Bathie Stuart “has made four major films, two on New Zealand, one on the Polynesian Islands, and the other on Melanesia. Her work takes her to many remote places, such as the island of Malekula, where she filmed the natives of the Big Namba tribe, people rarely seen by Europeans. There she was welcomed by the chief, his four wives and 20 children, after having to climb 3000 feet up a mountain to their clan headquarters.” - newspaper article, 31 May, 1960.
000:00 Opening titles; a map of the pacific, focussing on New Caledonia; aerial views of hilly landscape; a French flag; sign reading “Welcome to New Caledonia’; tropical flowers; view of a side street with traffic moving down it, a city park and panoramic views of a city all filmed from a high vantage point (a hotel window in Noumea?); street scenes, a statue and many people moving about; a large collection of mini buses parked on a roadside; vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the city; shop fronts; houses; a plaque reading ‘Eglise Protestante’ and the exterior of the church; plaque dedicated to ‘Guilaume Doulpre[?], premier eveque de Nouvelle Caledonie’ and the exterior of the church; a church, and nuns walking toward the camera; exterior of a church; a schoolyard full of children posing for the camera (with nuns).
008:40 Panoramic views of Noumea [?], showing houses and beaches; activity around a hotel swimming pool; children and sunbathers on the beach; yachts moored in the harbour; suburban subdivisions; industrial plants on the water front [Nickel Smelter?].
013:37 A hillside and a village; a church; Melanesian [Kanak?] children; long shot of houses; a rundown building; bunkers/warehouses on the edge of town; a woman posing in her garden; exterior of the South Pacific Commission building; sign reading ‘Aerodrome de Magenta, Societe Transpac Aerogarde’ and people getting off a plane; aerial views of islands and reefs; plane landing and people being met off the plane; people (tourists?) standing under palm trees by the shore; a small bus drives up to a house and the passengers disembark; scenes of tourists reclining under palm fronds; tourist huts [?] by the shore.
019:46 Men getting off a boat with fish and lobsters; views of the beach and lagoon; a fortified stone wall bearing the sign: ‘Residence Gendamerie: Postes et Telecommunications’; a small local house and a grander one, flying the French flag out the front; exterior of a church (?); Melanesian people arriving for a church service (?) and leaving afterwards; children and a nun posing for the camera; women and children herding sheep along a road; many people working in the fields.
023:54 Views of islands, bush and buildings filmed from a moving boat; a (European) man spearing fish in the lagoon, then cooking it on a open fire onshore; water front activity (boating, water skiing, swimming); cooking on a fire; jungle plants; two women in bikinis on the beach; loading up the bus.
030:43 A map, focussing on New Hebrides [Vanuatu]; aerial view of islands; passengers and crew getting off the plane; some Melanesian people [ni-Vanuatu?] walking down a dirt road; tourists getting off a ship; Melanesians loading a boat (?) and a European family posing for the camera beside a boat.
032:36 A map of New Hebrides; shots from a moving boat, including close ups of men on the boat; Melanesians posing for the camera in a clearing (near their homes?) and sitting listening to a leader speak.; children and young men pose for the camera; shots of women, village buildings and beaches.
035:19 Melanesian men in the jungle; a native village [?]; men posing for the camera (in traditional namba or loin cloth - they could possibly be Big Namba men from the island of Malakula?); a woman (Bathie Stuart herself?) shakes hands with a native man; children in the village; women in traditional clothing posing uncomfortably for the camera; shots of tribes people posing in front of a thatched structure; people (including Bathie) shaking hands with the tribesmen; aerial views.
038:28 A map, focussing on New Caledonia; panoramic views of a city (Noumea?) filmed from a high vantage point; Melanesian women playing cricket, watched by a small crowd.
042:07 A large contingent of armed men in uniform being inspected by their superiors, watched by a crowd of locals;uniformed men marching, with a brass band, down a road; a French flag flying.
043:16 Last picture frame.