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Unpublished Manuscripts

Pacific Manuscript Bureau

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The Pacific Manuscripts Bureau is an organisation of libraries specializing in Pacific Island research, based in the College of Asia Pacific Studies at the Australian National University. It copies archives, manuscripts and rare printed material relating to the islands of the Pacific, making it accessible to researchers.

The Bureau has 3,300 microfilms, indexes and other material, held by the libraries involved, including:

A search in the catalogue currently gives 189 results. Records for Fiji include:

  • Roman Catholic Mission records from the Archdiocese of Suva
  • Diaries, journals and letters of visitors and settlers, including J.B.Thurston
  • Logs and journals of visiting whalers and other ships from the USA
  • Compilations of notes on aspects of Fijian history

Search for holdings relevant to Fiji here.

Indian immigration passes 1879-1919

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Indian immigration passes from 1879 to 1919 held by the National Archives of Fiji have been microfilmed on 42 reels.

The passes contain the migrant’s depot number, gender, name, caste, father’s name, age, district of origin, registration, and certification of authorities in India about mental and physical fitness etc. The passes are organised by ship of departure in chronological order. No personal name indexes are available.

See the catalogue listing in the National Library of Australia.

I cannot at present find anywhere else in Australia that has these microfilms.

The Journals Of Robert Sherson Swanston 1857-1885

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Robert Sherson Swanston was a “trader, arrived in Fiji, 1857, and settled there with the intention of introducing sheep and cattle. He became Secretary for Native Affairs under the Cakobau Government, 1872-3, and was influential in the development of constitutional government. He was also Stipendiary Magistrate at Kadavu, 1875-7.” [entry in Trove].

Six volumes of his journals from 1853 to 1885 are held by the Central Archives of Fiji. They have been microfilmed and a copy is held by the State Library of New South Wales. Follow this link to see the SLNSW entry or search for Robert Sherson Swanston in the catalogue.

The Autobiography and Reminiscence of Robert Sherson Swanston, 1901, is a typed and bound manuscript “created as an institutional record for the Society of California Pioneers. This brief reminiscence lists the mines R.S. Swanston worked and the companies he belonged to. It is followed by a typed transcript of a letter, dated November 21st, 1881, addressed to Robert Sherson Swanston regarding the condition of the people of Fiji. The context of this letter is unclear.” It has been digitised and made available at the University of California website Calisphere.