 May 1938
30-32*-35 Watching the supply plane circling, 27 May 1938. 30-32 look c. east over the wireless tent and some carriers' huts; 33-35 look c. west over police on the strip; 34-35 show stacks of casuarina firewood.
(Card 1/C) Hoiyevia Base Camp, May 1938 (Item 5) - Box 1
1* View c. east over the wireless tent and some carriers' huts, 27 May 1938
2*-5*-6* Hoiyevia strip before grass was laid on it; 3-6 show Huli men approaching, 27 May 1938
7-11 Men outside Taylor's tent, 29-30 May 1938. The two smoking bamboo pipes are Ivaia (l.) and a man who later met Taylor in the Waga Valley: see 12 (Card 1/K)
34-36. Possibly he is Hilu, the priest. 10-11 show Ivaia and Mainch.
12 Hoiyevia strip, possibly with a ground drawing in foreground, 29-30 May 1938
13*-14 Baraka of Mt Hagen, the mascot, with drum, 29-30 May 1938
15-16*-17 Hilu?, 29-30 May 1938. See caption for 7-11. The grass covered strip at rear.
18*-19 Ivaia, 29-30 May 1938
20*-21* Huli man, possibly Gumaiba, 29-30 May 1938
22-23*-25*-26*-27* Work parties tramping down the strip, 29-30 May 1938. 26-27 how food sellers at the banis (fence)
(Card 1/E) Hoiyevia Base Camp, May-June 1938 (Item 6) - Box 1
1-3*-4*-7*-10*-19 Supply drop from Guinea Airways Ford (pilot Tom O'Dea), 31 May 1938: the crowd watching, the Ford over the strip or circling, parts of the camp. 15 shows Walsh with binoculars.
20-21*-22 L. to r.: Sgt Boginau and Taylor's servants Makis and Banonau, c. 31 May 1938, carriers' huts at rear.
23-24*-25 Huli men
26*-27 The European dining tent, with washstand at left, and a servant holding mugs of tea (r.). Further right is the European office, 1-2 June 1938.
28* Men selling food, 1-2 June 1938
(Card 1/M) Hoiyevia Base Camp, June 1938 (Item 7) - Box 1
1-2*-4*-5*-7* Portraits of New Guinean police or servants, 1-2 June 1938. 3-4 depict Sgt Lopangom; 7 may be Sepiks.
8*,12*,19*-20 The crowd waits for the Ford, 1-2 June 1938; 19 shows Black.
9-11*,13-15*-16*-18*,21-26*-27*-30 Ford parachuting or dropping supplies, 1-2 June 1938
31-32*-33*-34* Huli men and boys after the drop, 1-2 June 1938
35*-38 Boys with topknot hair, 1-2 June 1938
(Card 1/J) Hoiyevia Base Camp, June 1938 (Item 8) - Box 1
1*-2* Ivaia's daughters, the only females to visit the camp until May 1939, 2 June 1938, the boy may be their brother.
3* Huli elder, possibly Ivaia, 2 June 1938. See caption 5 (Card 1/C) 7-11.
4* The boy in 1-2 above, 2 June 1938
5 Ivaia's daughters with a police wife, 2 June 1938
6-9, 16-20, 26-33 Mainch, Constable Karo's wife, 2 June 1938
10-15 A police wife, 2 June 1938
21-24*-25* Variously Mainch, the elder in 3, Ivaia's daughters, and the boy in 4, 2 June 1938
34*-35 Liwa (Leo) of the Waga, 2 June 1938
(Card 1/G) Hoiyevia Base Camp, June 1938 (contacts 1-11 only) (Item 9) - Box 1
1*-2 Black's line departing, 13 June 1938; shows Black, his servant Siauvute of Goroka with axe, and (far r.) Gia of Watabung, Siane, at this time a carrier, but within a month a special constable, and after WWII police sergeant major.
3* Black's line departing, 13 June 1938; shows Black, his Goroka area servants Siauvute (r.), and Woiwa (l.), and his dog Lucifinka (Lucy)
4 Black's line departing, 13 June 1938; shows Black, Siauvute, Constable Serak, the senior policeman (l.), and Constable Habana?, the second senior (r.)
5* Black's line departing, 13 June 1938. Police being farewelled. Constable Habana? in foreground.
