Charles Seligman Beatrice Blackwood PRM Museum John Hutton Henry Balfour Edward Tylor Augustus Fox

Pitt Rivers Museum Oceania collections up to 1945 Statistics Part I

1. What was colonial history of geographical area?

[article ID:225]

Cook Islands

1888 - Becomes a protectorate of the British

1901 - Islands annexed by New Zealand

1965 - Self-government but associated state relationship with New Zealand continues

Fiji

*1874 – becomes British colony

1970 – independence

Kiribati

1892 - Gilbert Islands become protectorate in 1892

1900 - Banaba annexed

1916 - Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony formed [and extended to include Phoenix and Line islands groups and Tokelau for a time]

1939 - 1945 Japanese

1967 - elected House of Representatives established

1979 - Gilbert Islands become independent as Kiribati

Nauru

*1914 – becomes British colony

1968 – independence

New Guinea see Papua

New Hebrides /

*1887 – becomes colony administered by Anglo-French Condominium Vanuatu

1980 – independence as Vanuatu

New Zealand *

1840 – Britain claims sovereignty and administers as part of New South Wales

1841 – declared a separate colony

1907 – self-government and creation of the Dominion of New Zealand but New Zealand continues to prefer Britain to run most of its foreign affairs for some time and thus does not confirm the Statute of Westminster until 1947

Niue

1900 - GB annexed Niue as part of Samoa partition

1901 - New Zealand annexed as part of Cook Islands

1904 - separated from Cook Islands and given separate administration

1974 - self-government in association with New Zealand

Norfolk Island

1774 - 'Discovered' by James Cook

1788 - Penal settlement

1914 - Australian Commonwealth Territory

1979 - self-government

Papua

1883 – Queensland government annexed south coast, to British disapproval

*1884 – Papua becomes a British Protectorate

1888 – region formally annexed to empire

1906 – passed to newly federated Australia

1914 - joined with north of island, taken from Germans

1921 – administered by Australia under League of Nations mandate

[1942-1943 – Japanese]

1949 – formally united with other areas of New Guinea, forming Papua New Guinea

1975 – independence from Australia

Because of the way the entries are catalogued on objects prm, with contemporary [that is present day] geographical names being used in the search fields it is not possible to separate out those items which relate to Papua from those that relate to New Guinea although these were separate entities until after the period we are concerned with [they combined in 1949]. However according to note above the areas were joined in 1914 at least informally so there is an argument for this approach. Of course various islands which were perhaps considered separately (though still administered by the British) during this period are now subsumed under the country name 'Papua New Guinea' , these could be considered separately as their names are usually given in the region field but we are not doing so at this juncture. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (not always the most reliable source) German New Guinea became an Australian mandate in 1920 under the League of Nations and after World War II it became a UN trusteeship administered by Australia. This would suggest that for approximately half of the period in question Papua New Guinea was at least in some respects a whole and can be treated as such.

Pitcairn Islands

*1789 – mutineers from the Bounty settle on Pitcairn

1838 onwards – a British colony

Solomon Islands

*1893 – become British colony

1978 – independence

Some parts of the Solomon Islands (geographically) are not part of the Solomon Islands politically, as ever objects prm has followed the political arrangement - at this stage we are not intending to look statistically at these smaller areas and if such a move seems worthwhile, because something in the more macro statistics suggests it would be worthwhile, then it should be directed at particular islands or island groups as there are many sub-country regions in Oceania.

South Sandwich Ids Part of British Falkland Islands as a dependency [uninhabited for colonial period]

Tokelau

1877 - High commissioner in Fiji received jurisdiction over British Nationals   in Tokelau

1889 - Protectorate established

1916 - Tokelau became part of the Gilbert and Ellis Islands colony

1925 - New Zealand granted jurisdiction

1948 - became part of New Zealand

Tonga

*1900 – becomes British colony

1970 – independence

Tuvalu

1892 - became British protectorate

1916 - became part of Gilbert and Ellice Island Colony

1978 - became independent

Western Samoa

*1914 – becomes British colony

1962 – independence

Samoa is a big problem because entries pre-1945 just said Samoa, since then politically it has been divided between Western Samoa and American Samoa although most of the entries just say Samoa, the likelihood is that the majority came from the British held part of the island. We have therefore just kept the statistics under the heading Samoa (for information there are 5 objects which are definitely from Western Samoa (and none definitely from American Samoa) which supports this argument.

