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The Journal of Pacific History (JPH) is a peer-reviewed history journal.[1] It was the first academic journal in Australia to promote an island-centric approach to Pacific histories. The JPH has a broad temporal and geographic remit and encourages research articles and reviews from the Pacific Islands and broader Oceania, from prehistory to the current day. The JPH publishes articles on social, religious, cultural, political, economic, geographical, and environmental history as well as analysis of contemporary developments and primary documents
| Journal of Pacific History (JPH) | |
| Frequency | Four issues annually. |
| First Issue | 1966 |
| Country | Australian-based but increasingly international |
| Language | Principally English, though articles in French are encouraged. Translations of Islands language materials are published in the Narratives and Documents section. In 2025 a special issue will be published with translations into Pacific languages as Supplemental Material to each article. |
History
editThe creation of the JPH was facilitated by the post-war growth in university education[2], and the development of social history[3]. While the concept of the JPH was first mooted in 1960, reflecting a new focus on Australian-Pacific histories, the lack of financial support delayed implementation. In 1966, the first issue of the JPH was published under the leadership of the Australian National University (ANU) historian J.W. (Jim) Davidson[5], professor of Pacific History and financial supporter of the journal, and H.E. (Harry) Maude, then a senior research fellow in the ANU’s Pacific History Department.
The initial aim of the JPH editors was to give historians a publication outlet for Pacific histories other than the Australian history and international journals on offer.[4] As the Pacific Islands colonies gained independence through the 1960s and 1970s, the journal reflected the historical needs of new nations and revisionist histories of the empires of the Pacific.
This vision demanded an innovative approach to history-making. Along with the standard articles and reviews of books, exhibitions, films and other media, the journal also publishes manuscripts and annotated documents.
Among important articles published in early issues were Greg Dening, 'Ethnohistory in Polynesia: the value of ethnohistorical evidence' (1966), J.W. Davidson, 'Problems of Pacific history' (1966), and H.E. Maude, ‘Pacific history: past, present and future’ (1971). Such contributions set the tone for far-ranging, nuanced articles addressing conceptual and methodological issues as well as thematic empirical histories. [HG1]
In its first two decades, the journal provided a forum for articles focused on the society and culture of Island peoples. Known as island-centred history, this methodology brought anthropology to the analysis of historical documents. The editors, especially Maude, wanted to create a journal that supported the publication of work by independent, professional scholars.
In the 1980s, the JPH became a rite of passage for graduate and emerging scholars as the first point of publication.[4] The ownership and operation of the JPH were transferred to The Journal of Pacific History Inc., combining the functions of professional association and publication.
The editorial board expanded beyond ANU in 1974. The centralisation of the JPH in Canberra decreased steadily in the 1980s and 1990s. By 2004 it was mandatory for one of the two editors to be a non-ANU person. As of 2024, the Board consists of members from the University of Oregon, Rutgers University, and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, all in the USA; the University of Alberta, Canada; the University of Auckland, the University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, and the University of Waikato, all in New Zealand; the Australian National University, Deakin University, the University of Newcastle, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Queensland, all in Australia; , the University of the South Pacific, Fiji; the University of Guam; and the National Archives of Australia.
Criticisms
editOver the years, criticisms of the journal have included its overly regional focus and an emphasis on method to the detriment of theory. A serious dispute arose in 1967 when the JPH published Sione Latukefu's article ‘Tonga after Queen Sālote’, which was determined to be more academic and less reverential than the Tongan establishment typically expected.[6] The JPH has been accused of elevating Islander agency and downplaying colonial violence and structures of power. There were also issues with the journal's focus on the lands of the Islands in a Western-centric approach to history-making, leaving out the waters and skyways, commonly acknowledged in Pacific Islander stories of the past.
Structure of the journal
The JPH comprises four submission options: Research Articles, Narratives and Documents, Pacific Currents, and Reviews. Research articles include standard peer-reviewed articles while the Pacific Currents section links contemporary events to historical analysis. Narratives and documents presents archival resources, including visual and material culture. Special Issues are constructed around historiographical issues, methodological shifts, or an opportunity to reconsider a historical theme or field. Reviews concerning Pacific exhibitions, books, films, podcasts, and performances are encouraged.