6*-7* Huli wig on table, c.13 June 1938
8-11 Pan pipes and cassowary bone daggers on table, c. 13 June 1938
(Card 1/L) North of Hoiyevia, June 1938 (Item 10) - Box 1
Usually Taylor walked a day or so ahead of Walsh and the main body, but on this detour all left together. These prints parallel Walsh's roll 10 so closely that they may be a selection of the best prints from this card.
1 The grave of a carrier, Wadza of the Hagen area, who died of pneumonia on 10 May 1938; Hoiyevia, 16-17 June 1938
2-3 Policeman outside a house barricade, north of Hoiyevia, 17 June 1938
4*-5*-6* House just north of Hoiyevia, 17 June 1938
7* Barricade north of Hoiyevia, 17 June 1938
8-10*-12 Patrol crossing the Tagwi river north of Hoiyevia, 18-19 June 1938
13*-14 Patrol at the Egada river north of Hoiyevia, 20 June 1938
15-17 Forest north of Hoiyevia, 20 June 1938; 16-17 show a camp being built.
18*-19* Hoiyevia men and boys, 20-22 June 1938; 19 includes Sgt Lopangom.
20-21*-22 The wireless mast, Hoiyevia, 20-22 June 1938
(Card 1/O) Tari gap - Waga Valley, June-July 1938 (Item 11) - Box 1
1* Police, carriers and hut skeletons: possibly the Papuan camp found on 30 June 1938 (see Gammage p. 125), possibly a camp being built, c. 30 June 1938
2-5*-9*-10*-11*-12 Tari Valley panorama, c. southwest-northwest, 1 July 1938. Compare with Walsh roll 13/10-12.
13 Edible pandanus fruit, 1 July 1938
14-15* West end of Tari Gap, 1 July 1938
18* Tomb, possibly the Papuan grave found that day, 1 July 1938 (see The sky travellers, p.125)
19-22 Defensive ditches, Pura area, c. 1-2 July 1938
23-24*-25 Tari Gap, 2-3 July 1938
26*-29*-30*-31 Tari Gap, 2-3 July 1938. 26-28 is a panorama (looking east, l. to r.) (compare with Walsh Roll 14)
32-33 Liwa shows his kin a gramophone, 4-6 July 1938
34-35*-36* 'Aerial coffin', Ugu, 4 July 1938. This is the tomb in Walsh X9+.
(Card 1/K) Waga Valley, July 1938 (Item 12) - Box 1
1 Waga house?, July 1938
2 A police wife uses scissors to give a youth (a carrier or a boy who joined the patrol) a haircut, July 1938
3-4*-5*-9*-10, 13* The patrol crossing a Waga bridge, 9? July 1938. 3-4, 6-7 and 10 show a police wife; 6-7 show wigged men.
11-12* Waga men, and one Huli, watch the patrol cross, 9? July 1938
14 Karegari swamp area? from south, 10 July 1938. Compare with Walsh roll 15/9.
15* Upper Waga men?, 10 July 1938. The pole and rope may be a light flying fox.
16* Patrol crossing a bridge, over a Waga tributary?, 10 July 1938
17 Men follow the line at a safe distance, 10 July 1938?
18* Similar to 15.
19* River in 18.
20*-21*-23*-24* Waga country between Marapepa and Ungashibi, 10 July 1938. Compare 23 with Walsh Roll 15/7.
25-26* Waga men and boys, 10-11 July 1938
27* Waga Valley with carrier in foreground, 10-11 July 1938. Compare the skyline with Walsh Roll 16/1.
28*-30*-31*-32 Waga Valley, 10-11 July 1938. 29 shows carriers in foreground. 31 shows that Taylor is walking away from the mountain in 27.
33 Waga Valley men and boys, 10-12 July 1938
34*-35*-36 Hoiyevia visitor to patrol camp at Kombaiere, northeast of Karegari swamp, 12 July 1938. Compare with Walsh Roll 15/10.
37-38 Extensive gardens northeast of Karegari swamp, 12 July 1938. Compare with Walsh Roll 16/1.
(Card 1/I) Waga, Lagaip and Lai Valleys, July 1938 (Item 13) - Box 1
1* Man and boy, Waga Valley, 12 July 1938
2 Man as above.
3*-4* Youth wearing wig, Waga Valley, 12 July 1938
5* Yumbisa area landscape, 12 July 1938
6-7 House, Enga-Waga cultural divide, 12 July 1938
8 House on stilts, 12 July 1938
9 Similar, police wife on step.
10 Karegari swamp, Waga Valley, from northeast (Paui?), 12 July 1938
11-12* Men and a boy at the camp banis (fence), Paui?, 12 July 1938. Karegari swamp in distance.
