James Lyle Young (1849-1929) was born in Londonderry, Ireland, and went to Australia with his parents in the mid-1850's. After working in Australia as a station hand, Young, in 1870, went to Fiji where he was associated with a cotton-planting venture at Taveuni. In 1875, he left Fiji on a trading voyage to Samoa, and from May, 1876, to October, 1881, he worked as a trader in the Marshall, Mariana and Caroline Islands. In 1882, Young went to Tahiti to become manager of the Papeete trading store of Andrew Crawford & Co., of San Francisco. In 1888, he went into business in Tahiti on his own account. He was closely associated with the Pacific Islands for the rest of his life, as managing director of S.R. Maxwell & Co., of Tahiti, and owner of Henderson and Macfarlane Ltd., of Auckland. He became recognised as an authority on the life and culture of the region.

Letters, notebooks, memoranda, articles, etc. dealing with Young's career and interests from 1878 to the year of his death. Includes a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald on 'The Trouble in Samoa' (31/3/1899), a paper on German expansion in the Pacific (1908), correspondence on the Pitcairn Islanders between Young and the British Consulate in Tahiti (1911-13) and an account by Young of his family's history and his own career (1919, c.1924). Some letters written in Micronesia as well as materials from French Polynesia. A full list of other items in the Bureau's newsletter Pambu, Dec. 1968:5, p.12 and Jan. 1969:6, pp.10-11. See also PMB 21 and 22.
See Finding aids for details.

Fison (1832-1907) a university-educated man, with a keen interest in anthropology, was born in Suffolk, England. He migrated to Australia in 1856, joined the Methodist Church, and went to Fiji as a Wesleyan missionary in 1864. He remained in Fiji until 1884, when he returned to Australia and became editor of the Spectator, a Melbourne church paper.

Copies of letters, notes on Fiji customs and personalities, sketches of life in Fiji, and an early draft of Fison's book 'Tales of Old Fiji' (London, 1907). The wording of some of the tales, as recorded in these papers, has been much worked over and occasionally differs in its final form from that in the published versions.

The Rev. James Egan Moulton (1841-1909) was a noted Methodist missionary in Tonga from 1865 to 1906. He was the founder of Tubou College, Nuku'alofa.

1.Tongan history from 1797-1854, commencing with the death of Mumui on 29/4/1797. 2. The history of the Tui Kano Kupolu. 3. Story of origin of Fakafonua. 4. Legends: Bugalotohoa and Munimatahai; Abakula; The Fuaa; Lafa

In 1892, Paton was Chairman of the Presbyterian New Hebrides Mission. He was a vigorous opponent of the Queensland labour trade.

Newspaper cuttings relating to the labour trade between Queensland and the New Hebrides detailing, in particular, the iniquitous nature of the trade. The collection includes an open letter by Paton, Protest against the Revival of the Queensland Slave Trade, dated February 1892, to the Premier of Queensland, Sir Samuel Griffith, and Griffith's reply.

Rev. John Williams (1796-1839) went to Tahiti (French Polynesia) as a missionary in 1816 and was active in the Society, Hervey, Southern Cook and Samoan Islands. In 1839, he moved to Fasitoouta, Upolu, in Samoa and began a station there. On November 20th of that year, he was killed at Erromango, New Hebrides (Vanuatu). Rev. Robert Bourne (1793-1871) went to the Society Islands as a missionary in 1817. In 1822, he began the mission at Tahaa. He left Tahiti in 1827 and retired to England in 1829.

The principal item on the microfilm is a journal describing a voyage made by the Reverends John Williams and Robert Bourne from Raiatea to Aitutaki, Mangaia, Atiu, Mitiaro, Mauke and Rarotonga, Cook Islands, in July-August 1823, to propagate the Gospel. The journal appears to have been written, or written up, by Bourne. There is a subscription in ink by Williams on the last page. Some passages in the journal are the same or similar to those in William's 'A Narrative of Missionary Enterprises in the South Sea Islands', London, 1837. Other items on the microfilm are:

• A letter from Williams to his family from Raiatea, dated November 9, 1822.
• A copy of a letter from Tamatoa, chief of Raiatea, to the President of the United States, dated Raiatea, September 10, 1829.
• A letter from Williams to A. Birnie, dated Raiatea, February 27, 1830.
• A letter from Williams to his sister Mary, dated Portsea, June 17, 1836.
• A letter from Williams to his sister, dated Cape Town, July 14, 1838.
• Copy of an extract from the minutes of a meeting of the London Missionary Society in Samoa on March 30, 1840, concerning news of the murder of Williams in the New Hebrides and his associate James Harris.

