Revd.

Aaron Buzacott, a hive to the Pacific Islands, 1861

In The Argus of 18 June 1861 (p.7c), a short entry mentions a Mr Buzacott of the John Williams who took
one hive to Sydney, bound for the South Sea Islands. The London Missionary Society’s three-masted
barque, the John Williams, was launched at Harwich in March 1844 and sailed three months later on its
first of five voyages. After 20 years service, sailing some half a million miles, it was wrecked on Danger
Island on 16 May 1864. Of 297 tons 1, it was 103 feet long with a beam of 24 feet 8 inches. Nicholson
records it saw Pacific service between 1845 and 1864. From Island to Island, or the Work of a Missionary
Ship 2 describes her rig “as that of a barque, that is with three masts, the fore and main carrying square
sails, the mizzen carrying fore and aft sails; she was painted black with a gold ribbon round the gunwale;
and for a figure-head had a well executed bust” 3 After a refit it sailed on 23 November 1860 from the
Thames River for the Pacific islands on its fifth and last voyage. 4 Before its final stage to the Pacific
islands, the John Williams visited Melbourne and Sydney 5. I assume Buzacott, through his acquisition of
a beehive in Melbourne, became known either to Edward Wilson of the Argus or one of his beekeeping
associates, hence the newspaper entry.

The original aquatint (45.5 cm x 32 cm) by W. J. Huggins, 1844, can be viewed from the Dixson Collection, State
Library of New South Wales. It’s pictured here entering Huahine Harbour.6
By further research I located a 1933 typescript by Annie C. Creagh, held within the Dixson Collection,7
“The Reverend Aaron Buzacott … a Devonshire man, was a pioneer missionary of Raratonga, (sic.) 8 and
was called the “model missionary”. He was a man who could turn his hand to anything, from the making
of a musical instrument (the bass viol) to the planning and building of houses and churches and boats. The
church and mission house of Raratonga were built by him, and are still in use and good repair.” The story

1
Nicholson, Log of Logs, Vol.3, p.225
2
G. Cousins, London 1893.
3
p.56
4
Cousins, George (1893) From Island to Island, or The Work of a Missionary Ship. London Missionary Society.
Catlg.,Mitchell Library 279/C
5
Refer also A Narrative of Missionary Enterprises in the South Sea Islands, Rev. John Williams, London 1865
6
Huahine is one of the Leeward Islands (Îles sous le Vent), part of the Society Islands, an archipelago in the South
Pacific Ocean, administered as a part of the overseas territory of French Polynesia. The islands are volcanic,
mountainous, and surrounded by coral reefs that form coastal lagoons.
7
State Library of New South Wales. ML MSS 1780, Creagh Family Papers
8
Rarotonga, largest (67 sq. klm.) of the Cook islands
of Buzacott’s missionary life is to be found in Mission Life in the Islands of the Pacific 9. After many
years dedication to missionary work in the Pacific islands, Buzacott died in Sydney in 1864.

An 1866 Frederick Grosse engraving of the London Missionary Society vessel John Williams leaving port, as
published in The Australian News for home readers

9
subtitled being a Narrative of the Life and Labours of the Rev. A. Buzacott. John Snow & Co., London, 1866.