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.