13 Similar. A policeman is giving a local man salt or girigiri (small cowrie)
14-15 Lagaip Valley from above Biviraka, 15 July 1938
16 Biviraka (=hill, centre), and view down the Lagaip Valley, 15 July 1938
17 Lagaip Valley from near Biviraka, 15 July 1938
18-19 Man and woman in wedding dress, Biviraka area, Lagaip Valley, 16 July 1938
20 Similar, with Mainch of Kobuga near Ogelbeng.
21* Country near Ivai, Lagaip Valley, 16 July 1938
22* Bridge over the Lagaip near present-day Laiagam, 16 July 1938. This bridge is also in Walsh Roll 16/12.
23-25* Lagaip-Lai divide, Ibiliyam area, 16-17 July 1938
26-27*-28 Men at a fortified gate, possibly Kinabulam, 17-18 July 1938
(Card 1/H) Wabag area, 18-20? July 1938 (Item 14) - Box 1
1*-2*-3*-4*-5* Enga women watch the patrol.
6*-7*-8*-9*-11*-12 Enga people at a patrol camp, upper Lai Valley, 18? July 1938
7-15*-16*-18*-22*-23*-31*-33*. Enga women and the patrol. Most show Mainch, Constable Karo's wife, in white dress and tree kangaroo tail. Prints 12-18 b are a panorama.
(Card 1/N) Wabag area, 18-20? July 1938 (Item 15) - Box 1
1-2*-3*-4*-6*-8*-12*-14*-21*-26*-29*-30*-32*-34*-35*-36 Enga women and the patrol.
Most prints show Mainch. In 34 she plays a mouth organ. Several prints form panoramas.
(Card 1/D) Wabag area, 18-21? July 1938 (Item 16) - Box 1
1-2 Mainch and another police wife make friends with local women at a Lai Valley camp, 18-20 July 1938
3-5 Mainch, 18-20 July 1938
6-7*-11* Patrol servant, possibly Taylor's Sepik offsider Andivi of Ambunti, Lai Valley, 18-20 July 1938
12-14 Patrol servant, Lai Valley, 18-20 July 1938
15 Patrol servants, Lai Valley, 18-20 July 1938
16* Enga men and boys, Lai Valley, 18-21 July 1938
17*-19*-20 Wabag area, Lai Valley, 21 July 1938
Cards 17-31: Wabag - Telefomin - Sepik - Hoiyevia - Hagen - Kuta, July 1938-June? 1939 (MS 9218/1/1/Items 17-31) (File 2) - Box 1
(Card 1/X) Plane flights from Wabag, August 1938 (Item 17) - Box 1
1-10 First flight: Telefomin and return, 9 August 1938
11-12 Enga people line the strip to watch the plane take off, 19 August 1938
13-22 Second flight: Sepik, Sepik fall, and return, 19 August 1938. 16-19 show Sepik,
19 a European station (Murui Mission?)
(Card 1/T) Wabag - Lagaip Valley, August-September 1938 (Item 18) - Box 1
1 Walsh comforts an anxious man, Wabag, August 1938
2*-3 Looking east from Ragimunda?, Lai-Ambum divide, 26 August 1938
4-5* House and young men, Ambum headwaters?, August 1938
6-9*-13 Mulitaka area, Lagaip Valley, 6-10 September 1938. 6-7, 9, 11-13 show Mt Mungalo.
14* Lagaip Enga men, 6-10 September 1938
15 Lagaip camp, 6-10 September 1938
16*-17*-21 Lagaip camp, 6-10 September 1938. 16-18 show carriers and Huli building the camp.
22-23* View from above camp, 6-10 September 1938
24-26 Walia area mountains?, 10-11 September 1938. Shows white rock face.
27*-32 Porgera area mountains?, 12-19 September 1938. 29 and 32 may show the patrol's 'inverted bucket' mountain.
(Card 1/P) Porgera Valley, September 1938 (Item 19) - Box 1
1-2*-3 Mt Kaijende from southeast, c. 18-19 September 1938
4-6,10* Ipili (Porgera) men, c. 18-23 September 1938
7-9,11 Taylor's offsiders, c. 18-23 September 1938
12-13*-16*-20 Ipi'li (Porgera) men at a camp, c.18-23 September 1938. 12-18 show a man with pan pipes, wearing a bullock horn wig. 19 shows a Huli visitor.
