Jack Hides
Encyclopedia
Jack Gordon Hides was an explorer of the then-Australian-controlled territories of Papua and New Guinea
, now modern Papua New Guinea
. He served as a Patrol Officer from 1931 to 1936, and led several expeditions in the early 1930s.
, the son of the head gaoler of the Port Moresby Gaol. He received a limited education at schools in Port Moresby and Queensland
. He was a good swimmer, sprinter, and amateur boxer. In 1932 he married in Australia and later became the father of two children.
His first work in the Papuan public service was in July 1925, and in May 1926 he transferred to a cadet patrol officer. In February 1928 he became a Patrol Officer, and in 1934 became Assistant Resident Magistrate, 2nd grade, serving at various bases until 1936. His work in 1931-1932 leading patrols from Kerema
into the partially unexplored Kukukuku
country demonstrated considerable leadership skills. In temperament he was bold and courageous, although he has received criticism that some of the loss of life during his missions could have been avoided by more careful planning or caution. He also began to write books about his explorations, mainly based on his diaries, which were successful.
to lead an expedition into the unexplored Great Papuan Plateau
between the Strickland
and Purari River
s, with Louis James O'Malley as his second-in-command, along with 10 police and 28 carriers. It was the last major exploratory mission in the territory without radio or aerial support. They left Daru
, on the south coast, by water on 1 January, followed the Strickland River and then its tributary the Rentoul River by canoe
, leaving their boats about five miles below the confluence of the eastern and western branches of the river. From there they continued by foot along the south side of the river, travelling several days without seeing any people or signs of habitation. Then they camped at the confluence of the Sioa and Rentoul river, in view of three longhouses on the opposite side of the valley, and their inhabitants, who seemed to take no notice of the explorers. The next morning, Hides was threatened by a party of natives who had crossed the river in the night.
He was able to escape, but continued to meet unfriendly natives, and was forced to fight in total at least nine skirmishes during the patrol, and shot at least 32 tribesmen - often in defense, sometimes due to misinterpretations (see below). He received some criticism for the bloodshed, especially after another patrol was launched in the same area the next year (led by Ivan Champion and C.J. Adamson) with no resulting deaths, but he nonetheless was praised by Hubert Murray, who called his patrol "the most difficult and dangerous" ever carried out in Papua. When he appeared in Sydney
in August, he proved himself an articulate speaker and received considerable attention.
The violence which marked his expedition has been attributed to several causes. Hides' group suffered from severe food shortages, and indigenous communities he encountered were often unwilling or unable to trade. Hides had bargained on trading steel tools for food, but found people who were not interested in steel. In addition, the Nembi people were suffering from acute food shortages themselves, and had none to spare. It has been suggested that the Etoro
and Onabasulu people "did not sell food to the patrol because they feared it and wanted it to go away". By necessity, Hides' expedition resorted to stealing food, which led to violence. Another factor was Hides' ignorance of these uncontacted peoples' "fragmented political organisation", and of the "social and political implications of the patrol's movement"; he often appeared, from Papuans' perspectives, to be coming from enemy territory, making people instantly wary. Some Papuan peoples greeted the patrol hospitably, however. Among these were the Kewa
. By the time the expedition reached Kewa territory, Hides was severely ill, exhausted and famished. "His by now exaggerated expectations of native treachery and attack and the desperate condition of the patrol led him to misperceive the Kewa's intent and allowed his patrol to open fire on them on two occasions, resulting in seven or eight Kewa deaths."
expedition up the river in February 1937, with the backing of investors in Sydney
. His companion David Lyall became seriously ill on the journey, and they were forced to retreat to the coast, where Lyall died in September. He also lost a number of carriers from beriberi
. Depressed by the experience, he returned to Sydney, where he died the following year from pneumonia
.
Territory of New Guinea
The Territory of New Guinea was the Australia-controlled, League of Nations-mandated territory in the north eastern part of the island of New Guinea, and surrounding islands, between 1920 and 1949...
, now modern Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. He served as a Patrol Officer from 1931 to 1936, and led several expeditions in the early 1930s.
Life
He was born in Port MoresbyPort Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, the son of the head gaoler of the Port Moresby Gaol. He received a limited education at schools in Port Moresby and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. He was a good swimmer, sprinter, and amateur boxer. In 1932 he married in Australia and later became the father of two children.
His first work in the Papuan public service was in July 1925, and in May 1926 he transferred to a cadet patrol officer. In February 1928 he became a Patrol Officer, and in 1934 became Assistant Resident Magistrate, 2nd grade, serving at various bases until 1936. His work in 1931-1932 leading patrols from Kerema
Kerema
Kerema is the capital of Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. It is located on the coast of Gulf of Papua. The Gulf region is aptly named for its concave coastline with large deltas. The Gulf area is a riparian region where many rivers from the southern slopes of the highlands drain into.-Culture and...
into the partially unexplored Kukukuku
Angu
The Angu, also called Kukukuku by neighbouring tribes, is a small and previously violent tribe living mainly in the high, mountainous region of south-western Morobe, a province of Papua New Guinea...
country demonstrated considerable leadership skills. In temperament he was bold and courageous, although he has received criticism that some of the loss of life during his missions could have been avoided by more careful planning or caution. He also began to write books about his explorations, mainly based on his diaries, which were successful.
