Oceania Books

This is a novel, but it is more than that. The author has lived with the Fiji people, learned their language, and studied them. Most of the characters in the novel are natives, young and old, male and female, and they livee adjacent to and are affected by a western-stiyle beacxh resirt, We see the interactions between generations and between western and ancient island culture, with misunderstandings onb both sides. It is beautifully written in the style of magic realism, so apopropriate to its subject. It is quite short, but it remindes me of ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUED and also THE KITE FLYER. An unusual book, worth reading. -- Herbert S. Bailey, Jr.

Bernard Smith is a brilliant writer & art historian with a significant position in Australia's cultural affairs.This book is the result of mulling over the art of our times for the best part of 70 years. His books on the art of Australia & the Pacific Basin have long been the standard texts on the subject. He is still a lively correspondent in the small, intellectual Australian magazines. Even given these accomplishments, I was mightily impressed with his overview of Modernism, presented herein. I'd stored his auto-biography,'The Boy Aeodotus' by my bed shelf longer than I care to admit, deterred by the endistanced tone he took in referring to his formative self in the third person. Recently overcoming this, I delighted in his ability to communicate his brave and passionate curiosity, and, breathlessly, plunged into this tome. His notion of the 'formalesque' was initially an obstacle, until I was absorbed by his argument. He positions this 'style' as emergent in the 1890s & exhausted by the 1960s (coincidental with the 'new' brace of critical art writers such as Leo Steinberg & Michael Fried). In addition to art movements, Smith gathers social, political, economic & philosophical trends to urge his case. The sub-headings to each chapter, in themselves, would make this a superb intellectual venture. His history of art theorizing is a masterful summary that will clear the nostrils. His emphasis on Surrealism's impact on the 20th century is well-placed. This is vigorous, pacey writing, free of catch-cry paternalism and reminiscant of the generous, Olympian vision of Jacques Barzun's,'From Dawn To Decadence'.

Gay? Or not gay? Let the reader decide. This very short novel about a Victorian-headed missionary who loses his head in the South Seas is a love story. The lover is the British man, the missionary, who gradually loses his balance. This is almost a spoof of "going native," because in this case, the natives are far more sensible and "civilized" than the missionary. The beloved is a native boy who is clueless of Mr. Fortune's torments, the guilts, and anguish. Forget about looking for "the good parts," if by that you mean the parts where they get it on. That never happens. What does happen is love. Mr. Fortune, against his will, loves Lueli, a young man who loves everything around him as easily as breathing and has no concept of shame. The novel invites us to think about guilt itself, about sexuality in any form, and about love. As Arundhati Roy wrote sixty years later, it is a novel about "the laws that lay down who should be loved and how. And how much." Like all of Townsend-Warner's novels, this one reminds the reader of impermanence. "For no reason he could see he had suddenly become immensely popular. And as he walked to and fro in the twilight waiting for his guests to take themselves off he heard his name being bandied about in tones of the liveliest affection and approval. He had one consolation: by the morrow he would be out of fashion again. As for Lueli, they scarcely mentioned him. If he had drowned they would have spent the evening wailing and lamenting: not for him but for themselves, at the reminder of their own mortality, after the natural way of mourning."

The year 2000 was particularly nice for me, in that Elly Govor, my Russian friend whom I had helped with English, had her second book launched. It was the best book launch I'd ever attended, and it made everybody a bit misty-eyed. The book is "My Dark Brother", and it's the story of the Illin family who migrated from Russia to Queensland, Australia, and marrying into the aboriginal community. What made the launch so very appealing was that some of the present Illins had come to Canberra for the occasion, and met, indeed, some of their relatives they had not seen. Elly's book had for the first time brought the history of the family to their notice. And Elly had really stumbled on the material whilst researching her first book, "Australia in the Russian Mirror". I had a long conversation with Glenda Illin, great-granddaughter of Nikolai. Glenda took a "package" from the Australian Government department where she worked and is thinking of moving to Canberra, Australia's capital. Written like a novel, My Dark Brother is a great read. UNSW Press. All history should be like that. Elly was kind enough to mention me ini the acknowlegments.

Prior to WW2 The Territory of Papua was an Australian administered colony and New Guinea a Mandated Territory administered by Australia under the auspices of the then League of Nations.Each territory had separate police forces, The Royal Papuan Constabulary and the New Guinea Police Force. Following WW2 New Guinea became a Trust Territory under the auspices of the United Nations and in the early 1950's the two police forces were amalgamated as the Royal Papuan and New Guinea Constabulary.

