A potted look

at 19th century Islanders

Islanders of the 19th century

—all types of Islanders, black,

brown and white—are the sub ject of a book to be published in Canberra in late July.

The book, Pacific Islands Portraits, is a collection of short studies of Islands identities of the time, about half of them native, half European.

It is edited by I. W. Davidson and Deryk Scarr of the Australian National University, and is to be published by ANU Press, Professor Davidson describes the book as “an attempt to cover the varieties of human experience in the Islands in the 19th century”.

Contributors, besides Davidson and Scarr, include H. E. Maude, Sione Latukefu, Peter Corris, David Hilliard, Hugh Laracy, Niel Gunson, John Young and Caroline Ralston.

Portraits include those of Peter Dillon, King Cakobau, Ma’afu, King Binoka, Bishop Patteson, Father Xavier Montrouzier (mainly about New Caledonia), George Tupou I, Kwaisulia (a Solomon Islander re cruited to work in Queensland and who later returned to the Solomons to become a recruiter himself), and a West Samoan rebel, Lauaki (a supporter of traditional Samoan cul ture who attempted to overthrow German rule and was exiled to Saipan in 1909, where he died).

Group portrait

Caroline Ralston does a group portrait, “Beach Communities”, about early settlers in such towns as Levuka, Apia and Papeete. John Young’s contribution is also a group portrait, of the Fiji cotton planting community.

Niel Gunson’s contribution, “Devi ations of a Missionary Family”, takes a close look at the peculiarities of the family of William Henry, one of the Duff missionaries, and comes up with some pretty fascinating stuff.

In all, there are 12 portraits in the book.