A True Child of Papua New Guinea: Memoir of a Life In Two Worlds - Paperback

by Maggie Wilson (Author), Rosita Henry (Author)

Maggie Wilson was born in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to Melka Amp Jara, a woman of the highlands, and Patrick Leahy, brother of Australian explorers Michael and Daniel Leahy, who were among the first Australian explorers to encounter people in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, during an expedition in search for gold. Maggie's life serves as a window into the complex social and cultural transformations experienced during the early years of the Australian administration in Papua New Guinea and the first three decades after independence. This ethnography--started as an autobiography and completed by Rosita Henry after Maggie's death in 2009--tells Maggie's story and the stories of those whose lives she touched. Their recollections of Maggie Wilson offer insights into life in Papua New Guinea today.

Front Jacket

Maggie Wilson was born in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to Melka Amp Jara, a woman of the highlands, and Patrick Leahy, brother of Australian explorers Michael and Daniel Leahy. Wilson's life serves as a window into the complex social and cultural transformations experienced during the early years of the Australian administration in Papua New Guinea and the first three decades after independence.

This ethnography--started as an autobiography and completed by Rosita Henry after Wilson's death in 2009--tells Wilson's story and the stories of those whose lives she touched. Their recollections of Wilson offer insights into life in Papua New Guinea today.

Author Biography

Rosita Henry holds a chair in anthropology at James Cook University, North Queensland, Australia. Her publications concern relationships between people and places across Australia and the Pacific as expressed through the politics and poetics of public performances.