The NLA holds the collections of Sir John Alexander Ferguson (1881-1969), a Judge in the Industrial Commission of New South Wales and author of the seven volume Bibliography of Australia 1784-1900 which is still the standard reference for books published on Australia during that period.

While others may have collected stamps, butterflies or exotic birds,Ferguson collected the publications from the Mission printing presses of the New Hebrides (as Vanuatu was known before 1980) and they were donated to the NLA upon his death.

The earliest materials (apart from word lists) that were published in Vanuatu languages all date to 1842-3 in the languages of Aneityum, Futuna and Port Resolution (Nafe language) on Tanna - a history of books in Vanuatu languages going back over 183 years.

These old texts will prove useful for communities trying to revive their languages, or those involved in Bible translation, as well as linguists who are interested in linguistic change in Vanuatu during the last nearly two centuries.

Professor Matthew Spriggs will discuss some of the discoveries he uncovered in his research into the collection during his Fellowship.