Memoirs of the Queensland Museum | Culture Volume 6 18 DECEMBER 2012 Andrew Goldie in New Guinea 1875–1879: Memoir of a natural history collector Edited by Steve Mullins, Martin Bellamy & Clive Moore NOTE Papers published in this volume and in all previous volumes of the Memoirs of the Queensland Museum may be reproduced for scientific research, individual study or other educational purposes. Properly acknowledged quotations may be made but queries regarding the republication of any papers should be addressed to the Editor in Chief. Copies of the journal can be purchased from the Queensland Museum Shop. A Guide to Authors is displayed at the Queensland Museum web site http://www.qm.qld.gov.au A Queensland Government Project Typeset at the Queensland Museum CHAPTER 3 Andrew Goldie’s Memoir: 1875–1879 Edited by Clive MOORE & Steve MULLINS Moore, C. & Mullins, S. (eds) 2012 12 18: Andrew Goldie’s Memoir: 1875–1879. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum Culture 6: 39–127. Brisbane. ISSN 1440-4788. When the natural history collector, explorer and trader Andrew Goldie died at Millport, Scotland, in 1891 he left an unfinished handwritten 120-page memoir of his first four years in New Guinea, from 1875 to 1879. The memoir, reproduced here, describes Goldie’s early career as a commercial natural history collector. Thoroughly annotated, and including where he indicated in the text an excerpt published from his diary in 1876 and the scientific descriptions of two plants, it offers a rare window on to life on the southeast coast of New Guinea and in Torres Strait in the era immediately before those regions were separated to become parts of different colonies. The annotated memoir also contains a photograph of Goldie’s 1877 expedition, a hand drawn expedition map, three sketches by James Shaw, one of Goldie’s party, and two newspaper illustrations of scenes described in the memoir. The memoir text is reproduced as faithfully as possible to the original, although some of Goldie’s minor textual corrections have not been retained. Goldie, natural history, ethnology, New Guinea, imperialism, colonisation C. Moore, University of Queensland [email protected] S. Mullins, , CQUniversity Australia [email protected] WHY I WENT TO NEW GUINEA the New Hebrides3 and to accompany him there 4 When I left England for Australia on the ——1 in the Mission vessel “Dayspring” . He was to leave at a later date, and meantime until he May 1875, I’d no intention of proceeding to New 2 arrived, I intended to transact some business Guinea: I had arranged with B.S. —— the in New Zealand where I had previously well-known nurseryman of Upper Holloway, spent twelve years. I accordingly proceeded London, to make a voyage in the South Seas to to that country and while in Christchurch, 5 collect plants of commercial value. I had agreed received a letter from the Rev. Dr Steel of to meet a Missionary in Sydney who was 3 The Presbyterian Church in the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) proceeding to join the Presbyterian Mission in was formed in 1848 by Scots missionaries from Nova Scotia, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand. 1 Between 1848 and 1920 sixty-two Presbyterian ministers 12 May 1875. 2 served there. The Rev. John G. Paton (1824–1907) of Benjamin Samuel Williams (1824–1890) was a prominent the Reformed Church of Scotland was the best known. London nurseryman, horticultural exhibitor, writer and 4 publisher credited with popularising the cultivation Dayspring was a 169-ton schooner, one of a series of orchids in the United Kingdom. His Victoria and of vessels by that name that served the Presbyterian Paradise Nursery specialised in the sale of exotic plants Church in the New Hebrides. (Anon., 1890a; Anon., 1890b). 5 Rev. Dr Robert Steel was a minister at St Stephen’s, Memoirs of the Queensland Museum | Culture 6 2012 | 39 Moore & Mullins (eds) Sydney informing me that the Revd. —— “Cheviot” [sic] Expedition which fitted out by had arrived and that the “Dayspring” would Mr W. Macleay M.L.C. 9 of Sydney sailed to that sail at an early date. I took the first steamer little known country. from Lyttleton to Auckland6 hoping to catch That expedition returned before having the mail steamer for Sydney and I arrived achieved that measure of success which was there just in time to see her steaming out of desired by its promoters, and hoped for by the the Harbor; consequently I had to wait in public. It had the effect however of rousing Auckland several weeks for the next steamer my interest in that country, and while and when I arrived in Sydney I found that the preparing to sail for the New Hebrides I felt “Dayspring” had already left. After several an increasing desire to visit New Guinea. I felt months I