Guide to the Collections held by the Ministry of Defence Library (as filmed by the AJCP)
M2515 - M2518
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: 2019
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Ministry of Defence Library
- Title
- Collections held by the Ministry of Defence Library (as filmed by the AJCP)
- Date Range
- 1702 - 1936
- Collection Number
- M2515 - M2518
- Extent
- 180 items
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Australian Joint Copying Project
- Sponsor
- The Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) online portal was created with the assistance of the Australian Public Service Modernisation Fund, 2017-2020. The National Library of Australia gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the other foundation AJCP partners, the State Library of New South Wales and The National Archives of the UK, and all other organisations which supported the work of the AJCP, the world's most extensive collaborative copying project, operating from 1948 to 1997.
Introduction
Scope and Contents
Correspondence 1915-1918 between Sir Alexander Godley and his wife Louisa. Subjects include ANZAC landing at Gallipoli, visit to trenches, comments on Australian and New Zealand troops, and Keith Murdoch.
Copy of Capt. James Cook's A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean owned and annotated by William Bligh.
Journal of a voyage to South Seas kept by Capt. George Shelvocke of the Speedwell 1718-1721.
Journal February-July 1818 and log September 1817-January 1821 of HM cutter Mermaid.
Journal 28 May-11 September 1793 of Capt. William Bampton of the Shaw Hormuzcar.
Log 1821-1822 of the proceedings of HMS Bathurst.
Extracts from journal February-March 1779 of Capt. Charles Clerke of HMS Resolution, including account of death of Capt. James Cook.
Log 1849-1851 of HMS Herald under Capt. Sir Henry Kellett.
Log and proceedings of HMS Terror for 1840.
Logs 1818-1821 of HMS Mermaid and Bathurst under Lieut. P.P. King.
Logs 1849-1850 of HMS Amazon, Cambrian, Victory and Reynard under William Dawson.
Lists of officials of Admiralty Courts overseas.
Papers 1789-1842 of Admiral Edward Edwards relating to HMS Pandora.
Conditions Governing Access
Available for Access.
Conditions Governing Use
Many of the records digitised as part of the AJCP are still in copyright. Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the owner of the original material.
Preferred Citation
Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the location of the original material and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.
Items from this collection should include references to the location of the original material and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.
Example: M Series: Journal of Capt. James Cook, 18 February 1770, British Library Add. MS 27885 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1234)
Archival History
Material selectively filmed at the Ministry of Defence, London, as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project, 1990 (AJCP Reels: M2515 - 2518). Original microfilm digitised as part of the AJCP Online Delivery Project, 2017-2020.
Existence and Location of Originals
Hydrographic Office, Admiralty Way, Taunton, England. (Formerly held by Library, Ministry of Defence, Scotland Yard, London).
For more information see Hydrographic Office Archive (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-ukho-archive).
Existence and Location of Copies
The original AJCP microfilm of the records filmed from this collection is available at the National Library of Australia [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2304290] as well as other institutions holding AJCP microfilm.
Finding-aid Notes
This finding aid is a revised online version of the original finding aid prepared by the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP), published by the National Library of Australia in 2019. The original AJCP finding aids were unpublished typescripts or photocopies available from libraries that held copies of the original microfilm.
Dates used in this finding aid refer to the date range of the records selected for filming rather than to the date range of the Series or Files.
The identifiers used in this finding aid were accurate at the time of filming.
Advisory Statement
Australian Aboriginal, Maori, Pacific and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this Finding Aid contains material and descriptive information which may be considered culturally sensitive and may cause distress, including names and images of Aboriginal, Maori, Pacific and Torres Strait Islander people now deceased. This Finding Aid contains terms that reflect authors' views or those of the historical period, but which may not be considered appropriate today. While the information may not reflect current understanding, it is provided in an historical context.
Subjects
Amazon, HMS; Australia; Army officers; Bampton, William, Captain; Bathurst, HMS; Bligh, William, Captain; Cambrian, HMS; Brazil; California: United States of America; Ceylon; China; Chile; Clerke, Charles, Captain; Cook, James, Captain; Dawson, William; Edwards, Edward, Admiral; England; France; Frankland Islands; Gallipoli, Turkey; Godley, Louisa, Lady; Godley, Sir Alexander; Great Britain: Admiralty; Great Britain: Ministry of Defence; Guam; Herald, HMS; Juan Fernandez Island; Kellett, Sir Henry, Captain; King, Phillip P., Captain; Mermaid, HMS; Murdoch, Sir Keith; Naval officers; Pacific Ocean; Pandora, HMS; Peru; Resolution, HMS; Reynard, HMS; Royal navy: exploration and surveys; Royal navy: voyages; Shaw Hormuzcar; Shelvocke, George, Captain; Solomon Islands; Speedwell; Terror, HMS; Victory, HMS); World War I
Bibliography
Originally cited in Australian Joint Copying Project Handbook. Part 8: Miscellaneous (M) Series. Third Edition, published 1998. Entry 324, pp121-122.
