Originally known as just the
Great Mountain there had been several attempts to scale the peak by British colonialists in the 1880s. These attempts had failed after clashes with local villagers. The first successful recorded ascent was in 1889 by the
British New Guinea Administrator, Sir
William MacGregor. MacGregor had been in the territory as Administrator for only six months before he was compelled to launch an expedition to climb the mountain for himself. Starting on 17 May 1889, MacGregor approached the mountain from the west via the
Vanapa River. His party included his private secretary J.B Cameron, a
Samoan half-caste and thirty-eight Papuans and Polynesians. After ascending two smaller mountains, Mount Musgrave and Mount Knutsford, MacGregor eventually climbed the
Great Mountain on 11 June and promptly renamed it Mount Victoria in honour of
Queen Victoria. Brisbane-born Chas C. Baines in 1953 led a team of native carriers on a successful ascent. He had taken leave from his post as Port Moresby-based radio technician for Radio 9PA. ==See also==