Sir Hubert Murray (1861-1940) was Lieutenant-Governor of Papua from 1908 until his death.

The letters, about 130 in all, are addressed to Sir Hubert Murray's daughter, Mrs Mary Pinney, and to his granddaughter, Miss Maura Pinney. For five of the nine and a half years covered by the correspondence, the Pinneys lived on Norfolk Island, where Mrs Pinney's husband, Captain C.R. Pinney, MC, was Administrator. The letters provide intimate glimpses of the life, thoughts and opinions of a man who presided over the destiny of Papua for 31 years, and contain numerous references to Captain Pinney's career. Several letters from H. Leonard Murray to Mrs Pinney are also included in this collection. H.L. Murray (1887-1963) was Sir Hubert Murray's nephew and Official Secretary of the Papuan Administration during the 1930's. He became Administrator of Papua after Sir Hubert's death in 1908 in Papua New Guinea.