Countries within Oceania which were never in the British Empire:

Gambier Islands French Polynesia

1844 a French protectorate was proclaimed and the islands were annexed in 1881.

Irian Jaya [Indonesia]:

Now part of Indonesia. Dutch claimed western half of the island of New Guinea in 1828 but their first permanent administrative posts were not established until 1898. The Netherlands regained sovereignity after Second World War until granting of independence to Indonesia in 1963. A plebiscite held in 1969 resulted in the area becoming an Indonesian province.

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia

In 1842 the chiefs of the islands ceded sovereignity to France

Marshall Islands

In 1886 with agreement of UK Germany established a protectorate. Japan seized the islands in 1914 and after 1919 adminstered them as a League of Nations mandate. Occupied by USA in Second World War in 1947 they were made part of the United Nations Trust Territory of Pacific Islands under the jurisdiction of the USA. In 1979 formed a republic and internal self-government. In 1982 the government signed a Compact of Free Association with the USA. Full independence was gained in 1991.

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands]:

In 1886 Spain colonized the Carolines but its short rule ended in 1899 when the islands were sold to Germany. Germany yielded the islands to Japan in 1914 and after 1920 Japan got formal title to them as a League of Nations mandate. In 1947 the Carolines with Marshalls and northern Marianas became a UN Trust Territory under USA administration. Federated self-government was put into effect in 1979, in 1983 a Compact of Agreement was signed with USA. Micronesia became fully independent in 1991.

New Caledonia

France took possession of most of present day New Caledonia in 1853 though the Loyalty Islands were not taken until 1864.

Northern Mariana Islands

Spanish territory from 1668 until sold to Germany in 1899 [except Guam]. See Micronesia.

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands]:

Unclear until 1914 when the Japanese took over and lost the territory in 1945. Thereafter it became part of the UN Trust Territory from 1947, the country became internally self-governing in 1981, signed a Compact of Free Association with the USA in 1982 though this caused internal dissent for many years.

Rapa Nui [Easter Island]

In 1888 the island was annexed by Chile and it is now a Chilean dependency

Society Islands French Polynesia

Tahiti (and therefore effectively all the Society Islands) were made a French protectorate in 1842 and a colony in 1880

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia

Declared as dependencies of Tahiti within the protectorate by France in 1847 and became part of colony in 1880

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia

Placed under French protection in 1889 and annexed in 1900.

USA [Hawaii]:

Self-governed by monarchy until overthrown in 1893 and a republic formed with USA support. In 1898 the Hawaiian islands were annexed by the USA and became a state of the USA in 1959.

Wallis and Futuna Islands

Wallis became a French protectorate in 1887 and Futuna in 1888, in 1959 the islands elected to bcome an overseas territory of France.

[this list excludes those countries which do not have objects in the PRM by 1945]

2. List countries included in geographical region

[article ID:226]

Australia [Norfolk Island]

Cook Islands

Fiji

Gambier Islands French Polynesia

Irian Jaya [Indonesia]

Kiribati

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia

Marshall Islands

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands]

Nauru

New Caledonia

New Zealand

Niue

Northern Mariana Islands

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands]

Papua New Guinea

Pitcairn Islands

Rapa Nui [Easter Island]

Samoa

Society Islands French Polynesia

Solomon Islands

South Sandwich Islands

Tokelau Islands

Tonga

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia

Tuvalu

USA [Hawaii]

Vanuatu

Wallis & Futuna Islands

List of all countries within Oceania Melanesia

Australia [Norfolk Island]

Fiji

Irian Jaya [Indonesia]

Kiribati

New Caledonia

Papua New Guinea

Solomon Islands

Vanuatu

List of all countries within Oceania Micronesia

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands]

Marshall Islands

Nauru

Northern Mariana Islands

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands]

List of all countries within Oceania Polynesia

Cook Islands

Fiji [Rotuma only]

Gambier Islands French Polynesia

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia

New Zealand

Niue

Pitcairn Islands

Rapa Nui [Easter Island]

Samoa

Society Islands

South Sandwich Islands

Tokelau Islands

Tonga

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia

Tubuai Islands

Tuvalu

USA [Hawaii]

Wallis & Futuna Islands

List of 'colonial' countries [ie at some time part of British Empire]

