For a while now I've made it one of my many side projects to compile an accurate index of the Mid-Pacific Magazine. For those who don't know (and I suspect there are a vast lot of you!), the Mid-Pacific was a travel/tourist magazine published from 1911 to 1936 in Hawaii's capital, Honolulu.
What fascinated me was the deep connection that this magazine held with Australia. Its founder and editor, Alexander Hume Ford, travelled to Australasia on several different occasions, minting the first seeds of an idea for the magazine there. Many, many articles on all manner of Australianisms were published inside the colourful pages, by all manner of important personages. Even a Prime Minister, W. M. "Digger" Hughes, was featured at one point.
This last figure betrays the political nature of the monthly. The Mid-Pacific was the official organ of what was originally called the "Hands-Around-the-Pacific" club, which later became known as the Pan-Pacific Union. Though it never reached the level of import that the Pan-American Union held, the Pan-Pacific Union held the same precepts: peace and understanding, closer trade networks, and a disavowal of the ideology of race. Ford summed it all up with the term, 'Pacific patriotism'.
It may come as a surprise, what with a the White Australia Policy being in full force during this time, that Australia was at the forefront of such a movement. Our policy-makers in fact were largely responsible for its founding, and with Japan and the US on board, sought a way to make 'Pacific patriotism' work. Perhaps the measure of the extent to which the Union made strange bedfellows is the fact that both Hughes and Woodrow Wilson were listed as 'Honorary Presidents'.
So, what I've attached are incomplete indexes for the Mid-Pacific Magazine (1911-1936) and the Bulletin of the Pan-Pacific Union (1918-). I was thinking of putting them up in searchable form on a website but I simply don't have the time. If anyone feels like doing this feel free to go ahead.
The lists are organised under author, title, volume, issue, year, page reference. Most are taken directly from the index at the end of each volume, but some are directly from the contents page of each issue. If you're doing a search in the excel sheet I recommend changing some words about (especially names) as some words, names, titles etc. are altered a little from issue to issue.
I'm going to continue working on this index until it's more or less complete one day. It looks like Hathi Trust and Google Books are slowly digitising the content so I expect the index will be defunct in 10 years. That being said, I'd appreciate it if anyone feels like sending me copies of any articles they come across or contents pages. I'm working out of the NSW ML and unfortunately they're missing quite a few volumes. If you see an entry that you like (esp. the Australian matter), chances are that I have it so I can send it to you via email. Just ask. My email is olin5856@uni.sydney.edu.au.
Happy hunting guys, and good luck!


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