Notable Contributors
editA wide publication scope
editThe wide-ranging scope of JPH is reflected in the top ten articles downloaded as of 2024 (July).
The Making of Tupaia’s Map: A Story of the Extent and Mastery of Polynesian Navigation, Competing Systems of Wayfinding on James Cook’s Endeavour, and the Invention of an Ingenious Cartographic System, Lars Eckstein & Anja Schwarz, Published online: 20 Dec 2018 (Vol.54, No.1, 2019)
Ta‘isi O.F. Nelson and Sir Maui Pomare Samoans and Māori Reunited, Patricia O'Brien, Published online: 12 Jun 2014 (Vol.49, No.1, 2014)
Decolonisation in Melanesia, Helen Gardner & Christopher Waters, Published online: 15 Apr 2013 (Vol.48, No.2, 2013)
Histories of Leprosy: Subjectivities, Community and Pacific Worlds, Vicki Luker & Jane Buckingham, Published online: 2 Nov 2017 (Vol.52, No.3, 2017)
Beyond the Treaty of Waitangi: Māori Tribal Aspirations in an Era of Reform, 1984–2014, Michael Belgrave, Published online: 30 Jul 2014 (Vol.49, No.2, 2014)
Local Intermediaries? The Missionising and Governing of Colonial Subjects in South Dutch New Guinea, 1920–42, Maaike Derksen, Published online: 19 Jun 2016 (Vol.51, No.2, 2016)
Chinese Reactions to Anti-Asian Riots in the Pacific, Graeme Smith, Published online: 22 Mar 2012 (Vol.47, No.1, 2012)
Preparation for Deep Learning, Teresia Teaiwa, Published online: 21 Sep 2011 (Vol.46, No.2, 2011)
Transnational Hula as Colonial Culture, Adria L. Imada, Published online: 21 Sep 2011 (Vol.46, No.2, 2011)
‘Melanesia’, Stephanie Lawson, Published online: 4 Feb 2013 (Vol.48, No.1, 2013)
Awards
editIn 2012, the journal launched the Gunson Essay Prize to commemorate the work of Niel Gunson (1930-2023), a noted Pacific historian and an early member of the journal’s editorial board. Neil said he 'had the privilege of being involved in the initial discussions about founding the JPH'.[4] The JPH works with the Pacific History Association to recognize an author early in their career. The Gunson Essay Prize has been awarded to seven recipients: Nicholas Hoare (2012), Kristie Patricia Flannery (2014), Benjamin Sacks (2016), Elyssa J. Santos (2018), Harry Needham (2021), and for the first time joint-winners were announced in 2023, Anaïs Duong-Pedica and Steven R. Talley.
Open Access Policy
editIn 2016, the first open access article was published by the JPH, 'Local Intermediaries? The Missionising and Governing of Colonial Subjects in South Dutch New Guinea, 1920–42' by Maaike Derksen (Vol.51, No.2, 2016).
Reflecting on the low number of open access contributions from Pacific Islanders and researchers based in the Islands, the Editorial Board voted in 2024 to support the publication of two open access articles annually for authors based in the Independent Pacific, who lacked the capacity to publish open access through the Read & Publish agreements signed in 2022 by most Australian and New Zealand universities.
References
editDenoon, Donald, "James Wightman (Jim) Davidson (1915–1973)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2024-07-28
"Journal of Pacific History". www.scimagojr.com. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
Macintyre, Stuart (2009). "'The poor relation: establishing the social sciences in Australia, 1940–1970". Australian Historical Studies. 40 (1): 58–59.
Mattarozzi, Madeleine (2001). "'Seven key turning points in Australian higher education policy, 1943–1999". Post-Script. 2 (2): 240–73.
Munro, Doug and Gray, Geoffrey (2013). 'We haven't abandoned the project': the founding of the Journal of Pacific History. Journal of Pacific History 48 (1) 63-77. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223344.2012.733500