Born at Pine Hut, South Australia, in 1872, Reverend Ernest George Neil had a spasmodic primary education, but nevertheless obtained a scholarship for secondary education at Prince Alfred College. He then forfeited a bursary to Adelaide University in order to undertake training for the ministry with the Primitive Methodist Church. After his ordination in 1895 he ministered in South Australia till 1902 when he was appointed to Samoa by the Board of Overseas Missions of the Australian Methodist Church. Rev. Neil remained in Samoa till 1919 [1917 according to some family records], at Satupa’itea till 1908 and then in Upolu as Chairman of the Samoan District. According to A Harold Wood, Rev. Neil “was far-seeing in his policy of seeking financial independence for the Mission…and also in promoting equality between Europeans and Samoans in the Synod.” (Overseas Missions of the Australian Methodist Church, Vol.1; p.315.) Rev. Neil is also notable for his pursuit of Mission education and building programs. His administrative ability may have been overshadowed by his prowess as “the master-builder of Pacific Missions.”(Wood, p.316) He designed and built the Gaga’emalae mission house, the Wesleyan school at Satupa’itea and Piulia College at Lufilufi. Rev. Neil served on a number of South Australian circuits after his return from Samoa, retiring from the active ministry in 1939. (See Leanne Weber, A Light in the World’s Dark Places: the missionary work of E G Neil, Dec 2002; 16pp.

The journal is 330 pages in a strong consistently legible manuscript. It includes detailed daily entries from 16 April 1902 till February 1904, tracing the journey of Rev. Neil and his wife from Port Broughton in South Australia to Samoa, documenting Rev. Neil’s work in Samoa, the Methodist Mission’s operations and policies and the lives and activities of Samoans. There are also comments on the German administration. There are intermittant entries in the journal from August 1904 till June 1918, mainly on mission policy, business and accounting matters, but also including verse in English and Samoan. The last entry in the journal is the text for an inscription on a marble table to commemorate the erection of Piula College by Rev. Neil and others 1912-1919. Rev Neil’s family do not know whereabouts of any subsequent journals.