Cook Islands

Fiji

Kiribati

Nauru

New Zealand

Niue

Norfolk Island [Australia]

Papua New Guinea

Pitcairn Island

Samoa

Solomon Islands

South Sandwich Islands

Tokelau

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Western Samoa

List of countries that were not part of British Empire at any time

Gambier Islands French Polynesia

Irian Jaya [Indonesia]

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia

Marshall Islands

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands]

New Caledonia

Northern Mariana Islands

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands]

Rapa Nui [Easter Island]

Society Islands French Polynesia

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia

USA [Hawaii]

Wallis & Futuna Islands

A good many of these islands were or are still part of other European countries' colonial holdings eg Irian Jaya which was Dutch, Hawaii (still part of the American Empire!) and all the islands still incorporated into French Polynesia.

3. Total number of objects from geographical region

[article ID:227]

Oceania total = 17,088 objects

Oceania Melanesia total = 12,362

Oceania Micronesia total = 513

Oceania Polynesia total = 4,922

Oceania [sub-region unspecified] = 228 [obtained by finding Oceania and omitting all continent sub-regions]

[There is some double counting between categories, presumably because of poor provenancing and because Fiji for example actually counts against both, this has probably artificially inflated Polynesia's total as only a very little of Fiji is actually in Polynesia but probably most of its undetailed provenances mean it says both continent regions against the entries. This double counting accounts for the fact that the Oceania total never matches the total of Melanesia + Micronesia + Polynesia + Unprovenanced]

Total numbers of objects per country listed in alphabetical order:

Australia [Norfolk Island] total = None [NB therefore this has been removed from future country related statistics]

Cook Islands total = 111

Fiji total = 1009

Gambier Islands French Polynesia total = 84

Irian Jaya [Indonesia] total* = 625

Kiribati total = 205

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia total = 86

Marshall Islands total = 53

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands] total = 222

Nauru total = None [NB therefore this has been removed from future country related statistics]

New Caledonia total = 304

New Zealand total = 1,620

Niue total = 125

Northern Mariana Islands total = None [NB therefore this has been removed from future country related statistics]

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands] total = 66

Papua New Guinea total *= 7,537

Pitcairn Islands total = 100

Rapa Nui [Easter Island] total = 902

Samoa total = 346

Society Islands French Polynesia total = 164

Solomon Islands total = 3,154

South Sandwich Islands total = None [NB therefore this has been removed from future country related statistics]

Tokelau Islands total = 1 [possibly also from New Zealand!]

Tonga total = 290

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia total = 13

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia total = 80

Tuvalu total = 188

USA [Hawaii] total = 142

Vanuatu total = 956

Wallis & Futuna Islands total = 4

* Note that the division of the New Guinea island between Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya is not always clear and an actual division [same total number of objects, divided more specifically]:

Definitely Papua New Guinea = 7,047

Definitely Irian Jaya = 135

Papua New Guinea OR Irian Jaya = 980

The likelihood is that more of the uncertainly provenanced items came from PNG than Irian Jaya so it is possible that the figure of 7537 [all the entries in which PNG is listed even if Irian Jaya is also mentioned] is a more correct figure (as would be 135 for Irian Jaya). However this will never been known for sure because of the undetailed provenance for these items.

There is a good deal of double counting between countries as well as very many Oceanian items are poorly or imprecisely provenanced. These figures are therefore only an indication and should be viewed with some scepticism.

Countries in descending order of number of objects associated with them:

Papua New Guinea total = 7,537

Solomon Islands total = 3,154

New Zealand total = 1,620

Fiji total = 1,009

Vanuatu total = 956

Rapa Nui [Easter Island] total = 902

Irian Jaya [Indonesia] total = 625

Samoa total = 346

New Caledonia total = 304

Tonga total = 290

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands] total = 222

Kiribati total = 205

Tuvalu total = 188

Society Islands French Polynesia total = 164

USA [Hawaii] total = 142

Niue total = 125

Cook Islands total = 111

Pitcairn Islands total = 100

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia total = 86

Gambier Islands French Polynesia total = 84

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia total = 80

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands] total = 66

Marshall Islands total = 53

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia total = 17

Western Samoa total = 16

American Samoa total = 11

Wallis & Futuna Islands total = 4

Tokelau Islands total = 1 [possibly also from New Zealand!]