21-27 Mt Kumbipara dominating country west of Porgera Valley, 18-23 September 1938
(Card 1/Y) Porgera - Logaiyu River, September-October 1938 (Item 20) - Box 1
1 Mt Kumbipara dominating country west of Porgera Valley, 18-23 September 1938
2-5 The line crossing a river, September 1938
6 Porgera area country?, September 1938?
7-11 Ipili men, some wearing bullock horn wigs, another bird of paradise plumes, Porgera-Paiela area, September 1938
12 Ipili men watch carriers cutting branches with tomahawks, September 1938
13-15 Visitors to patrol camp(s) in the bush, September 1938
16-18 Crossing a river on a fragile bridge [Pagubeia river?], 28 September 1938?
19-23 Boy outside house, Pori river area?, October 1938
24-28 Pori mountains?, October 1938
29-30 A local guide, carrying European and local shoulder bags, Pori mountains?, October 1938
31*-34*-37 Crossing the Logaiyu (now the Pori) by flying fox, 10 October 1938. Taylor nearly drowned when he fell in here.
(Card 1/W) Pari - Strickland River, October 1938 (Item 21) - Box 1
1 Pari hill, showing part of Taylor's message to a plane, 'JLT is Black at Sepik', 15-16 October 1938
2-3 Looking south?, Pari hill-Lake Kopiago, 17 October 1938
4*-5*-6*-7* Lake Kopiago from northeast, 17-18 October 1938. The size of the lake, which Taylor was approaching, suggests that the sequence should be 7, 4, 6, 5
8*-9*-10* Lake Kopiago men, 19 October 1938
11*-12*-14* Lake Kopiago from west (near Hirane), 19 October 1938
15*-16* Looking southwest to Tumbudu Gorge from Mara, 19-20 October 1938
17* Lake Kopiago from Mara, 19-20 October 1938
18*-19* Duna men and boys, Mara area, 19-21 October 1938
20*-21*-22* Looking W from above Tumbudu River, 21 October 1938
23*-24*-25*-26*-27* Looking west down Aruni Valley to mountains beyond the Strickland River, 24-25 October 1938
28*-29* Yeru area country, 25-27 October 1938
30*-31*-32*-33*-34* Strickland River from near Fugili, 27-28 October 1938
(Card 1/U) Strickland River - Tekin Valley?, October-November 1938 (Item 22) - Box 1
(for crossing location see map in The sky travellers)
1-2 Distant view of Strickland Gorge, 27-28 October 1938
3-4*-5* Penis gourd men from west of the Strickland with laplap men from east of it, Fugili area, 28 October 1938
6* Strickland River country, 1 November 1938
7-8*-10*-11*-12*-13*-14*-16*-17 Strickland bridge, 7 November 1938. 7-8 show the remnants of Black's July bridge, 9 the view upstream from 7-8, 10-17 the repaired bridge and the line crossing, 13 carriers helping a fallen man
18-19*-20* Strickland Gorge from above west bank, 8-10 November 1938
21*-22*-23 Looking west or northwest from above, 8-10 November 1938. 23 may be the Bak-Tekin divide from the south.
24*-25*-26*-27*-28*-33*-35*-36*-37* Min men, Bak or Tekin Valleys, mid-November 1938. 1988 research suggested 33 and 37 were boys at Kunanap, Tekin Valley.
(Card 1/S) Tekin Valley - Feramin (Sepik), November 1938 (Item 23) - Box 1
1 Min men, Tekin Valley, 15-21 November 1938
2-4*-5*-6*-7*-8*-10*-11*-12*-14*-15*-16*-17*-19* Looking west from several locations on the Tekin-Sepik divide, 22-23 November 1938. 4-7 and 10-11 form panoramas; 15-19 may show the distant Telefomin plateau.
20*-21*-22* Sgt Lopangom with Feramin men, c. 26 November 1938. 20 shows Lopangom seeking directions or instructing a youth to look at Taylor's camera; 21-22 show Lopangom placing the youth for the camera to show the youth's initiate headdress. The youth holds salt or shell which Lopangom has paid him from the small bag he holds.
