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.