Rev. Isaac Rooney (1843-1931) succeeded Rev. George Brown (1835-1917) as superintendent of the Methodist Mission in New Britain (Duke of York Islands), 1881-1888. The Mission had been established by Rev. Brown in 1875. Rev. Benjamin Danks (1853-1921) had joined Brown in 1878.

Manuscripts, Items 1-7: Photographs, press cuttings and letters to Isaac Rooney from Lorimer Fison and Fred Langham, Aug-Nov 1880.

Printed books, Items 1-15: mainly translations of scriptures into the language of the Duke of York Islands, some with inserts and annotations by Isaac Rooney, 1886-1905; and additional pamphlets by Isaac Rooney, including his essays on Darwinism and the origin of the Lelanesian and Polynesian races (1907), and by W.L.I. Linggood.

See Finding aids for details.
See also PMB 614, George Brown, George, Benjamin Danks and Isaac Rooney, Dictionary and Grammar of the Duke of York Island Language, copy owned and probably annotated by Isaac Rooney.