The Rev. John R. Metcalfe (1889-1970) a Methodist missionary in the Solomon Islands for 37 years, was born in Yorkshire and went 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 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 was chairman of the Methodist Mission in the Solomons from 1951 until he retired to Australia in 1957. He continued to take an active interest in the mission until his death.

The papers comprise essays written by Solomon Islanders in vernacular languages describing their lives, local events and people of importance (52 pages); similar writings in English; annotated extracts from the Missionary Review 1902 - 1921; etc.