Item Descriptions
Fonds 92 GOD. General Sir Alexander Godley, 12 April 1915 - 8 December 1918
5 itemsBiographical / Historical
Born into a military family, Sir Alexander Godley went to various military schools and Sandhurst. In 1886 he was gazetted lieutenant in Royal Dublin Fusiliers and spent seven years in Ireland. In 1896 he went to South Africa and saw active service in Mashonaland. He served during the Boer War as staff officer to Baden Powell and Plummer, and in command of a Rhodesian Brigade. After service back in England he was appointed general officer commanding New Zealand Military Forces. On the outbreak of war New Zealand offered to send an expeditionary force and Godley was appointed to the command. In the Gallipoli Campaign he commanded the New Zealand and Australian division and in June 1916 went to France as commander of II ANZAC Corps. He later became military secretary to Churchill (1920 - 1922) and CIC British Army of the Rhine (1922 - 1924). From 1928-1933 he was Governor of Gibraltar. His wife, Louisa Marion Fowler (d. 1939) was mentioned in dispatches for her work with New Zealand soldiers.
Series A. Letters of General and Louisa Godley to each other, from Mafeking and Gallipoli, 12 April 1915 - 24 December 1915
2 items4 Volumes (typescript copies, with notes).
Filmed selectively.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2515
Gallipoli (140 p), 12 April 1915 - 1 August 1915 (File Vol 3)
Subjects include: social events in Egypt; shore visits on Greek Islands; ANZAC landings; deaths; visit to trenches; truces to bury dead; severe fighting (50% casualties in his division)
Lady Godley's letters from Alexandria and other places in Egypt relate to her work in hospitals and NZ convalescent home and include comments on the lack of provision made by the authorities for casualties and details of gossip circulating in Egypt re events in Gallipoli.
Gallipoli, (282p), 3 August 1915 - 24 December 1915 (File Vol 4)
Subjects include: attack on Koja Chemen Tepe - Chunuk Bair - comparison of NZ, Indian and Australian troops; winter quarters at Wellington Terrace, Otago Gully; visit to Sir Ian Hamilton ('more forthcoming than usual'), news of his recall; sending back four Maori officers ('Maori politicians are trying to make political capital out of it'); embarkation ('the men are furious' - opinion of commanders.
Includes: 28 Nov 1915. General Birdwood to Lady Godley praising her work with NZ wounded; his disappointment at giving up command of Army Corp.
Series B. Letters to his wife from France, Belgium, 27 June 1916 - 8 December 1918
3 items2 Volumes (Typescript copies with notes).
Filmed selectively.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2515
Letters (213p), 27 June 1916 - 11 September 1917 (File Vol 1)
Subjects include: visit to Ypres, moving headquarters, comments on performance of NZ soldiers; visits to battle fields; attacks; casualties; visit to battle field by Holman (Premier, NSW), death of his escort General Holmes hit by shell ('unfortunately it killed General Holmes and didn't touch the politician').
Letters (499p), 14 September 1917 - 8 December 1918 (File Vol 2)
Subjects include: news of friends; description of new camp ('different from the chateaux'); reorganisation of Australian and New Zealand troops; comments on Australian troops ('terrorised the neighbourhood'); intrigue by Keith Murdoch to oust [Lord Birdwood] and have White and Monash commanding all Australians in France; service in Amiens Cathedral; receiving Freedom of City of Valenciennes.
Fonds Sb 170. James Cook A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, 1784
3 items3 vols.
Copy owned and annotated by William Bligh. Contains pages with annotations by Bligh in pencil and ink. [some attributions uncertain]
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2515
James Cook A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, 1784 (File Vol 1)
14 itemsPages selectively filmed include: frontispiece and notes by DB Smith (1935), A David (1974), R Schreiber (1983) on the ownership and annotations; Title page and opposite page; 147; 182; 206; 225 left hand page; 230; 237; 261; 270; 272; 277 left hand side; 290; 300.
Also includes a copy of Rupert T Gould. Bligh's notes on Cook's last voyage Mariner's Mirror XIV no.4, Oct 1928 pp 371 - 385.
James Cook A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, 1784 (File Vol 2)
12 itemsPages selectively filmed include: Title and opposite page; pp. 5 left hand side; 79 left hand side; 130; 179; 220; 279 left hand side (?, cut off by binder, faint); 337 (very faint); 353 left hand side (?, very faint); 426 (?); 467 and left hand side; 482.
Fonds Mss 18. Captain George Shelvocke, 13 February 1718 - 19 December 1721
Archival history
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2515
Series. Voyage to South Sea to cruise on ye Spaniards under his Maje Commission with two ships viz.