23* Men building a hut, probably Feramin, 26 November 1938
24-25*-26, 28-29* Sepik river at Feramin, 26-29 November 1938. 25-26 & 28-29 show local men, carriers and patrol packs on the bank.
27* Liwa (Leo) of the Waga, Feramin, 26-29 November 1938
(Card 1/Q) Feramin - Telefomin, November-December 1938 (Item 24) - Box 1
1-2 Sepik river at Feramin, c.27 November 1938
3 Spirit house, Feramin?, c.27 November 1938
4-6* Feramin watch house, 1-2 December 1938
7*-8*-14 'No Man's Land: country between Feramin and Telefomin, 1-2 December 1938; 8 shows a distant carrier line.
15-16 Telefol watch house, Sol River area, 2 December 1938
17*. Telefomin plateau (distant) from the east, 2 December 1938
18*-23*-25*-27*-28 Telefol people and carriers, Telefomin Base Camp, 3-6 December 1938.
Shows parts of Black's camp; marfum initiate youths; and the good relations between carriers and villagers.
29-33*-34*-35*-36 Telefolip village, 7 December 1938. 29 shows the rear of the 'cult' house as seen on approaching the village; 30-31 villagers; 32-33 and 35 police and villagers; 34 and 36 the village from in front of the 'cult' house.
(Card 1/R) Telefomin Base Camp, 7-8 December 1938 (Item 25) - Box 1
1 Telefol women outside Black's house. Carriers' huts at rear.
2*-3*-4 Panorama west to the Sepik Gorge and Urapmin from c. south of camp.
5 Telefomin Base Camp from c. south Black's house centre; l. Black's cookhouse then carriers' huts; r. police houses.
6* Telefol women and children near carriers' huts.
7*-8*-9*-11*-12*-13*-14*-15*-16* Panorama from the ridge east of the Base Camp, clockwise from south. 12 shows Borgelmin? village.
17 A closer view of 13, looking c. west.
18-19*-24*-26*-27*-30*-31*-33 Telefol people. 26 wears a .303 cartridge case; 28 shows a servant; 31 wears cowrie and beads got from a patrol.
(Card 2/E ) Sepik River - Maramuni, January-March 1939 (Item 26) - Box 1
1*-3*Patrol barges being towed by Sirius, 18-19 January 1939
4 Sepik river, January 1939
5-7 Haus tambarin, Sepik river, January 1939
8 Sepik river canoes, January 1939
9*-11* Sepik from a European verandah, Murui?, 19? January 1939
12-13*-14*-15 Sepik or Karawari river scenes, January 1939
16-17*-21*-22* Arafundi river scenes, c.17-19 February 1939
23*-24*-25*-28 Arafundi headwaters looking north towards Maramuni, mid March 1939
(Card 2/C) Waga - Hoiyevia, April-May 1939 (File 27) - Box 1
1-2 Limestone outcrop on Waga divide, called Tundok, a place for killing pigs, between Marapepa and Ungashibi, 30 April 1939
3-8 High country west of Marapepa in the Waga and north of Hoiyevia, 3-6 May 1939
9-10 Men meet the line north of Hoiyevia, 6-8 May 1939
11,14 Sugar cane and kaukau (sweet potato) sold to the patrol, Hoiyevia, 9 May 1939. In two hours people sold 5000 pounds of taro and kaukau.
12-13 Man wearing kina got from the patrol in 1938, Hoiyevia, 8-13 May 1939
15-34 People at the camp banis (fence), Hoiyevia, 8-13 May 1939. 18 is Ivaia; 23 and 29-31 show women: women did not visit in 1938 (two girls did one day)
35 Site of the 1938 camp, Hoiyevia, 8-13 May 1939
(Card 2/B) Hoiyevia - Porgera, May 1939 (Item 28) - Box 1
1-23 Huli people, Hoiyevia, 8-13 May 1939. Most show wigmen; 7 and 18 show women; 13-16 Huli wigged youths with painted faces.
