Nauru Island photo album, likely the family album of the 2nd Nauru administrator, W. A. Newman.
1927-33. Paperback. Mr. W.A. Newman was appointed the Australian administrator of Nauru in June 1927. This album is likely to be his family album, 102 vernacular photographs encompassing his time there until January 1933.
We feel this is Newman's album based on images of he and his wife in the album, and the resemblance to image of him published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 23 Jan 1933 (Page 12) entitled "Opening of the Domaneab at Nauru Island." Newman is shown "receiving the keys of the new Domaneab, or town hall, at Nauru Island on December 12. Every member of the Nauruan community contributed to the cost."
Nauru was under the control of German Protectorate from 1886-1914. One of the first actions in W.W.I was when 2000 soldiers from NSW (the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, AN&MEF), sailed to New Guinea in mid-September 1914, with the goal of defeating the Germans there. It was a successful mission and happens to be one in which Arthur Brightwell, David's grandfather, served.
Most photographs of Nauru recorded on Trove are held by the National Archives of Australia. There are earlier photographs by Thomas J. McMahon and A. Harold Gaze, but precious little in the time frame of 1927-33. The cantilever loading jetty was built at this time and both the NAA and NLA have photos of various ships (but not the ship pictured in this album which appears to be "Oceanbank" or "Glenbank" but not Oakbank.) Other interesting images include quite a group on the schools (both local and European), the teachers and administrators of the Education Department.
The album begins with the Newman's leaving Melbourne with photographs of their well wishers on the dock and fellow passengers. There are images from the journey including deck quoits & "The Bo-sun "Nauru Chief". The rest of the snapshots are in Nauru and include a young Nauruan "Denabeijia", children, wash girls, a prisoner weeding the garden, Sam getting coconuts, "Ekarawe" (Sam); Schools & teachers; European school; Scout Troop, the Cantilever loading jetty, pastel drawing, road in front of our house, domestic staff, C3 images of Chinese prisoners; Chinese labourers coming ashore; Home; group photos of "Scout Camp"; Leper Teachers; birthday party; landscapes & children, Frigate birds; Education Department (with 21 Nauruan teachers one Anglo woman and Mr. Newman); Director and Head Teachers (5 Nauruan men and Mr. Newman); Domaneab (meeting house); No. 1 Chinese boy, Porte (Nauruan man) and a series of 3 photos of the Anglo children of the "European School". There are also several images of the lovely Art Deco lounge in the family's home.
Photograph album 20pp, with 102 vernacular photographs. Photographs measure 3 3/8 x 2 1/2"; 3 1/4 x 4 1/2"; 2 x 3"; 5 1/2 x 3 1/2". Brown art paper leaves and binding measuring 12 1/2 x 10". An image of an Australian swagman by Percy Spence pasted down on the front wrapper. There is evidence of 4 photographs having been removed from the album, and two loose images inserted. Corners and cover foredges ruffled. Loosely corralled by pasted card, but only lightly held together, the ties (if there were any) no longer in the 3 punched holes. Photographs in very good condition, many with handwritten inscriptions below.
An interesting addition to life on Nauru in this period from the family of the 2nd Australian administrator. Item #26719
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