The Success commanded by Captain J Clipperton, and Speedwell commanded by Captain George Shelvocke, with 18 months provision at short allowance.
Discusses: voyage to Brazil; rules for plunder; Terra del Fuego; rounding Cape Horn; action off coast of Peru; loss of ship on island of Juan Fernandes; building a boat; 6 Oct 1720 left Juan Fernandes; action off coast of Chile and Peru; Mexico; California; 18 Aug 1721 left Cape St Lucas to voyage to China; discovery of new island - Shelvocke Isle; scurvy and sickness; Guam; arrival at Macao 11 Nov 1721; news of Success; Canton; selling of ship to pay passage home with East India Co list of ship's company who died, deserted or were taken by enemy.
(144 folios)
Fonds Mss 72. Journals/logs of Mermaid and Shaw Hormuzcar, 28 May 1793 - 24 January 1821
11 itemsArchival history
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2516
Journal of HM Cutter Mermaid., 9 February 1818 - 29 July 1818 (File A)
2 itemsCommander Lt PP King employed to survey the unexplored parts of the coast of Australia.
Journal of Captain William Bampton, of Shaw Hormuzcar from Norfolk Island towards Batavia, in company with Chesterfield whaler. (76p), 28 May 1793 - 11 September 1793 (File C)
Discovery of Chesterfield and Bampton reefs, passage through Torres Straits; observations on Tates, Nepean and Chesterfield Islands.
Fonds Mss 73. Material re Hocla and Bathurst, 25 January 1821 - 27 November 1822
6 itemsFilmed selectively.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2516
Fonds Mss 74. Miscellaneous logs etc, 14 February 1779 - November 1853
10 itemsFilmed selectively.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2516
John MacGillivray, Vocabularies of various Pacific Islands., c. November 1853 (File 74/3)
5 itemsAll vocabularies include: natural objects; numerals; verbs, utensils, man etc.
Extract from Journal of Captain Charles Clerke, RM from when he succeeded Captain Cook in command of Resolution (20p), 14 February 1779 - 13 March 1779 (File 74/8)
Return to Resolution; account of death of Cook by Lt Phillips; Car' na'cave brings on board piece of human flesh, said to be part of Capt Cook's thigh, rest of body had been burnt; other problems from natives while getting water; weighing anchor; setting sail.
Log of HM Surveying Vessel Herald in Pacific, Captain Sir Henry Kellett, 1 January 1849 - 22 May 1851 (File 74/9)
4 items
Ship's Log (332p), 1 January 1849 - 21 February 1850 (Item (a))
Mazarlan/Panama/Points Mala and Buriea/Sandwich Islands/Honolulu/Petropaulski/Katzebue Sound/Mazarlan/Guaymas/Gulf of California.
Fonds Mss 77. Log and proceedings of HMS Terror for 1840, Commander Francis Crozier., 1 January 1840 - 31 December 1840
On voyage to locate South magnetic pole (775p) (faint in parts).
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2517
Fonds Mss 79. Logs of Mermaid and Bathurst, 30 July 1818 - 21 June 1821
2 items
Log HM Cutter Mermaid commander Lt PP King, surveying coast of Australia. (268p), 30 July 1818 - 4 October 1819 (File (a))
Sydney Cove/Van Diemen's Land/Derwent River/Port Jackson/Port Macquarie/Point Danger/East Coast/Repulse Bay/Halifax Bay/Cape Grafton/Fitzroy Island Torres Straits/Gulf of Carpentaria/North Coast/Point Pearce/Vansittart Bay.
(faint in parts)
Log of HM Cutter Mermaid and Brig Bathurst (3rd voyage) surveying coast of Australia, Commander Phillip P King. (264p), 15 June 1820 - 11 June 1821 (File (b))
Port Bowen/Cumberland Islands/Frankland Islands/Endeavour River/Cape Flinders/Goulburn Island/Hunters River/Careening Bay/Brunswick Bay.
(faint in parts)
Fonds Mss 86. William Dawson. Logs of HMS Amazon and Cambrian (176p), 20 October 1849 - 12 October 1850
Details of voyage to Singapore, Ceylon, India, Singapore, Ceylon, England.
Includes: details of both ships and charts of tracks.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2517
Fonds Mss 89. William Dawson. Logs of HMS Victory and Reynard (110p), 31 March 1849 - 19 October 1849
Details of voyage Sierra Leone, Rio De Janeiro, Cape of Good Hope, Singapore.