Australia [Norfolk Island] total = 0

Nauru total = 0

Northern Mariana Islands total = 0

South Sandwich Islands total = 0

Total number of objects divided by colonial status:

List of 'colonial' countries [ie at some time part of British Empire]

Cook Islands = 111

Fiji = 1,009

Kiribati = 205

[Nauru = 0]

New Zealand = 1,620

Niue = 125

Norfolk Island [Australia] = 0

Papua New Guinea = 7,537

Pitcairn Islands = 100

Samoa = 346

Solomon Islands = 3,154

South Sandwich Islands = 0

Tokelau = 1

Tonga = 290

Tuvalu = 188

Vanuatu = 956

Total for colonised Oceania areas = 15,642

List of countries that were not part of British Empire at any time

Gambier Islands French Polynesia = 84

Irian Jaya [Indonesia] = 625

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia = 86

Marshall Islands = 53

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands] = 222

New Caledonia = 304

[Northern Mariana Islands = 0]

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands] = 66

Rapa Nui [Easter Island] = 902

Society Islands French Polynesia = 164

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia = 13

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia = 80

USA [Hawaii] = 142

Wallis & Futuna Islands = 4

Total for Oceania areas outside the British Empire = 2,745

4. Total number of objects for geographical region divided into archaeological and ethnographic objects

[article ID:228]

For Oceania as a whole:

Archaeology - 272

Ethnography - 15,188

Arch or Ethn - 1,628

Oceania has a much higher percentage of ethnography than there is globally (and probably than there is from any other continent).

Archaeology:

Oceania total =272 [note that 1628 objects are either archaeological or ethnographic - see separate section below]

Oceania Melanesia total = 40

Oceania Micronesia total = 11

Oceania Polynesia total = 214

Oceania unspecified = 7

Cook Islands total = 1

Fiji total = 3

Gambier Islands French Polynesia total = 0

Kiribati total = 0

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia total = 0

Marshall Islands total = 0

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands] total = 11

New Caledonia total = 5

New Zealand total = 185

Niue total = 0

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands] total = 0

Papua New Guinea / Irian Jaya [Indonesia] total = 4 [none specifically provenanced]

Pitcairn Islands total = 2

Rapa Nui [Easter Island] total = 0

Samoa total = 20

Society Islands French Polynesia total = 1

Solomon Islands total = 0

Tokelau Islands total = 0

Tonga total = 1

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia total = 2

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia total = 2

Tuvalu total = 0

USA [Hawaii] total = 1

Vanuatu total = 3

Wallis & Futuna Islands total = 0

Countries that actually do have archaeological items in PRM collections:

Cook Islands total = 1

Fiji total = 3

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands] total = 11

New Caledonia total = 5

New Zealand total = 185

Papua New Guinea / Irian Jaya [Indonesia] total = 4 [none specifically provenanced]

Pitcairn Islands total = 2

Samoa total = 20

Society Islands French Polynesia total = 1

Tonga total = 1

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia total = 2

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia total = 2

USA [Hawaii] total = 1

Vanuatu total = 3

Countries that actually have archaeological items etc and were in British Empire:

Cook Islands = 1

Fiji = 3

New Zealand total = 185

Papua New Guinea / Irian Jaya [Indonesia] total = 4

Pitcairn Islands total = 2

Samoa total = 20

Tonga total = 1

Vanuatu total = 3

Total British Empire Oceania archaeology = 215

Countries that actually have archaeological items etc but were NOT in British Empire:

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands] total = 11

New Caledonia total = 5

Society Islands French Polynesia total = 1

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia total = 2

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia total = 2

USA [Hawaii] total = 1

Total non-British Empire Oceania archaeology = 22

Ethnography:

Oceania total = 15,188

Oceania Melanesia total = 12,025

Oceania Micronesia total = 501

Oceania Polynesia total = 3,367

Oceania unspecified = 218

[See comments before about double counting]

Cook Islands total = 109

Fiji total = 992

Gambier Islands French Polynesia total = 29

Irian Jaya [Indonesia] total = 135

Kiribati total = 205

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia total = 86

Marshall Islands total = 53

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands] total = 211

New Caledonia total = 294

New Zealand total = 1,068

Niue total = 125

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands] total = 65

Papua New Guinea total = 6,765

Papua New Guinea / Irian Jaya unspecified = 483

Pitcairn Islands total = 16

Rapa Nui [Easter Island] total = 144

Samoa total = 322

Society Islands French Polynesia total = 162

Solomon Islands total = 3,146

Tokelau Islands total = 1 [possibly from New Zealand]

