Guide to the Papers of James Wightman Davidson, 1886-1974

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Summary

Collection number:
MS 5105
Creator:
J. W. Davidson and Davidson, Ruth W., Miss
Extent:
(66 archive boxes + 1 large folio box + 1 volume + 1 packet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of J. W. Davidson, National Library of Australia, MS 5105, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:
The collection comprises a small amount of personal papers including a diary, correspondence, notes and drafts of articles and papers concerning his books Samoa mo Samoa and Peter Dillon of Vanikoro. The bulk of the collection comprises subject files containing publications, cuttings, photographs, correspondence, notes, and in some cases, original manuscripts relating to the South Pacific Commission, American Samoa, Fiji, Micronesia (USA) Nauru, New Zealand's island territories, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Western Samoa (1890-1973).
Biographical Note:

James Wightman was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1915. He was educated at Kelburn Primary School and Croydon School in Wellington, Hereworth School in Hawkes Bay and Waitaki Boys School in Otago. He was Professor of Pacific History, Institute of Advanced Studies, Australian National University, 1950–73, an eminent Pacific historian, and constitutional adviser to Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Western Samoa, American Micronesia and the Cook Islands. Davidson died in 1973.

Davidson's publications include Induced cultural change in the Pacific political organization (1961) Samoa mo Samoa: the emergence of the independent state of Western Samoa (1967) and Peter Dillon of Vanikoro: chevalier of the South Seas (1975).

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

The papers were donated to the Library by Davidson's sister, Ruth Davidson, in November 1975. Additions were received in 1979 and 1980.

Indexed terms

Names:
Davidson, Ruth W., Miss

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn537821).
Conditions Governing Use:
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of J. W. Davidson, National Library of Australia, MS 5105, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact:
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