24-25 Looking south to Hoiyevia, 14 May 1939. View similar to Walsh's the previous June (see Walsh Roll 11/1)
26-35 Porgera Valley from Hoiyevia track, 19-20 May 1939
34-35 Shows the mountain in 18 (Card 1/T), 29 and 32 (September 1938)
(Card 2/D) Sirunki - Wabag, June 1939 (Item 29) - Box 1
1-4 Panorama: Lake Iviva plateau from west, 4? June 1939
5-6 Lake Iviva north of Sirunki, 4-5 June 1939
7-9 Wireless masts, probably from Walsh's patrol of April 1939, Lake Iviva area, 4-5 June 1939
10-13 Lai headwaters panorama, 6 June 1939
14-17 Kaukau gardens, Lai Valley near Sopas, showing high poles and rope strung with pieces of woman's skirt to prevent theft, 7 June 1939
18-19. Sopas?, Lai Valley, 7 June 1939
20-27 Police parade at Bugler Gershon's grave, Wabag, 11 June 1939. 20 at ease, Sgt Lopangom at left; 23-24 at present, Lopangom saluting; 25-27 reversed arms.
28-37 Looking east to Mt Hagen from above Wabag, 12 June 1939. There seem to be two panoramas, but if so the prints are mixed
(Card 2/A) Ailamanda Base Camp - Hagen, June 1939 (Item 30) - Box 1
1*-2 Ailamanda graves, 14-15 June 1939, one possibly of the Telefol boy Wongsep, who died of malaria on 8 May
3-4 Ailamanda man, 14-15 June 1939
5 Walsh's camp, Ailamanda, 14-15 June 1939
6-7 Ailamanda man, 14-15 June 1939
8*-9 Ailamanda men dressed for an occasion, 14-15 June 1939
10-11 The men surround and kill a pig, 14-15 June 1939
12-14 Grave of Gorentz of Hagen, who died of gangrene on 14 June, Ailamanda, 15-16 June 1939
15-16 Tree marking grave of Waubu of Simbu, who died of internal injuries on 31 May, Ailamanda, 15-16 June 1939
17-18 View from near Ailamanda east to Yaramunda, Minyamp Valley, 16 June 1939
19*-20 Melpa (Hagen) man, possibly Koive of Kendiga, who treated Taylor hospitably on 18 June, 16-18 June 1939
21-22*-23 Looking east or southeast towards Mt Hagen from above the Nebilyer River, 18 June 1939. 21-22 are a panorama.
24-25* The line forming up to enter Mt Hagen, 19 June 1939
26 The patrol enters Mt Hagen, 19 June 1938. The track was the 1998 Highlands Highway; the view is from water tower hill.
(Card 11/I ) Kuta, ? June 1939 (Item 31) - Box 1
This roll was taken at Kuta, the Leahys' gold lease south of Mt Hagen. Taylor did not visit Kuta in 1939. He probably returned the camera to its owner, Mick Leahy.
1 Ted Taylor, DO Morobe, surveys the country north towards Mt Hagen.
2 Ted Taylor and an Eastern Highlands (Bena?) girl.
3 Girl in above.
4-13 Highlands women in European dress. 4-5 and 10-12 show a mother apparently with a mixed race baby.
14 Local boys, probably servants.
15 Mother and baby.
16-23 Eastern Highlands men, probably Kuta lease workers, in singsing dress.
24 Ted Taylor (l.), Mick Leahy and Mick's dog Snowy.
25 Mick Leahy (l.) and Ted Taylor.
26-27 Ted Taylor and Snowy watch a local singsing group approach along Kuta ridge.
28-33 Ted Taylor in a kama (dance ground) on the Kuta - Hagen track.
34 Ted Taylor on the track approaching Gormis (Mt Hagen)
Note: Due to its large size, MS 9218/1/1/32, a miscellaneous photo listed under File 5, is stored at the rear of File 2.
Prints from cards 1-11: Ogelbeng - Hoiyevia - Waga Valley, March-July 1938 (MS 9218/1/1/Items 1-11) (File 3) - Box 1
Leica prints matched with contact card numbers. No Leica print relates to Card 2. For captions see the card captions.
