Jottings from the Pacific
Author
W Wyatt Gill
Date1885
Object number00037902
NameBook
MediumPaper, ink, cloth covered boards
DimensionsOverall: 203 x 143 x 21 mm, 0.46 kg
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionW Wyatt Gill worked for the London Missionary Society (LMS) as a missionary in the Pacfic Islands during the 19th century. This book contains information on zoology, botany and ethnology along with missionary activities in the Pacific.
HistoryWilliam Wyatt Major Gill was born in England in 1828. He worked for the London Missionary Society as a missionary to the Cook Islands between 1852 and 1872 and to Raratonga from 1877 to 1883. Gill was educated at the University of London (BA 1850); he also a received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of St Andrews in 1889 for his work in the Pacific and his numerous publications on the biology, zoology and ethnology of the region. He died in 1896.
Gill was active in the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science. The Association - which later became The Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) - was founded in 1888. It aimed to generate public interest in science and foster discussions between scientists across different disciplines.
Gill was also known for his active protection of Pacific Islanders from what he saw as the depravity of European society and his firm belief that colonialism under the British flag was far more beneficial than that of the French or German.
The origins of the London Missionary Society (LMS) lie in the late 18th century revival of Protestant Evangelism and the development of the Congregationalist movement in England and the United States. The Missionary Society was formally established in September 1795 and although broadly interdenominational in scope, the Society was very much Congregationalist in both outlook and membership. The Missionary Society was renamed the London Missionary Society in 1818.
SignificanceThe influence of the London Missionary Society upon the indigenous people in the Pacific was immense. Although many of the missionaries failed in their first attempts to convert the Pacific Islanders, missionaries led the way in opening up the Pacific islands to the 'Fatal Impact' of European culture and religion.
