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From time to time, you might see a book in the catalogue listed as Stack. These are books which are housed behind the scenes in the Central Library - items that the Library definitely wants to keep, but for some reason (e.g. older condition, or not in as high demand) the open shelf is not the right place for them. Most can be borrowed.
Please ask at the enquiries counter on the Second Floor and staff will be happy to retrieve them.
This webpage will highlight some of these nearly forgotten treasures - note that the author's selections and recommendations of these golden oldies are entirely idiosyncratic!
Last updated 20 June, 2006
Pacific Islands history
This month's Stack Showcase topic is Pacific Islands History. We've had fun gathering some interesting items for you from the stack - have a browse!
The Pacific Islands, by Douglas Oliver. (1951)
This book is a history of all of the Pacific Islands told by Professor Oliver, anthropologist at Harvard University. Divided into three main sections the first covers the first settlers of the islands, and how they have been grouped into Aborigines, Melanesians, Polynesians, and Micronesians. In the second section, The Aliens, Oliver turns to the subject of contact with explorers, whalers, traders, missionaries, planters, blackbirders, merchants, and miners etc. The largest section outlines developments and impacts since Western influences have been more prevalent taking each island in turn.
The Fijians : a study of the decay of custom / by Basil Thomson. (1908)
The author lived among the Fijians in short intervals for ten years as Magistrate, then Commissioner of the Native Lands Court. Much of the information was collected by him in this time to investigate the "causes of the decrease of the natives". (drawn from the Preface) An early attempt to describe the customs and life in Fiji.
Fiji and the Fijians, 1835-1856 / by G.C. Henderson.
This was written to expand on the journal of Methodist missionary Rev Thomas Willilams who is said to be "the principal authority upon the state of Society among the Fijians when Europeans first came upon them".
Islands of danger / by Ernest Beaglehole. (1944)
"Islands of danger are a lonely little group of three atoll islets on a coral chain that lies with its sun-drenched sand, its sheltering coconut palms and its deep blue lagoon in the middle of the South Pacific just ten degrees south of the equator". (p.1) Pukapuka is the atoll.
Among the natives of the Loyalty group / by E. Hadfield. (1920).
Emma Hadfield describes her 30 years on the Loyalty islands (Lifu and Uvea) as well as customs, language and social life.
Samoa under the sailing gods / N.A. Rowe.(1930).
One key strength of this book is the extensive appendices which reprint correspondence and journal references - e.g. "The Samoans are distinguished by some remarkable qualities, which, if not deteriorated by so-called civilized people, give promise of a superior civilization...." J.L. Benchley in Jottings During the Cruise of H.M.S. "Curacoa" in 1865.
The discovery of Tahiti : a Journal of the second voyage of H.M.S. Dolphin round the world, under the command of Captain Wallis, R.N. in the years 1766, 1767 and 1768, written by her master George Robertson.(1948)
Part of the prestigious Hakluyt Society publications series, this is an important early journal record of rounding the Straits and crossing the Pacific. On first arrival in Tahiti, the master describes being greeted with over a hundred canoes who "lookt at our ship with great astonishment, holding a sort of Counsel of war amonst them mean time we made all the friendly signs that we could think of, and showd them several trinklets..." (p. 136).
Tongan society / by Edward Winslow Gifford. (1929)
The bulk of the material was recorded in 1920-21 during the author's stay of nine momnths in Tonga as a member of the Bayard Dominick Expedition of Bernice P. Bishop Museum.
Tongan Friendly islands : a history of Tonga / edited by Noel Rutherford. (1977)
"Tonga is one of the few remaining kingdoms of the world and is surely the smallest. It is, moreover, the only Polynesian society that has maintained its political independence unbroken and its cultural heritage largely intact". (flyleaf)
We, the Tikopia: a sociological study of kinship in primitive Polynesia / by Raymond Firth. (1936)
Once again we are indebted to another anthropologist who recorded "some aspects of the life of those of Tikopia whom I was finally able to study". (xxi)
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