The constabulary was in many respects para-military armed in later years with the standard SMLE Lee-Enfield .303 rifle on issue to all British Commonwealth military forces plus leather equipment, ammunition pouches and bayonet.

Dr Kituai has written what is no doubt the definitive history of the native constabulary covering the period 1920 to 1960 and makes the point that the large bulk of the force was under the command of the field staff of the then Department of District Services and Native Affairs responsible for administering the various districts, sub districts and patrol post areas throughout both territories.Field staff officers held commissioned rank in the police forces but did not wear uniform.

Towns like Port Moresby, Lae and Rabaul were gazetted as such and European uniformed police officers had jurisdiction and command of native police posted in confines of the town.

The native police were recruited from village life and after training were posted as required to outstations. Generally speaking few were literate and with very few exceptions spoke English. With over seven hundred language groups in PNG, Melanesian "Pidgin" or Police Motu were the common languages spoken within the police force and by field staff officers. On one of my own postings as a single officer on an isolated post in an uncontrolled area in the early 1950's I spoke no English for just over two years

As an ex Patrol Officer, later District Officer I believe that Dr. Kituai has written the definitive history of the native constabulary in Papua New Guinea during the years covered by his book. Those were the years of small isolated outstations manned by a Patrol Officer or two plus his native police detachment. Exploration patrols were still being carried out into what were termed uncontrolled territory and in my own case as late as the early 1960's I had come under attack by hostile tribesmen using spears and bows and arrows.

Without the loyalty, courage and devotion to duty of the native constabulary it would have been impossible to have brought PNG into the modern age. Some Patrol Officera and native police were killed in the line of duty by primitive tribes people during the early years of administration and into the 1920's and 30's. During WW2 field staff officers who had been commissioned into the Australian Army supported by native police operated in the areas under Japanese control gathering intelligence and engaging in covert guerilla warfare.

It is fitting and long overdue that such recognition has been given to the PNG native constabulary and Dr. Kituai is to be commended for doing so.

J. D Martin
ex Patrol Officer/District Officer

E. J. Banfield's My Tropic Isle presents the writings of an erudite individual in frail health, who had retired to a tropical island near Australia in 1895. An avowed disciple of Thoreau, Banfield personally observed and experienced the wonder and complexity in nature. This in turn, brought an enduring joy to his life, and motivated him to lobby the government to declare his beloved island (and others near it) as "Reserves for the Protection and Preservation of Native Birds." A thoughtful account sure to resonate with the hearts of nature lovers everywhere, My Tropic Isle is a welcome addition to the growing library of Nature Conservation literature.

I've perused them all--Lonely Planet, DK Eyewitness, Citypack, Fodor's, whatever--and I found this guide to be the best of the bunch. It combines all the best of each of those: great pictures, detailed color maps, historical tidbits, walking tours, and easy, color-coded organization. I imagine it would be appropriate for those planning both long or short visits to Sydney. It's packed with lots to see and do but well organized so that you're not overwhelmed by it if you're just taking a short trip and want just highlights. My second choice would be the Time Out Sydney, which as usual, offers tons of shopping & cool tips & out of the way info. As a frequent traveller and consequently, owner of a plethora of guidebooks, I found this one refreshingly awesome. Just wish that they had a bigger range of destinations in their offering....

This is an excellent book, with many very good recipes which I have tried and found to be very good. It would be must in anyone wanting a good cookbook. It is user friendly.

Combining exceptionally beautiful photographs with well-written essays on natural history, this book is one of the best introductions to this amazing island.
Of particular interest is "Chapter Eleven: The End of Isolation" which considers chances of survival of New Guinea's unique biodiversity, taking into account the very different political and economical conditions that prevail in West Papua and Papua New Guinea.

New Zealand is going through something of a renaissance of tourism following the Lord of the Rings films and the programmes of Billy Connolly. Of course, New Zealand is perfectly located on that part of the earth's surface to give it tropical, sub-tropical and non-tropical locations. That, in itself, makes the country extremely interesting in terms of flora and fauna - both above and below the surface of the sea.

I like the fact that the Contents page is headed "Map of New Zealand - page 6." What better place to start. The remainder of that page reads; The Farthest Paradise, the Land, Outlying Islands, the People, History, Relics of History and, finally, the Political and Economic Systems. And they are all there, Described in an easy-to-read and flowing style which makes you want to call your travel operator and head for this wonderful country.

Well supported throughout with a carefully chosen and relevant selection of photographs from yesterday and today, this is a book which will explain New Zealand - as it should be explained, to anyone who wants to know.

NM