Some reports on the microfilm are as published in the Votes and Proceedings of the Queensland Parliament: others are as published in the Colonial Reports of the British Government. From 1 July 1900, they are from the Votes and Proceedings of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Colonial Reports were published without the maps which may accompany identical reports in the Queensland Parliamentary Papers.

A list indicating the provenance of each report appears at the beginning of Reel 1. Reel 1: reports up to Appendix 12 of 1901. Reel 2: the remainder.

This collection includes a significant sequence of journals covering Peter Milne's early years and ministry training, before giving an extended account of the mission in the New Hebrides at Nguna (Hocken Collections MS-0432/16 to MS-0432/23). They differ from the diaries in that they are written later as a more considered narrative, rather than daily notes. There are several numbered volumes, with consecutive pagination.

Please see PMB 581 for full entry.

The documents comprise:

1. Official and political papers and correspondence re presidency of the municipality of Apia, 1899
2. Miscellaneous papers and press clippings, re presidency of the municipality of Apia, 1899
3. -9. Official and political papers and press clippings re governorship of Samoa, 1900-1906 (7 vols). These include an unpublished paper by Dr Erich Schultze on 'The development of the political situation in Samoa'. Dr Schultze was Solf's successor as governor.

For details see PMB Doc 34

Nos. 28-54, April 1900 - October 1906

Letter books of Reverend Thomas Watt Leggatt. He was a Scottish missionary based on Malekula, Vanuatu (previously New Hebrides) representing the Presbyterian Church of Australia c.1895-1905. He was ordained in Melbourne in 1886 and became Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria in 1931.

The material is as follows:
Press-copy letter-book, May-Nov 1896, Ms., ff. 1-69, indexed. Written from Aulua Mission, Malekula, New Hebrides. Informative, detailed letters including, ethnographic observations on the people of Malekula, the number of their languages; Report of the “Amy Gertrude Russel” Mission Station, Aulua, Malekula, New Hebrides, year ending August 13th 1896; cover note addressed to Rev Leggatt’s father for a cask of 192lbs of arrowroot together with a 50lb bag of raw coffee being shipped to Melbourne; and letters to TWL’s brother Andrew, Mr Watson, Mr Langridge, Mr Paton, Dr and Mrs Annand, Mrs Scott, Mr Rolland, Mr Baker and Mrs C.B. Anderson.

Press-copy letter-book, Sep 1897-Oct 1905, Ms., ff.1, 9-165, indexed. Also written from the Aulua Mission, Malekula, New Hebrides. Includes letters to Mr Hardie, Convenor, Foreign Mission Cmte, Presbyterian Church of Victoria; also correspondence with the Western Pacific High Commission requesting including request to register the birth of TWL’s daughter, Lillie Faith Leggatt; letters passing on mission news to Mr Langridge, Mrs Tomkins, Miss Sutton, Mr Johnstone, Dr Cook and others, including Dr Geo Smith of Edinburgh with news that the French on the South coast were not driving out Rev TWL’s teachers; and an order for supplies. This letter-book includes a list of teachers in the Aulua District, Malekula, stating their names, location, salary and supporters (1899), and reports on indigenous teachers supported by the Presbyterian Church of Victoria or by the John G. Paton Fund (Samuel, Semuku, Taripoa, Tarivaka, Samson, David, Solomon, Abel & Albam studying at the Teachers Training Institute, Santo (Apr 1900); detailed reports (Apr 1900) on the following teachers: Josua at Ambilbarap; Noa; Ambongluan and wife Mogur; Paul and his wife Letok-Surur who opened a new station on Koliviu in the Maskelyne Islands; Harry Martin at the village of Batinir (Bakineer); Nambogsia of Burambar teaching at Sakau, one of the Maskeleyne Islands with Moses; Luke at the village of Pandru-lemp (?); Ebram at village of Bobambu (?); Alek at the Institute; Japhet and his wife Letubunka who were students at the Training Institute, Santo; and Thomas Erskine. There are also letters to the teachers and scholars at Presbyterian Sabbath Schools in Melbourne (Kensington, Kew, Malvern, Toorak, South Yarra) including reports on teachers and students supported by the various Sabbath Schools, namely Samuel, Josiah; Japhet; Taripoa and his wife Lelang; Ambongbaita and his wife Letis.

See also: Rev. T. Watt Leggatt’s diaries, 1901-1908, at PMB 86 and his newspaper clippings relating to the New Hebrides, c.1891-1905, at PMB 87.

