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Papers of William E. Stober

 Collection

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  1. Legislative papers, mainly photocopies, relating to the New Hebrides (including the Anglo-French condominium government), 1870-[1980]
  2. Records relating to the Joint Court of the New Hebrides, and to settlement and land, 1883-1980; records relating to the British Land Trust Board, 1903-1905, 1963-1994
  3. Records relating to Stober's land assignment, 1911-1982
  4. Minutes, mainly photocopied extracts, of the New Hebrides Advisory Council, 1958-1974
  5. Photocopies and transcripts of correspondence and papers relating to the administration of the Southern District, including quarterly reports, 1907-1966
  6. Miscellaneous papers relating to Stober and the New Hebrides/Vanuatu, 1908-1995
  7. Unpublished printed material, 1957-1992; French Residency monthly reports and letters from Stober, 1966-1981

Dates

  • Creation: 1870-1995

Extent

29 boxes

Language of Materials

  • English

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MSS. Pac. s. 125].

Please see our help page for further guidance on citing archives and manuscripts.

Full range of shelfmarks:

MSS. Pac. s. 125

Collection ID (for staff)

CMD ID 4381

Biographical / Historical

William E. Stober (1940-1997) joined the Foreign Office Research Department in 1963 and after postings in Tanzania and Uganda and a further spell in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, eventually became an administrative officer in the British National Service in the New Hebrides, 1972-1976. He then returned to Great Britain and worked as an administrator in the University of Birmingham until his retirement in 1990, though he returned to the New Hebrides (now, after independence, Vanuatu), 1980-1981 to undertake an assignment and report on the establishment of a land tenure system. He continued to take an interest in Vanuatu until his death.

Conflicting French and British interests in the New Hebrides at the end of the 19th century led to the formation in 1887 of a Joint Naval Commission to administer the islands. This was replaced by a condominium government in 1906, where local rule was excercised by Anglo-French high commissioners acting through resident commissioners stationed at Vila on Éfaté. Many legislative papers in the collection relate to the condominium government, which continued until the islands' independence in 1977.

Other Finding Aids

A handlist is available in the library reading room.

Custodial History

Much of the material was accumulated by Stober while he was working in the New Hebrides, either as copies of his own official files and papers retained for his own use, or as copies of earlier material made to assist in his work. With certain sections and files, additional papers were obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and The National Archives in the UK, when Stober was working on the history of land tenure in the islands.

The earlier donation was rescued from a bonfire in the residency grounds during independence and deposited in the Institute of Pacific Studies.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The majority of the papers were donated to the library (after Stober's death in 1997) by his widow, Mrs. C. Stober, in August 1998, although a smaller earlier donation by Stober was made in 1990. The earlier donation was subsequently added to the initial handlist.

Title
Papers of William E. Stober
Status
Published
Author
Paul Davidson
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom