Harry J. Moors (1854-1926), was born in Detroit and died in Apia, Western Samoa. As an agent for the Hawaiian Board of Immigration, he made several voyages to the Gilbert Islands and Marshall Islands around 1880 to recruit labourers for Hawaii's sugar plantations. In 1883, he settled in Apia, Western Samoa, and became a successful trader and planter. Moors was closely associated with Robert Louis Stevenson during the novelist's five years (1889-1894) in Samoa, and in 1910 he published a book of reminiscences entitled 'With Stevenson in Samoa'. Moors stated in that book that Stevenson had once urged him to write down some of the wonderful stories he had related to Stevenson about his early career. Moors acted on this encouragement, and after Stevenson died, he wrote two novels, of which 'The Tokanoa: A plain tale of some strange adventures in the Gilberts' is one. Neither of the novels was published. See also the Bureau's newsletter 'Pambu', September 1968:4.

The novel is based on Moors' experiences in the Gilbert Islands [Kiribati] as a labour recruiter for the Hawaiian Board of Immigration. The title page states that it is compiled from the diary of John T. Bradley, labor agent.

The Reverend Collocott (1886-1970) served as a Methodist missionary in Tonga from 1911 until 1924, initially at Ha'apai and from 1915 as Principal of Tupou College. He wrote numerous papers on Tongan myths, legends, history, language, customs and astronomy for Mankind, the Journal of the Polynesian Society, Folklore and the special publications of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. See also PMB 28

The typescript is not dated but is thought to have been written after Collocott left Tonga, possibly between 1921 and 1930. The manuscript is a history of Tonga centred around King Taufa'ahau (George Tupou I) and his family. It contains stories of creation, myths, legends, songs, and family histories and, as the chapter headings denote, the more recent history and personalities associated with the coming of the Europeans (Cook, Bligh, Edwards, Moulton, the London Missionary Society etc.). A number of published works are named as reference sources. The manuscript appears to contain twenty-six chapters but from Chapter 13 onwards the arrangement is very confused. The detailed list of the contents, at the beginning of the microfilm, also indicates the position of some additional pages in Collocott's handwriting. Annotations have been made at some time by an unknown researcher.
See Finding aids for details.

Richard Branscombe Chave, was born in 1849, probably in England. He was manager of the guano diggings on Starbuck Island (part of the central Line islands of Kiribati) in 1871, when the island was under lease from the British Government to Holder Bros. of London. Subsequently, Chave appears to have returned to his profession as a sailor.

In 1871, Chave, then 22, was in charge of a guano team of three Europeans and 50 Rarotongans working on Starbuck Island. When provisions began to run low, and there was no sign of a brig which was to bring replenishments, Chave and three Rarotongans set off in a large boat to try to reach Malden Island, 120 miles away, which was being worked for guano by a Melbourne company. After becoming lost and surviving a capsize, the party reached Penrhyn Island, several hundred miles in the opposite direction. Later, Chave and a Penrhyn Islander tried to sail back to Starbuck Island, but again Chave became lost and he and his companion finally drifted to an uninhabited island, which proved to be Suwarrow Atoll, where they lived for two years before being rescued. Chave's narrative gives a vivid account of his adventures up to a point where he and his companion had been on Suwarrow for about nine months. For further details, see the Bureau's newsletter Pambu, Nov. 1968:4, pp.5-9 and Jan. 1969:6, pp.6-9.

Dr William Henry Harvey was a botanist, becoming professor and chair of Botany at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, from 1856 until his death in 1866.

The letters, four in number, give vivid accounts of Dr Harvey's visits to Tonga and Fiji in the latter half of 1855 during the course of a world tour. The letters are addressed to Harvey's sister Hannah (Mrs Hannah Harvey Todhunter) and his niece Mary (Mary Christy Harvey). Dr Harvey was particularly interested in algae; but he also investigated other aspects of the natural history of Tonga and Fiji, and wrote at length of a religious revival in Tonga and cannibalism in Fiji. (Twenty-six other letters of Dr Harvey, dealing with other aspects of his world tour, which took in Gilbraltar, Malta, Ceylon, Australia and New Zealand, are deposited in the library of Trinity College, Dublin). See also the Bureau's newsletter PAMBU, March 1968: 8, pp.1-4.

Alan Ives is a former Librarian at the National Archives of Australia and Archivist at Charles Sturt University. He was also an editor of the Pacific Archives Journal.

• An Alphabetical List of Villages in Papua and New Guinea, Waigani, the Library, University of PNG, 1970; Ts., bound, 103pp. Cf. Village Directory, PNG Dept of District Administration, 2nd revised edition, 1968, arranged under Districts and Sub-Districts, whereas this UPNG Library publication is an alphabetical list derived from the Village Directory.
• Basic Documents concerning the Japanese Peace Settlement, n.d..; Ts., roneo, c.40pp. Texts of documents concerning the future of Japan and her territories:
A. The Cairo Declaration of 2 Dec 1943.
B. The Secret Yalta Agreement of 11th Feb 1945 (made public on 12 Feb 1946)
C. The Potsdam Declaration of 26 July 1945.
D. Notes exchanged between the Japanese Government and the Governments signatory to the Potsdam Proclamation in August 1945.
E. President Truman’s Directive to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers 13 Aug 1945.
F. Proclamation of the Emperor of Japan 12 August 1945.
G. The instrument of Japan’s surrender signed on board the USS “Missouri” at Tokyo Bay on 2nd September 1945.
H. Basic initial post-surrender directive to Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers for the Occupation and Control of Japan.
I. The Moscow Communique of 28 December 1945 (relevant portion).
J. Proposed US 25 year Treaty on disarmament and demilitarisation of Japan.

Jack Read joined the Australian administration of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea as a Cadet in 1929. He worked as Patrol Officer in most parts of the Territory, having covered New Britain and the mainland from the Sepik River to the Morobe Goldfields, but had not been located in Bougainville until his appointment in November 1941 as Assistant District Officer in charge of the Buka Passage Sub-District, under District Officer Merrylees. Following the Japanese entry into the War on 8 Dec 1941, Read helped evacuate most European residents from Buka, established inland dumps of emergency provisions and shifted his administration to Bougainville island just before a Japanese attack on the Sub-District HQ on Sohano island on 24 January 1942. Following the winding up of civil administration in February 1942, Read, the only remaining government representative, was appointed Lieutenant in the Australian Navy under Lt Commander Feldt with instructions to remain in Bougainville as a coastwatcher.

Photocopy of original typescript. Parts I-XI and appendices A-L, includes detailed contents list; Ts., foolscap, 148pp. Appendix M, ‘Map of Bougainville’, missing. Front sheet signed by Jack Read and dated 9 July 1974.

This rare book is an account of the development of an independent ni-Vanuatu church, established in West Ambae by Peter Pentecost around 1901 and, after his death, led by Joe Lulu, Bihu and other elders. After the War, missionaries from the Apostolic Church, Allan and Daisy Mann, Inger Christensen, Frank and Molly Thompson, and Paul and Dulcie Grant, and others, connected with the independent church. The Ambae church was re-established as part of the Apostolic mission, under the leadership of Lulu of Wahala, Bihu of Vilakalaka, Samson of Tavala and Aaron of Halalulu. Links were forged with an Apostolic mission in Luganville, Santo, which eventually merged with the Ambae church to form the Apostolic Church New Hebrides in 1976.

Paul and Dulcie Grant, Kweli Times: A Short History of the Apostolic Church Vanuatu 1946-1965, Coopers Plains, Queensland, 2002; 58pp., illus.