The Rev. John R. Metcalfe (1889-1970) was born in Yorkshire and served as a Methodist missionary in the Solomon Islands for 37 years. He served as a home missionary in Great Britain before moving to Victoria in 1914. He became a candidate for the Methodist ministry in 1916, and after being ordained was appointed to the Solomon Islands in 1920. After a brief period at Roviana, he was appointed to Choiseul (also, Lauru) as assistant to the Rev. V. LeC. Binet. Apart from four years at Teop, he remained on Choiseul until 1951. During the war, he served as a Coastwatcher. He became chairman of the Methodist Mission in the Solomons in 1951, a post he held until he retired to Australia in 1957. He continued to take an active interest in the mission until his death.

From time to time during his career in the Solomon Islands, Metcalfe wrote long, descriptive newsletters to friends overseas which he called general letters. They were invariably typewritten. Apparently several carbon copies of each letter were sent out. Those on this microfilm were written in the following years: 1920 (2), 1921 (2), 1922 (1), 1924 (1), 1925 (1), 1926 (1), 1927 (1), 1929 (1), 1936 (2), 1937 (2), 1938 (2), 1939 (1), 1941 (1), 1946 (2), 1947 (2), 1948 (1), 1950 (1).

This work is a dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Education, University of Southampton, in December, 1968. The author was Chief Inspector of Schools and Deputy Director of Education for the Government of the Cook Islands from November 1962 to June 1967.

The thesis is concerned with the function of education in relation to the contemporary development of the Cook Islands. These islands were granted internal self-government in 1965 after being administered by New Zealand since 1901. The purpose of the thesis is to illustrate educational principles involved in the emergent territories of the Pacific. Social, political and economic aspects of the Cook Islands community are examined historically and in their present operation.

Miller made several trips to Papua and New Guinea as a prospector and mining engineer in the 1920s and 1930s. Later he was manager of Baranata Plantation, Papua.

The diaries relate to four mining trips to Papua as follows:<BR>1928: 17 April - 18 October, Lakekamu River<BR>1929: 26 November - 19 December, Lakekamu River<BR>1931: 7 - 20 September, Mondo <BR>1932: 23 February - 27 July, Misima

Dr Fox (1878- ) was born in Dorset, England, and educated in New Zealand. He joined the Melanesian Mission from New Zealand and was posted to the Mission's school on Norfolk Island in 1902. After being ordained in 1903, he spent some time in the Banks Group of the New Hebrides before going to San Cristobal, Solomon Islands, in 1908 where he began a school and started learning the local languages. He remained in the Solomons throughout the Pacific war, living behind Japanese lines. After the war he continued as a teacher and remained in the Solomons until well into his eighties.

The diaries cover the periods 1942-50 inclusive, 1952, 1955-56, 1958-59 and 1963. There are also some loose letters. During the period of the Japanese occupation of the Solomons the diaries are in the Arosi language.

Lina Jones (1890- ) was a school teacher at the Methodist mission, Munda, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, from 1924 to 1949. Her diaries have been filmed as PMB 594 - 599.

The diaries relate to her work at Munda. Diary 1924 - 1926. See also PMB 713-715 for Jones' correspondence, 1924-1942

Please see PMB 594 for full entry.

Diary 1927 - 1929

Please see PMB 594 for full entry.

Diary 1933 - 1935

Please see PMB 594 for full entry.

Diary 1939 - 1942

Diaries span Rev. John R. Metcalfe's entire career as a Methodist missionary and are of especial historical interest for his years in Solomon Islands. See also MS 75 through to MS 80.

Reverend John R. Metcalfe (1889-1970) was born in Yorkshire and served as a Methodist missionary in the Solomon Islands for 37 years. He became a candidate for the Methodist ministry in 1916, and after being ordained was appointed to the Solomon Islands in 1920. After a brief period at Roviana, he was appointed to Choiseul as assistant to the Rev. V. LeC. Binet. Apart from four years at Teop, he remained on Choiseul (with a break during the war) until 1951. He was then appointed chairman of the Methodist Mission in the Solomons. He retired in 1957.

Diaries spanning Reverend John R. Metcalfe's entire career as a Methodist missionary and are of particular historical interest for his 37 years in Solomon Islands from 1920-1957. Metcalfe was appointed to Solomon Islands in 1920. After a brief period at Roviana, he was appointed to Choiseul (Lauru island) as assistant to the Rev. V. LeC. Binet. Apart from four years at Teop, he remained on Choiseul (with a break during the war) until 1951. He was then appointed chairman of the Methodist Mission in the Solomons.

See also PMB MS 74 through to MS 80.