Nauru's environment has been devastated by 100 years of phosphate mining. Mining of Nauru’s phosphate deposits began in earnest after the First World War under a joint Australian-New Zealand-British venture, the British Phosphate Commission. This mining was carried out with no regard for future rehabilitation and on terms that deprived the Nauruan people of reasonable returns for the sale of its phosphate in world markets.

In 1987-1988 the government of Nauru held a Commission of Inquiry into the rehabilitation of its worked-out phosphate lands. In 1988 the Commission published a 10 volume report which concluded that the island's former administrators - Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom - were responsible for the rehabilitation of worked out areas of the island mined during the period of the Mandate and Trust.

After several unsuccessful requests to the Australian government for financial assistance, Nauru took the findings of its Commission of Inquiry to the International Court of Justice which admitted a case against Australia. The case aroused much interest and controversy with Nauru receiving vocal support from world-wide environmental groups. A Compact of Settlement was reached in 1993 before the substantive hearing took place in the International Court in which Australia agreed to pay the Republic of Nauru a cash payment of AU$57 million and AU$2.5 million annually for 20 years. This money was to be used on development projects. New Zealand and the United Kingdom each agreed to contribute AU$12 million ex gratia towards the Australian out-of-court settlement

Transcript of proceedings, as follows:
Open Sittings, Days 1-33, 35-36, 39-52, pp.1-4191, 23 Feb 1987-30 Jan 1988.
Closed Sittings, Days 25, 30, 33, 34, 37 & 38, pp.1-591, 23 Nov-11 Dec 1987.
See Finding aids for details.

This book is not only rare, but also has been printed on very weak paper. The copy held in the Baker Papers (PMB 1203/227) is disintegrating. The copy held by the National Library of Australia, microfilmed here, is in better condition but the paper is very fragile and has cracked in several places. Other surviving copies are also likely to be deteriorating due to the poor quality of the paper. The PMB also has available a digital version of Baker’s Tongan Vocabulary, scanned from this microfilm, converted to text, and searchable.

Baker’s English and Tongan Vocabulary consists of the following parts:
Preface
List of abbreviations
English-Tongan Vocabulary, pp.1-133.
Tongan – English Vocabulary, pp.1-206.
List of Idiomatic Phrases, pp.207-209.
Errata, p.210.
Addenda, p.211.
List of Pronouns Omitted, p.211.
Grammar of the Tongan Language, pp.1-42.

Rev. Neville A. Threlfall, who was a Methodist missionary in New Britain, is a historian and writer. His published works include, One hundred years in the islands: the Methodist/United Church in the New Guinea Islands Region, 1875-1975, Rabaul, 1975; and Volcano town: the 1937-43 eruptions at Rabaul, Bathurst, N.S.W, c1985, with R.W. Johnson.

Contents:
An unpublished history of Rabaul and East New Britain, PNG, Ts., 2 vols., 682pp., arranged as follows:
Prologue. The Town that Shouldn’t Be. p.1
Part I. Before the Town
Chapter 1. A Harbour without Shipping, p.3
Chapter 2. Ships Arrive, 1700-1884, p.27
Chapter 3. A German Colony, 1884-1902, p.48
Part II. A Town and its People
Chapter 4. A Town is Born, 1902-1910, p.76
Chapter 5. A Cosmopolitan Community, 1910-1914, p.104
Chapter 6. No More ‘um Kaiser, 1914-1915, p.138
Chapter 7. The Long Occupation, 1914-1921, p.162
Chapter 8. The New Masters, 1921-1930, p.185
Chapter 9. The Non-Masters, 1921-1930, p.217
Chapter 10. Depression and Development, p.240
Part III. A Town Destroyed
Chapter 11. Eruption and Evacuation, 28 May-6 June 1937, p.259
Chapter 12. Future Uncertain, 1937-1939, p.298
Chapter 13. Shadows of War, Sep 1939-Dec 1940, p.325
Chapter 14. The Shadows Deepen, 1941, p.338
Chapter 15. War with Japan, Dec 1941-Jan 1942, p.359
Chapter 16. The Fall of Rabaul, 20-23 Jan 1942, p.377
Chapter 17. Under New Rulers, 1942, p.398
Chapter 18. Withering on the Vine, 1943-1945, p.417
Chapter 19. Peace in a Wasteland, Aug 1945-Jun 1946, p.439
Chapter 20. Not to be Rebuilt, 1946-51, p.457
Part IV. The Town Lives Again
Chapter 21. Rabaul Rebuilding, 1952-60, p.496
Chapter 22. Prosperity and problems, 1961-70, p.540
Chapter 23. The Mataungans March, 1969-1970, p.566
Chapter 24. A Year of Shocks, 1971, p.592
Chapter 25. Towards Independence, 1972-1975, p.617
Chapter 26. Facing the Future, 1975-1984, p.641
Epilogue. The Town That Is, and Shall Be, p.655
Bibliography and List of Sources, p.664

The first report covers Sept. 1914-30 June 1921: all subsequent reports are for 1 July - 30 June. For Annex C of the Report for 1921/22 see PMB Doc 316.

Reel 1: Sept. 1914 - 30 June 1924
Reel 2: 1 July - 1924 - 30 June 1935
Reel 3: 1 July 1935 - 30 June 1940

The oldest and longest-running news publications are those put out by the Government Information Service. This goes back to the late colonial period when the administration brought out a regular newsheet for national circulation. This was progressively upgraded until 1975 when it was decided to turn it into a weekly newspaper called The Solomons News Drum (PMB Doc 415). This was run as a general newspaper for over seven years from January 1975 until mid-1982 when it was taken over by five Solomon Islanders, renamed the Solomon Star, and run as a private newspaper. The Government Information Service has continued to publish its own newsheet (changing the name at regular intervals), using it to provide information on major policy changes, report meetings of the National Parliament, report national and provincial elections, trace developments in the public sector, cover all the main events in the political and vice-regal year, and generally provide a useful public relations outlet for whichever government is in power. (Ian Frazer, Pambu, Vol.5, No.5, May 1997)

Jul 1955-Dec 1974. Irregular in 1955-56; monthly, 1957-1963; fortnightly, 1964-1974. Includes BSI News [Magazine], Nos.1,3-6,8-11, Aug 1963-Jun 1964. See Finding aids for details.