The following material available at National Library Australia:

1. Leggatt, T. Watt, First printings in language of Aulua, Malekula [New Hebrides], 1890-1892.
2. Leggatt, T. Watt, Mission work in Malekula, New Hebrides, 1891.
3. Leggatt, T. Watt, Newspaper clippings relating to the New Hebrides, [ca.1891-ca.1905] [microfilm] Mfm PMB 87
4. Leggatt, T. Watt, Malekula, New Hebrides [1892]. 5. Leggatt, T. Watt, Nembu sa atua : Pagkumu ca Aulua, Malekula, New Hebrides, 1893.
5. Leggatt, T. Watt and Watt, Agnes C. P. (Agnes Craig Paterson), 1846-1894. Agnes C.P. Watt : twenty-five years' mission life on Tanna, New Hebrides / biographical sketch and introduction by T. Watt Leggatt, 1896.
6. Leggatt, T. Watt, Morning rays on Malekula [1897?].
7. Leggatt, T. Watt, Numene ta Apostol Hera, 1897.
8. Leggatt, T. Watt, First book and hymnal : Pangkumu and Aulua, Malekula, New Hebrides, 1897.
9. Leggatt, T. Watt, Diaries 1901-1908 [microform] mfm PMB 86
10. Leggatt, T. Watt, Ensurua naho i tok rien nerambulet bembui tui: Aulua, Malekula, New Hebrides, 1902.
11. Leggatt, T. Watt, Nasuruan ivoi Marik i tos, 1906
12. Leggatt, T. Watt, John G. Paton, D.D., missionary to the New Hebrides : a memorial life for our children / by T. Watt Leggatt and W.M.M. Alexander. [1907?].
13. Leggatt, T. Watt, How rain came up through the earth on Aniwa [1924].
14. Leggatt, T. Watt, Mission to the Aborigines in South Australia : statement and appeal from the Board of Missions, by T. Watt Leggatt, H.C. Matthew, 1937.

Minutes of meetings of the Samoan District Committee of the London Missionary Society for June 1836 - July 1851 and March 1898 - May 1905.

Captain Hamilton (1852-1937) was born in Scotland and came to Australia at the age of 10. In 1882 - 1883 he made voyages from Brisbane to Vanuatu (at that time the New Hebrides), New Britain and New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) in labour recruiting vessels. For a dozen or so years from the late 1890s, he ran the Hamilton Pearling Co. with luggers operating out of Komuli in the Admiralty Islands and Gizo in Solomon Islands. This company also traded in copra, tortoise shell, black lip and green snail shell. Later, Captain Hamilton had big planting interests in the Solomons, mainly on Choiseul. He died in Sydney in November, 1937.

The papers copied on this microfilm are the most interesting and valuable historically of a large collection (in the Oxley Memorial Library) relating to Captain Hamilton's career. They comprise:

• Diary of a recruiting voyage in the schooner Lochiel from Brisbane to the New Hebrides from September 20, 1882, to December 29, 1882.
• Diary of a recruiting voyage in the schooner Jessie Kelly from Brisbane to the New Hebrides, New Britain and New Ireland from March to September, 1883.
• Two reports on voyages in search of pearl shell in New Guinea and the Solomons in 1899-1900.
• Log of the pearling lugger Nippon from April 20, 1901 to September 24, 1901, kept at the Hamilton Pearling Company's station at Komuli, Admiralty Islands.
• Log of the Hamilton Pearling Company's station at Komuli from September 27 1902 to March 10 1903.
• Logs and diaries kept by William Hamilton in the vessels Canomie, Ysabel, Gazelle and Kambin from January 1 1903 to November 14 1905. These concern the operations of the Hamilton Pearling Company in New Guinea and the Solomons.

For further details of Captain Hamilton's career and of his other papers in the Oxley Memorial Library, see the Bureau's newsletter 'Pambu' October 1968:3, pp.3-6.

Fijian language periodical, published by the Methodist Church in Suva, Fiji, where it was microfilmed. Quarterly in 1896, became monthly in the mid 1900s. Mitchell Library, Sydney, has 1893-1905 (complete): 1906-15 (impf.): 1937-1950 (impf.): 1951-1964 (complete). No complete runs are known for 1906, 1907 and 1909. Covers articles and news of the Methodist Mission in Fiji, the South Pacific and elsewhere. For later volumes see PMB Doc .200-205.

Issues for 1897-1900 (complete): 1901-1903 very incomplete

Early issues published under the title New Hebrides South Sea Island Quarterly Jottings of the John G. Paton Mission Fund, edited by Rev. James Paton, a member of the Paton family which was very active for many years in the New Hebrides Presbyterian Mission. Place of publications and publishing body vary. For further details and contents see R. Langdon (ed) An index to Quarterly Jottings from the New Hebrides ... (Canberra: PMB, 1988)

Nos. 1-27, July 1893-Jan 1900

See entry for PMB 1067

Four diaries with handwritten entries describing Banks' life and work as a trader in the Cook Islands. Banks' diaries for 1897 and 1898 can be found on PMB 1067. Banks' diary for 1903 can be found on PMB 1069-1070.