WOMAN GOLD MINER

Evening Star, Issue 21286, 15 December 1932, Page 6

WOMAN GOLD MINER

DAILY ROUND IN NEW GUINEA , The lure of gold in its roughest state lir.J attracted an Australian woman. She is Mrs A. J. Hunter, of the Edie Creek goldfields, New Guinea, and she works her own claim. With her hair shingled, and slight and athletic figure, it is difficult to realise that here is the one woman in New Guinea with the strength, ambition, and ability to do this man-sized job, states a Sydney paper. Hut modestly she disclaims all credit. “The day Starts at G a.m. for the boys,” she stated, “and very little later 1 walk' down to the claim clothed for the work in shorts and a man’s shirt. Then I supervise all handling of gold from the .moment it is removed from the ground until it is despatched to the bank. Many larger claims smelt their own metal, but wo do not do this. It is despatched merely

as coarse gold to the coast, to be loaded into schooners for transport to Port Moresby. Intense cold throughout the year is one of our troubles. But reallv there is so much work to be done during the day, with accounts and correspondence to occupy the evenings and Sunday, that there is little time to think of loneliness, weather conditions, or civilisation. Very often I help the gang with the actual work. This means shovelling the sand into sluice boxes, washing it into pans, and then cooking it until dry. The final stage of the process consists of throwing the metal in a sieve. Now, of course, excellent prices are obtainable for gold, so the Edie Creek fields are flourishing. Personally, I have never I experienced any trouble with the boys, : but that is all a matter of tactful handling. Bemember that they are human beings like ourselves and good feeling will result.” To reach her claim "Mrs Hunter travels for half an hour by aeroplane from the coast, and then walks for five hours, as the country around Edie Creek is too inotin- 1 tainous to permit a landing ground.