Includes: details and plan of ship, chart of track.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2518
Fonds Mss 125. Admiralty Court Book, c1840-1900
23 itemsLists of officials of Admiralty Courts overseas (2 volumes)
Filmed selectively.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2818
Fonds Mss 145. Logs of HM Ships Victory, Hector, Virago, Challenger by Henry Crawford, Midshipman, 8 March 1867 - 15 November 1868
2 itemsFilmed selectively.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2518
Fonds Mss 168. Admiral Sir Robert Smart Papers
1 itemFilmed selectively.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2518
Fonds Mss 180. Admiral Edward Edwards, 28 April 1789 - 23 August 1842
21 itemsSeries. Papers re Pandora, 28 April 1789 - 23 August 1842
21 itemsArchival history
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2518
Extract from Peter Heywood's Journal (5p), 28 April 1789 - 23 March 1791 (File 1)
Account of mutiny, prevented from accompanying Bligh, return to Tahiti, fighting, list of those who left in the ship; events on Tahiti.
Part of log book of one of crew of tender. (1p) (File 3)
'We lost the ship in a gale off Navigators Islands..'
Instructions from Lords of Admiralty to Captain Edwards to go in pursuit of mutineers (original) (3p), 25 October 1790 (File 5)
Memo by Captain Edwards whilst on Otohoite Island. (2p) (File 7)
Includes: notes on surrender of mutineers; prisoners not allowed to talk to natives.
Court martial sentence on Capt Edwards and surviving officers of Pandora for loss of ship. (3p) (2 copies) (File 12)
Miscellaneous sheets (File 17)
Probably part of draft for a book written by Capt Edwards and Surgeon G Hamilton re voyage (30p)
Fonds C. Maps, Charts Collection, 1760 - 22 June 1914
19 itemsSeries. Maps, charts as filmed by the AJCP, 1760 - 22 June 1914
19 itemsFilmed selectively.
Archival History
This is an artificial series.
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2518
W Brereton. Sailing directions and charts of East Indies (68p), 1760 - 1763 (File Ve 85)
Covers: Road of Mallacca; passage Madras to Manilha in 1762; Bay of Manilha; instructions for passage through Phillipine Islands; passage to Batavia.
Atlas of Track Charts, 1767 - 1901 (File Vo 42)
14 items
Chart of Western part of Pacific Ocean (Item Vz 8/50)
Exhibiting track of Walpole with track of Athenian drawn in 1804.
Bass Strait to Ladrone Islands.
28.5' × 68'
Fonds D. Pamphlet Collection, 1800 - 1891
9 itemsArchival history
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2518
Captain FB Chilcott. Observations on the inner passage of Torres Straits made on a voyage from Sydney to Calcutta, (16p), 1846 (File p 38/6)
Calcutta Bishop's College Press, 1846.
Phillip Parker King. Sailing directions for the inner route to Torres Strait from Break-sea Spit to Booby Island, Port Stephens, the Author, (14p), 1843 (File p 140/15)
Inscribed to 'Mr Evans RN from the Author'
PP King. Sailing directions for the navigation of the inner route through Torres Straits with a description of the North Eastern Coast of NSW [Sydney, 1833] (52p) (File p 146/18)
Major James England [journal of ship John, John Whyte Master from Sydney through Torres Strait by the inner route]. [16p] (File p 146/19)
Madras, Vepery Mission P, 1837.
Admiralty. Hydrographic Dept, 1800 - 1891 (File p 562)
List of HM ships lost from all causes other than the enemy,
London, Harrison, n.d. (33p) (printed)
By date, guns, commanding officer, number of men, men lost, where lost.
PP King. Sailing directions for the inner route to Torres Strait from Break Sea Spit to Booby Island. Port Stephens, the author, (14p), 1843 (File p 563)
Annotated copy altering title page to read 'Directions for the inner route from Sydney to Torres Strait, surveyed by Captain PP King. London, Hydrographic Office, 1847.
Admiralty. Report by AM Field (Sydney) on visit to Banks Island by Dart, (7p) (printed), 1887 (File p 765)
[Admiralty]. [Report on Navy efforts to halt] South Sea Island Labour traffic, (8p) (Ms), 1873 (File p 765)
Fonds E. Portfolio Photographic Collection, 3 May 1702 - 11 March 1914
17 itemsArchival history
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2518
Photograph of memorial of Capt Cook's observation stone, Point Venus, Tahiti, 11 March 1914 (File Pfo G11)
12' × 9'
On back: Bolton Carney to Admiralty re circumstances of taking photograph.
Engineer commander SI Bird RN. Photographs taken whilst serving in HMS Myrmidon Pacific Station (36p), 1872 - 1876 (File Pfo G43)
Includes: Photographs of Myrmidon and crew; Honolulu natives; Hilo scenery; Hawaiian ferns.
Capt J Cook. Original sketch of Capt Cook's interview with natives on landing at VDL, 29 January 1777 (File Pfo I6)
Unfinished, probably by J Webber.
39' × 25'