The author of this manuscript, generally known as Gordon Thomas, was born in Chicago, USA, in 1890 and died in Sydney in 1966. After schooling in England, Germany and Switzerland, he began a newspaper career in Canada. In 1911 he joined the Methodist Mission in New Guinea as a printer, and later worked as a planter, trader and oil driller in that territory. He was editor of the 'Rabaul Times' from 1925-27 and 1933-42. An obituary of Thomas was published in 'Pacific Islands Monthly' for August, 1966, pp. 9-10.

When the Japanese invaded Rabaul, New Britain, in January 1942, they captured about 300 European civilians. All but half a dozen of these were removed from Rabaul in the 'Montevideo Maru', which was sunk with all hands before reaching her destination, Japan. Thomas was one of the few Europeans who was kept back by the Japanese - to work as a rouseabout at the freezer and power station. 'Rabaul - 1942-45' is an account of Thomas' life as a prisoner-of-war in New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

See also PMB 600.

Father Bernard Baldwin spent several years at the Sacred Heart Mission in the Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea.

In an introduction to his work, Father Baldwin says that Biga Boyowa is the language of the district commissioner's office (in the Trobriands area), mission translations, school programmes and the anthropological works of Malinowski, Powell, Uberoi, and others. He goes on: "Mastery of the Biga Boyowa will enable conversation with people of the Lousancays, Marshall Bennets, Woodlarks, Laughlans, Amphletts and a goodly number of those living to the south, upwards of sixteen thousand people. To know the Boyowan language and culture is to know in a way the better half of the language and culture of the rest of the Massim people. Contact with these is frequent and familiar, and the evidence of the interpenetration of their language and culture with Boyowan abundant..."
See also PMB 63 and PMB 64.

The records comprise the following registers relating to the Church of England, Norfolk Island: 1. Baptismal register, 1 January 1871 - 31 January 1971; 2. Register of burials, 3 March 1871 - 2 February 1971; 3. Register of marriages, 12 February 1871 - 6 March 1963; 4. Banns of marriages register, 1899 - 1921

Records of the Melanesian Mission, New Hebrides (Vanuatu) from the period 1857-1968. Including the following:

1. Baptismal Register of St Paul's Church, Lolowai, and from ketch Patteson, 1928-1968, with Register of Burials, St Paul's Church, Lolowai, 1929-1964, and Marriages, 1929-1965.
2. Register of Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, at Mera Lava, 1917-1963, copied from the original register, 1967.
3. Names of Birds in Various Languages of the Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides.
4. An Account of the Huqe (or Suqe) of Nduindui, Aoba (Ambae), written c.1930; found among the papers of Archdeacon A.E. Teall, Archdeacon of Southern Melanesia, d.1966.
5. Vocabularies of and stories in various languages of the New Hebrides [including Pentecost, Maewo, Ambae, Torres Islands and Banks Islands] - Vocabularies of North, Central and South Raga; story in Mota; Vocabularies of Mota, Tegua and Toga; Loh-English Dictionary; Notes on Loh Grammar; Maewo Vocabularies; Stories in the Aoba Language.
6. Family Prayers and Communion for the Sick in the Language of Lakona, Santa Maria, Banks Islands, with English translations.
7. Melanesian Mission Papers, 1891-1934, mainly relating to land matters.
8. History and Diary of Aoba, 1857-1922, by Father A.S. Webb.
9. Records of Events and Register of the Melanesian Mission at Maewo.
10. Mota-Maewo Vocabulary.

Kwara'ae vocabulary with English translations, followed by three stories in Kwara'ae, also translated into English, by R.N. Gallyon. The Kwara'ae language is is spoken in the north-central of Malaita Island, Solomon Islands.