Card 1/F: 2 (with Black's 1987 caption, 'JL Taylor's servant BONONA of Manus murdered in Aitape during the war by local native treachery. ENGA wigman. (The wigman is Huli; the servant may be Banonau, or Makis of Manus), 4 (with Black's 1987 caption, 'Hoiyevia clearing air drop site'), 5, 6 (2), 8 (2), 10, 11 (with Black's 1987 caption, 'At the banis (fence) Hoiyevia'), 15, 17-22, 28 (2), 32, 35 (Item 4) - Box 1
Card 1/C: 1-2, 5-6, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21 (2), 23 (2), 25 (2, one with Black's 1987 caption, 'At Hoiyevia. Carriers returning after tramping down the drome'), 26-27 (Item 5) - Box 1
Card 1/E: 3-4, 7, 10 (2), 12 (2, one with Black's 1987 caption 'Boganau of Manus 1938'), 14, 26, 28 (2, one with Black's 1987 caption 'Trading at Hoiyevia') (Item 6) - Box 1
Card 1/M: 2, 4 (with Black's 1987 caption 'Sgt Lopengon Hagen Sepik Patrol 1938/9), 5, 7, 8, 11-12, 15-16, 18-19, 26-27, 32, 33 (2), 34-35 (Item 7) - Box 1
Card 1/G: 1, 3 (3, one with Black's 1987 caption 'J.R. Black leaving HOIYEVIA 1938. WOIWA and SI-AUWUTEI of GOROKA assistants to KOLOGEI of RAI coast. GIA of Waterbung SIANI later Sgt Major. My dog LUCIFINKA'), 3 detail (2 x 1987 prints with Black's 1987 captions and signed), 5 (2), 6, 7 (3) (Item 9) - Box 1
Prints from cards 12-21: Waga Valley - Strickland River, July-October 1938 (MS 9218/1/1/Items 12-21) (File 4) - Box 1
Leica prints matched with contact card numbers. No Leica print relates to Card 17. For captions see card captions.
Prints from cards 22-30: Strickland River - Hagen, October 1938-June 1939 (MS 9218/1/1/Items 22-30); (File 5) - Box 2
Leica prints matched with contact card numbers. No Leica print relates to Cards 27-29 and 31. For captions see card captions.
Miscellaneous prints 1916-1943, not relating to the Hagen-Sepik Patrol (MS 9218/1/1/Items 32-47) (File 5) - Box 2
Note: Due to its large size, MS 9218/1/1/32 is filed at the rear of File 2.
Original Bondi Baseball Team, 1916. Caption names Taylor and his friend Burnie O'Brian, killed 1915-18. (Note: Large size, and therefore stored at rear of File 2) (Item 32) - Box 2
Panorama west from Kelua, a landing ground Taylor and the Leahys built near Mt Hagen in 1933. Baiyer river gap at r. (+ 3 prints joined) (Item 34) - Box 2
Taylor's trusted police orderly Buase (l.) and his personal servant Banonau, c. 1939 (+ 1996 print and negative) (Item 35) - Box 2
Jim Taylor. En Route to NG Shows (l. to r.) Mick Leahy, William McNicoll? (Administrator), Taylor, Mrs McNicoll?, on board ship, c. 1935 (Item 36) - Box 2
Prints of pp. 336-41, Antiquity, 1933, showing Trojan axes similar in shape to Hagen axes (Item 39-41) - Box 2
Mick Leahy photos among Taylor's effects: Tanni, Ono River, Morobe, c. 1930, with Leahy's caption, '8000 feet above sea level carrying alluvial gold' (Item 42) - Box 2
Series 2. Papers, 1914-23
A file of papers relating to Taylor's early life in Australia, containing school certificates, a 1916 letter received on the death of his father, AIF records and student workbooks, 1919-20.
Series 3. Letters, 1929-85
Letters from Taylor to his mother (1929-62), his niece Rosemary (1979), and his nephew Russell Robinson (1964-85). The file also includes correspondence concerning the Rabaul Strike (1929), Mt Hagen (May 1933), Dan Leahy (1936), the Hagen-Sepik Patrol (1938-39), Schmidt (a Rabaul teacher, 1940), other wartime letters, and a letter relating to Taylor's marriage to Yerima Manamp.
Series 4. Bena-Hagen Patrol, 1933-34
In 1933 Taylor, Mick and Dan Leahy, and Ken Spinks explored from Bena Bena west to Kelua
(Mt Hagen), and from Kelua searched the country north, west and south. Their reports were the first to reveal Highlands populations and culture to the world, and the Leahy's found payable gold at Kuta. The journey was the subject of Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson's prize-winning 1986 film First Contact, and the book of the same name (New York : Viking, 1987).
Filed in this series are the Bena-Hagen records Taylor brought to Sydney to assist in writing his Hagen-Sepik Patrol report in 1939-40, together with his January-March 1933 diary. Copies of Taylor's 1933 patrol diaries are housed in the Black Papers (MS 8346/2/14).
