When young Jim Huxley went to the goldfields of New Guinea in 1940, little did he realise what adventures lay ahead of him. Living in the Wau-Bulolo area and working on the gold dredges, he was a keen observer of the people of pre-war New Guinea and writes in detail of the characters and the way of life there.

      When war came in 1941 he joined many other locals in a unit called the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (NGVR) – men who knew the country around them and the ways of the native people.

      When the Japanese arrived on the New Guinea coast, Wau became the base for Australian commandos who harassed the enemy at every opportunity. Jim had been appointed as a Medical Orderly and was near the front line much of the time – watching the action and tending the wounded.

      By war’s end he had transferred to the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) and was looking after the medical needs of native carriers and local villagers around Wewak and the Sepik.

       The third phase of his New Guinea Experience was in the rebuilding of Lae and other towns after the war.  He then went into the newspaper business in Lae and played a large part in the introduction of Rugby League to Papua and New Guinea in the 1960s.     

       Jim Huxley had  the opportunity to witness 25 dramatic years of Papua and New Guinea history.