succeeded in making arrangements confident that it would prove rich in botanical to proceed to the New Hebrides on board specimens, though as yet it was unknown. All a man-of-war schooner —— 7 the courtesy of was dark as to the country, and its production Commodore Hoskins and Capt. Bell who and what was known as to the inhabitants commanded the schooner. Just at this time the was far from reassuring. At this time I be- attention of the public became directed in a came acquainted with some members of the very great degree to New Guinea8 through the London Missionary Society,10 who promised Sydney, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in New South Wales and Australian agent for the New agriculture 6 000 to 9 000 years ago. Linguists estimate Hebrides Presbyterian Mission. that there are approximately 950 languages spoken 6 today, and social units are usually small (Moore, 2003: Lyttelton is a port town 12 km by road from Christchurch 15–33). in the south island of New Zealand. Auckland had been 9 the capital of New Zealand from 1841 to 1865, but was Sir William John Macleay (1820–1891) was born in replaced by Port Nicholson (Wellington). Wick, Scotland. He migrated to Sydney in 1839, built 7 up substantial pastoral holdings in New South Wales Lieutenant J.J.F. Bell commanded the 120-ton HM and was elected to the Legislative Council in 1855. He Schooner Sandfly, one of five schooners built in Sydney was a trustee of the Australian Museum in Sydney in 1872–1873 (‘The Blackbirding Flotilla’) to enforce and the first President of the Linnean Society of New the British Pacific Islanders Protection Act of 1872, 35 South Wales, formed in 1874. In February the next & 36 Vict. c. 19 (The Kidnapping Act of 1872). The Act year, at his own expense, he purchased and fitted out was framed to prevent deception in the recruitment the Chevert for a scientific expedition to New Guinea. of Pacific Islander indentured labour for the sugar The expedition sailed between May and September cane plantations of Queensland and Fiji. HMS Sandfly 1875. [See Chapter 2: 13–14] The members of the was sold out of service in 1882. If Goldie’s memory scientific party were quarrelsome and beset by fever. is correct, his decision to make for New Guinea was Chevert encountered poor weather and failed to enter indeed a hasty one. Bell arrived in Melbourne from the Fly River, its major goal. The expedition returned Plymouth to take command of Sandfly on 1 January to Sydney with a range of specimens. The best source 1876. By the end of January, Goldie was on his way to on Macleay and his collecting is, P. Stanbury & J. New Guinea (Lind, 1988: 113–114). Holland, Mr Macleay’s Celebrated Cabinet, Sydney, 8 New Guinea, the second largest island in the world, 1988 (Hoare & Rutledge, 1974; MacMillan, 1957). 2 covers approximately 900 000 km . Situated between 10 The London Missionary Society (LMS) was formed in 130° E and 150.5° E longitude along with adjacent England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Non- islands, New Guinea has a mountainous backbone, conformists who were largely Congregationalist in shallow, sheltered embayments, the largest of which outlook. Originally named the Missionary Society, it is the Gulf of Papua, fed with sediment from large was renamed the London Missionary Society in 1819 rivers, and coral reefs abound around the coast. While and developed its main outreach in Africa and the tropical, the climate varies enormously from the high Pacific Islands. The LMS’s first venture in the Pacific mountain valleys to the equatorial coast. New Guinea’s was in Tahiti in 1796, and it became well-established vertebrate fauna is similar to that of Australia, the in Polynesia, particularly Samoa, and southern two lands being joined until about 10 000 years Melanesia, concentrated in the New Hebrides (now ago. The flora has a small Australian content but is predominantly Indo-Malaysian in origin. The bird life Vanuatu). It commenced activities in Torres Strait in is spectacular and some of it unique to New Guinea. 1871, with British missionaries and Loyalty, Cook and Humans have lived in New Guinea for over 40 000 Niue Islander pastors generally known as teachers. Its years, first developing drainage techniques and simple first station in New Guinea was at Redscar Bay, with 40 | Memoirs of the Queensland Museum | Culture 6 2012 Andrew Goldie’s Memoir: 1875-1879 to use their influence to get me a passage to and at once sent all my stores and necessaries that country by their steamer the Ellangowan on board. 11 [sic]. I scarcely knew how to act. I had made I left Sydney on —— 13 taking a large and arrangements to go to the New Hebrides, but faithful dog as my only companion14 and in I wanted very much to go to New Guinea.