Article on birds of paradise, Bulletin of the New York Zoological Society, v. 32, no 6, November-December 1929 (MS 9218/4/Item 1) (File 1) - Box 2
Article by Reverend W. Ross, 'Ethnological Notes on the Mt Hagen Tribes...', Anthropos, v. 31, Part A, 1936, with Taylor's annotations and his opinion of missions at rear (MS 9218/4/Item 3) (File 2) - Box 2
Papers, including: preparatory notes on technical and administrative matters for the patrol; letters relating to the Leahy gold find; notes for report; diary of Ken Spinks (13-20 June 1933); correspondence arising from report such as missions entering the western Highlands; 'Buase's address at the graveside of Awaiaya...' (1933) (MS 9218/4/Items 5-19); (File 3) - Box 3
Series 5. Hagen-Sepik Patrol, 1938-40
Led by Taylor, this patrol left Mt Hagen on 9 March 1938 and walked to Hoiyevia in the southern Highlands, arriving on 8 May. There Taylor split the patrol, sending J.R. Black on and returning with C.B. Walsh to set up a base at Wabag. On 26 August Taylor left Walsh and walked west, joining Black at Telefomin on 2 December. He then travelled north via the May to the Sepik to refit, and returned via the Maramuni to Wabag, arriving on 1 April 1939. The patrol returned to Mt Hagen on 19 June. In 1939-40 Taylor was given special leave in Sydney to write his patrol report, which on completion amounted to 501 typed pages.
Papers in this series are arranged into sequences occurring before (Files 1-3), during
(Files 4-9), and after (Files 10-14) the patrol, but Taylor's notes were scattered randomly and their arrangement is approximate only. Notes are in Taylor's hand unless otherwise stated.
Taylor's instructions for the patrol, and notes on preparations and requisitions; patrol reports by G. Keogh (1934), W. Kyle (1935) and plane reconnaissance (1936) (File 1) - Box 3
Patrol report: A/ADO G. Keogh to Yuat headwaters in pursuit of Schmidt, Aug-Oct 1934 (Item 1) - Box 3
Patrol report: A/ADO W. Kyle to the Yuat, Maramuni and Karawari rivers in pursuit of Schmidt, April-June 1935 (Item 2) - Box 3
Papers accumulated during the patrol, including letters from friends, field notes, inventories, interim reports (File 4) - Box 3
Letter air dropped to Taylor at Hoiyevia, 1 June 1938, from Mick Leahy, dated 23 April 1938 (Item 16) - Box 3
Letter air dropped to Taylor at Hoiyevia, 1 June 1938, from Tommy O'Dea, dated 31 May 1938 (Item 17) - Box 3
Letter air delivered to Taylor at Wabag, August 1938, from Mick Leahy, dated 2 Aug 1938, discussing Kuta gold working (Item 20) - Box 3
Notes and correspondence arising from the patrol; notes for report; patrol report by Ian Downs (1938); interim Hagen-Sepik patrol report by Taylor (1939); film shot lists (File 10) - Box 5
S. Campbell, 'The country between the headwaters of the Fly and Sepik rivers in New Guinea', Geographical journal, v. 42, no. 3, September 1938: offprint with Campbell's note to Taylor (Item 52) - Box 5
Letters to Taylor, including from prospector John Peadon, Ian Downs, E.W.P. Chinnery, Leica Sydney, W. Flierl regarding early Lutheran exploration in the Highlands (Item 57) - Box 5
Letter from Constable Kamuna Hura, ex Hagen-Sepik Patrol, to his wantok Sergeant Major Sapila Avivisa, 7 July 1939 (pidgin and place talk, with translation) (Item 58) - Box 5
Ian Downs, Report on Hagen-Sepik Patrol, 31 August 1938-18 January 1939, with covering letters (typed) (Item 60) - Box 5
Series 6. Papers, New Guinea, 1926-87
Taylor brought most of the records in this series to Sydney, either in 1939-40 for possible use in writing his Hagen-Sepik Patrol report, or subsequently for safekeeping by his nephew, Russ Robinson. They cover his time as a patrol officer in the Highlands (1932-37), at Manus (1937) and during the war. Taylor's wartime and early post-war involvement in planning post-war Papua New Guinea - especially as that might affect Papua New Guineans - is also recorded, together with notes on his future after his resignation from the Administration in 1949. The 1930s records
(Files 1-2) are of particular interest; then follow wartime (Files 3-4) and post-war (File 5) records.