The Islands

Historical Records In

Need For Collecting System

A PLEA for the co-operation of the members of the organisa tion in gathering historical records relating to the Pacific Islands was made by the President (Mr. R. W. Robson), at the annual meeting of the Pacific Islands Society, in August.

Mr. Robson pointed out that most countries had an Historical Society, the chief purpose of which was the preservation of the country’s records in an orderly fashion; but there was no such organisation for the Pacific Islands. Islands’ records were preserved by such institutions as the Mitchell Library, in Sydney, and the Historical Societies of Australia and New Zealand; but that happened only where such islands’ records were connected with their own country’s records.

Some of the most interesting, fascinating and romantic data in the world had accumulated in and around events in the various groups Df the Pacific Islands during the past 150 years, but there had been no attempt made to collect and :orrelate it at some central place.

Anyone wanting to study records

relating to the events of the past century in a particular islands group, for example, had usually to travel over half the world, on a sort of hit-or-miss system. Thousands of people, carrying valuable and irre placeable facts in their memories, had passed away, without any ade quate record having been made of their knowledge. It was not yet too

late to do something, but no more time should be lost.

The meeting approved of a sug gestion that the subject be dis cussed with the NSW branch of the Royal Historical Society.

Mr. William Reiher, of the Gil bert Islands, is now the master of the Administration vessel Maureen.