1935 expedition
In 1935 he was chosen by Lieutenant-Governor Hubert MurrayHubert Murray
Sir John Hubert Plunkett Murray, usually known as Hubert Murray, was a judge and Lieutenant-Governor of Papua from 1908 until his death at Samarai.-Early life:...
to lead an expedition into the unexplored Great Papuan Plateau
Great Papuan Plateau
The Great Papuan Plateau is a karst plateau in the Southern Highlands and Western Provinces of Papua New Guinea. It is bordered the upper stretches of the Kikori River and the Strickland River on the east and west, respectively, and the Karius Range, the southern edge of the highlands, including...
between the Strickland
Strickland River
The Strickland River is a river in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, and is the largest tributary of the Fly River.- Environmental concerns :...
and Purari River
Purari River
The Purari is a river in that originates in the south central highlands of Papua New Guinea, flowing though the Gulf Province to the Gulf of Papua...
s, with Louis James O'Malley as his second-in-command, along with 10 police and 28 carriers. It was the last major exploratory mission in the territory without radio or aerial support. They left Daru
Daru
Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is located near the mouth of the Fly River on the western side of the Gulf, just north of Torres Strait and Far North Queensland...
, on the south coast, by water on 1 January, followed the Strickland River and then its tributary the Rentoul River by canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
, leaving their boats about five miles below the confluence of the eastern and western branches of the river. From there they continued by foot along the south side of the river, travelling several days without seeing any people or signs of habitation. Then they camped at the confluence of the Sioa and Rentoul river, in view of three longhouses on the opposite side of the valley, and their inhabitants, who seemed to take no notice of the explorers. The next morning, Hides was threatened by a party of natives who had crossed the river in the night.
He was able to escape, but continued to meet unfriendly natives, and was forced to fight in total at least nine skirmishes during the patrol, and shot at least 32 tribesmen - often in defense, sometimes due to misinterpretations (see below). He received some criticism for the bloodshed, especially after another patrol was launched in the same area the next year (led by Ivan Champion and C.J. Adamson) with no resulting deaths, but he nonetheless was praised by Hubert Murray, who called his patrol "the most difficult and dangerous" ever carried out in Papua. When he appeared in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in August, he proved himself an articulate speaker and received considerable attention.
The violence which marked his expedition has been attributed to several causes. Hides' group suffered from severe food shortages, and indigenous communities he encountered were often unwilling or unable to trade. Hides had bargained on trading steel tools for food, but found people who were not interested in steel. In addition, the Nembi people were suffering from acute food shortages themselves, and had none to spare. It has been suggested that the Etoro
EToro
eToro is a financial trading company based in Cyprus. It provides personal online financial services in forex, commodities and stock indices through its own electronic trading platform....
and Onabasulu people "did not sell food to the patrol because they feared it and wanted it to go away". By necessity, Hides' expedition resorted to stealing food, which led to violence. Another factor was Hides' ignorance of these uncontacted peoples' "fragmented political organisation", and of the "social and political implications of the patrol's movement"; he often appeared, from Papuans' perspectives, to be coming from enemy territory, making people instantly wary. Some Papuan peoples greeted the patrol hospitably, however. Among these were the Kewa
Kewa
Kéwa is a rural commune of the Cercle of Djenné in the Mopti Region of Mali. The principal village is Kouakourou....
. By the time the expedition reached Kewa territory, Hides was severely ill, exhausted and famished. "His by now exaggerated expectations of native treachery and attack and the desperate condition of the patrol led him to misperceive the Kewa's intent and allowed his patrol to open fire on them on two occasions, resulting in seven or eight Kewa deaths."
Final expedition and death
He had discovered some gold in the upper reaches of the Strickland River, and in 1936 he resigned from the Papuan public service in order to lead a private gold prospectingGold prospecting
Gold prospecting is the act of searching for new gold deposits. Methods used vary with the type of deposit sought and the resources of the prospector...
expedition up the river in February 1937, with the backing of investors in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. His companion David Lyall became seriously ill on the journey, and they were forced to retreat to the coast, where Lyall died in September. He also lost a number of carriers from beriberi
Beriberi
Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by a thiamine deficiency in the diet. Thiamine is involved in the breakdown of energy molecules such as glucose and is also found on the membranes of neurons...
. Depressed by the experience, he returned to Sydney, where he died the following year from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.
Books
- Through Wildest Papua. London: Blackie and Son, 1935
- Papuan Wonderland. London: Blackie and Son, 1936
- Savage Patrol. New York: National Travel Club, 1936
- Savages in Serge. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1938
- Beyond the Kubea Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1939
Magazines
- Pacific Islands Monthly 4:10, 1934 (cover photograph)
- "A Great Feast at Evesi." The Papuan Villager 6:1, 1934
- "A Papuan Patrol." Australian Geographer 2:8, 1935
- "They Collect Heads!" Pacific Islands Monthly 6:7, 1936 (cover photograph)
Further reading
- Lett, L., Knights Errant of Papua, London, 1935.
- James Patrick Sinclair. The outside man: Jack Hides of Papua. London, Angus & Robertson, 1969. ISBN 0207951357
- Karl J. Franklin (1989). "Jack Hides' visit to the Kewa area." Journal of Pacific History 24: 99-105.
- Schieffelin, Edward and Crittenden, Robert, "Remembering First Contact: Realities and Romance", in, Borofsky, Robert (ed.), Remembrance of Pacific Pasts: An Invitation to Remake History, Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, ISBN 0-8248-2301-X, pp.135-141.
External links
- Photograph from National Library of Australia, of hydroelectric patrol including Jack Hides