Maggie Wilson was born in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to Melka Amp Jara, a native 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.

About the Author
The late Maggie Wilson was the daughter of Melka Amp Jara, a woman of the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea, and Patrick Leahy, older brother of 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.

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.


Book Information
ISBN 9781476677033
Author Maggie Wilson
Format Paperback
Page Count 172
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 300g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 9mm