Tonga total = 286

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia total = 11

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia total = 51

Tuvalu total = 188

USA [Hawaii] total = 110

Vanuatu total = 944

Wallis & Futuna Islands total = 4

Countries with ethnographic items and were in British Empire:

Cook Islands total = 109

Fiji total = 992

Kiribati total = 205

New Zealand total = 1,068

Niue total = 125

Papua New Guinea total = 6,765

Papua New Guinea / Irian Jaya unspecified = 483

Pitcairn Islands total = 16

Samoa total = 322

Solomon Islands total = 3,146

Tokelau Islands total = 1 [possibly from New Zealand]

Tonga total = 286

Tuvalu total = 188

Vanuatu total = 944

Total for British Empire Oceanian ethnography = 14,650

Countries with ethnographic items and were NOT in British Empire:

Gambier Islands French Polynesia total = 29

Irian Jaya [Indonesia] total = 135

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia total = 86

Marshall Islands total = 53

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands] total = 211

New Caledonia total = 294

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands] total = 65

Rapa Nui [Easter Island] total = 144

Society Islands French Polynesia total = 162

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia total = 11

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia total = 51

USA [Hawaii] total = 110

Wallis & Futuna Islands total = 4

Total for non-British empire Oceanian ethnography = 1,355

Either Ethnographic or Archaeological

Oceania total = 1,628

Oceania Melanesia total = 297

Oceania Micronesia total = 1

Oceania Polynesia total = 1,341

Oceania unspecified = 2

Cook Islands total = 1

Fiji total = 14

Gambier Islands French Polynesia total = 55

Kiribati total = 0

Marquesas Islands French Polynesia total = 0

Marshall Islands total = 0

Federated States of Micronesia [Caroline Islands] total = 0

New Caledonia total = 5

New Zealand total = 367

Niue total = 0

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands] total = 1

Papua New Guinea / Irian Jaya (none specified specifically for Irian Jaya, some could be) = 260

Pitcairn Islands total = 82

Rapa Nui [Easter Island] total = 758

Samoa total = 4

Society Islands French Polynesia total = 1

Solomon Islands total = 8

Tokelau Islands total = 0

Tonga total = 3

Tuamotu Archipelago French Polynesia total = 0

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia total = 27

Tuvalu total = 0

USA [Hawaii] total = 31

Vanuatu total = 9

Wallis & Futuna Islands total = 0

Oceania countries that actually have archaeology / ethnographic artefacts:

Cook Islands total = 1

Fiji total = 14

Gambier Islands French Polynesia total = 55

New Caledonia total = 5

New Zealand total = 367

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands] total = 1

Papua New Guinea / Irian Jaya (none specified specifically for Irian Jaya, some could be) = 260

Pitcairn Islands total = 82

Rapa Nui [Easter Island] total = 758

Samoa total = 4

Society Islands French Polynesia total = 1

Solomon Islands total = 8

Tonga total = 3

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia total = 27

USA [Hawaii] total = 31

Vanuatu total = 9

Countries with archaeological / ethnographic items and were in British Empire:

Cook Islands total = 1

Fiji total = 14

New Zealand total = 367

Papua New Guinea / Irian Jaya (none specified specifically for Irian Jaya, some could be) = 260

Pitcairn Islands total = 82

Samoa total = 4

Solomon Islands total = 8

Tonga total = 3

Vanuatu total = 9

British Empire total = 748

Countries with archaeological / ethnographic items and were NOT in British Empire:

Gambier Islands French Polynesia total = 55

New Caledonia total = 5

Republic of Palau [Caroline Islands] total = 1

Rapa Nui [Easter Island] total = 758

Society Islands French Polynesia total = 1

Tubuai Islands French Polynesia total = 27

USA [Hawaii] total = 31

Non-British Empire total = 878

The high percentage of objects from without the British Empire is due to the very large number of objects from Rapa Nui which are not clearly defined as either archaeological or ethnographic - and of these a large majority are stone tools.

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The financial support of this project by the ESRC is gratefully acknowledged.