The Star Mountains

About the Book

The narrative is an account of the first crossing by Europeans of the rugged, 12,000ft Star Mountains Range of the Australian Trust Territory of New Guinea. The Star Mountains are east of the West Irian border in the vicinity of Telefomin. The crossing of the mountains was accomplished by a party of six men, including Hayllar, who set out from Telefomin on February 25, 1965. The men climbed two of the highest peaks in the ranges, Mt Capella and Mt Scorpion, and visited a sheet of water called Lake Vivien which had not previously been seen by natives of the area.

Archival description from: Australian National University. Pacific Manuscripts Bureau: “Collection MS 83 - Scorpion - Central New Guinea. Narrative of exploring expedition.”

The manuscript by Tom Hayllar described above is the basis of this book.

About the Author

Tom Hayllar, a teacher, writer, bushwalker, caver and adventurer, has walked across Himalayan high country, trekked lonely stretches of Alaska and was the first person (authenticated by the Guinness Book of Records) to walk around and across Australia. He has also climbed mountains and explored limestone caves in the wilds of New Guinea. This is his description of the first crossing, with an Australian expedition, of the Star Mountains in Papua New Guinea in 1965.