See PMB MS 432. Documents relating to the Roman Catholic Mission Fiji.

Correspondence with government. Includes letters regarding the depopulation of Pacific islands following European colonisation, with particular reference to Fiji (1891-92). See also PMB MS 434/435

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

See PMB MS 432. Documents relating to the Roman Catholic Mission Fiji.

Correspondence (1856-90) includes conference and ratification of peace between Solevu and Nadi - 1856; religious freedom for Catholics - 1858; enquiry into complaints re Catholic Chief's resistance to Catholicism; extract from minutes of Chiefs at Bau re Catholic resistance to Wesleyan churches; letters from the Colonial Secretary re various land applications and the Teachers' Training School; various letters from Bishop Vidal. Correspondence (1899-1900) includes letters re Catholics being required to work on Wesleyan building projects and Chiefs' complaints re the use of indigenous labour on Catholic mission stations.

See also PMB MS 436 for correspondence with Government for the years 1891-98; and PMB MS 435 for the years 1901-13 and 1916-30.

Typed extracts from correspondence and documents from the Roman Catholic Mission to Fiji, principally:

• Letter from Fr Verne, first Catholic missionary to Rotuma, 1846 (from Bulletin de la Societe d'Oceanie 12);
• Early History of the Catholic Church in Oceania by Jean Baptiste Pompallier, Vicar Apostolic of Western Oceania;
• Circular from Mgr Lamaze to all missionaries of Central and Western Oceania, 1879;
• L'Histoire de l'Oceanie Centrale by priests of the Vicariat under Mgr Bataillon;
• Correspondence dated 1872-1874, 1876-1879, 1882, 1889 regarding Catholic-Wesleyan conflict in Rotuma;
• Full text of letter from Fr Verne describing his visit to Rotuma in 1847 and the establishment of a Catholic mission there;
• Correspondence regarding the early Catholic mission in Rotuma and the progress of Catholicism there.
  NOTE: see PMB MS 428 for information on an index to this material.

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 notes were compiled by Father F. Terrien, SM (1851-1922) who directed the Wairiki mission from 1895 to 1922. His notes were translated and slightly amplified by B.A.M., Suva, 1943. See also PMB 432.

Historical notes on the Catholic Mission of Wairiki, Taveuni, Fiji (1844-1922).