The documents and correspondence are in four folders and appear to have been sorted arbitrarily. The contents of the folders relate to the Roman Catholic Mission in Fiji cover the following periods:

1. 1868-1930 (principally land acquisition, Catholic-Wesleyan rivalry and Catholic education).
2. 1871-87 (including the consequences of British annexation for the Catholic Church in Rotuma).
3. 1882-1930 (land matters)
4. 1878-1902.
   An index to material copied in the Roman Catholic Archdiocesan Office, Suva, was published in the Bureau's newsletter Pambu April-June 1972:27, pp. 17-20 and is available on request from the Bureau.See also PMB MS 159/160 and PMB MS 432-468

Letters to Catholic missionaries at Rotuma from Bishops Bataillon, Elloy and Lamaze and Father V-F. Poupinel, written from Apia (Samoa), Tonga, Wallis, Futuna, Sydney and France. A typed summary in English of the contents of each letter is given at the beginning of the film.

The accounts, by various authors, are as follows:

(1) 'Histoire de Rotuma' by Fr Joseph Trouillet, SM. This is in three exercise books covering the periods: a. 'Depuis l'origine des temps fabuleux jusqu'au retour des Missionaires Catholiques, l'an 1868'. b. 'Depuis le retour des Catholiques en 1868 jusqua l'annexion en Juin 1881'. c. 'Depuis Juin 1881-la fin de 1890'.
(2) The foregoing 'Histoire de Rotuma' contained in two exercise books labelled 'Ier Cahier' and 'II Cahier'.
(3) A journal kept on Rotuma from 1868 to 1871 by Fr L. Dezest, SM (one exercise book labelled 'Journal, Ier Cahier').
(4) A journal kept on Rotuma from 1868 to 1890 first by Fr Dezest, then by Fr Trouillet. (Three exercise books labelled: 'Journal II Cahier,' 'Journal III Cahier' and 'Journal IV Cahier').
(5) An account of Rotuma in about 1824 in Domeny de Rienzi's 'Oceanie', translated by Dr Hugh Macdonald (typescript).
(7) An account entitled 'La Premiere Soeur Missionaire a Rotuma' (roneoed).
(8) 'Historique de la Station St Michel, Upu, Rotuma', dated 7 April 1949, and signed by L. Soubeyran.
(9) 'Historique de la Station Notre Dame des Victoires, Sumi, Rotuma', dated 28 April 1949.
(10) Rotuma Brothers' School - Extracts from Council Decisions, 1901-08.
(11) Newspaper clippings, 1917, 1932.

An index to manuscript material in the Roman Catholic Archdiocesan Office, Suva, Fiji (reels 159/160; 428/429 and 432-468) was published in the Bureau's newsletter 'Pambu' April-June 1972: 27, pp. 17-20 and is available from the Bureau on request.

Father Rougier (1864-1932) was born in France; he was ordained in the Society of Mary in 1888, and he went to Fiji soon afterwards as a Roman Catholic missionary. He acquired a large sum of money in what was known as the Cecile Affair (1906-7), and soon afterwards left Fiji and acquired plantation interests at Fanning, Washington and Christmas Islands. He resided in Tahiti and became a prominent figure there in the business and cultural worlds, being known as Abbe Rougier. (For a brief biography, see Patrick O'Reilly and Raoul Tessier, Tahitiens, Paris, 1962, pp.410-11). See also PMB 432

Correspondence relating to Father Rougier's involvement in the Cecile Affair and the disciplinary action taken against him.

Lacks: Bulletin 5 (printed but not issued): Bulletin 7 (not issued). There are 2 issues numbered 9.

Official organ of the Roman Catholic Vicariate in Fiji.

Reel 1: Vol 1(1) - Vol 8(12)<BR>Reel 2: Vol 9(1) - Vol 16(12)