Hagen-Sepik Patrol, 1938-40

Component identifier:

Series 5

Content Summary:

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.

Immediate source of acquisition:

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.

Names:

Jim Taylor

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