Melanesia: Travels in Black Oceania

by Hamish McDonald

An immersive journey through the tumultuous past and fascinating present of Australia’s nearest neighbours
“We are the original people of the region … This is a black region, it’s not a white region.”—Ralph Regenvanu, Ni-Vanuatu anthropologist and politician


Stretching from Fiji in the east to New Guinea in the west, Melanesia is astonishingly diverse. Its islands are home to some 1200 language groups, many of them still isolated from the outside world. In Australia, this complex region tends to make the news only in times of military coups in Fiji, Kanak unrest in New Caledonia, rioting in Solomon Islands. Melanesia offers readers a deeper insight into the people and places behind these headlines, combining travelogue, history and astute political analysis.


By land and sea, Hamish McDonald travels from one end of Melanesia to the other. Speaking with locals from all walks of life, he uncovers the histories, values, aspirations and tensions that have shaped their communities. He examines the impact of the Indians recruited to work in Fiji; the white “blackbirders” who kidnapped Islanders for the Australian cane fields; the Americans during World War II; the Indonesians in New Guinea. And he considers the big changes unfolding today, as shifting demographics and the growing influence of China produce a new balance of power across the region.


Vividly written, Melanesia is essential reading for anyone looking to understand this fascinating part of the world and its growing international significance.


‘A wonderful journey through history and geography that greatly expands our understanding of people whose lives will shape Australians’ future’—Ross Garnaut


'Through a comprehensive exploration of Melanesia's rich history and an engaging portrayal of its present, McDonald will enlighten readers and inspire a deeper appreciation of the diverse factors shaping the region today. His insightful analysis makes this an essential read for anyone interested in regional politics and culture or the future of Melanesia and its global relevance.' — Books+Publishing

Genres: Nonfiction

410 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 18, 2025

About the author

Hamish McDonald is an Australian journalist and author of several books. He held a fellowship at the American think tank the Woodrow Wilson Centre in 2014.

McDonald has worked as a journalist in mostly Asian countries like India, Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and China, where he was a correspondent based in Beijing from 2002 to 2005. He was in India between 1990 and 1997, covering the time immediately after the economic reforms. He was the political editor for the Far Eastern Economic Review and the foreign editor for the Sydney Morning Herald.

In 2005, he won the Walkley Award for newspaper feature writing for his article "What's Wrong With Falun Gong", which is about the brutal suppression of the Falun Gong religious movement in China.

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this immensely, interesting and entertaining. A well written fast paced combination of history, travel log and geography. Accessible and well researched. This book explores many key locations in the region known as Melanesia just off Australia’s north coast and east.

I feel more informed about both the scars and the treasures of the past, and the ongoing struggles of the present. This book has filled me with burning curiosity to find out more, and increased confidence that I at least understand something about this fascinating region.

Hamish McDonald is an experienced journalist, foreign correspondent, writer and traveler able to communicate in a balanced way about complex societies without resorting to simplistic binaries. He’s obviously highly sympathetic towards Melanesians and I can see through this work; it’s written like it’s an act of diplomacy.

[Norrie Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australian journalist Hamish McDonald has made many trips to Melanesia over the years and his most recent set of journeys has resulted in this book. The trip spanned several of the island nations and he strove to travel by land and sea as much as possible, perhaps in deference to the main travel modes of most islanders. The result is an amalgam of travelogue, potted history, individual stories and characters, cultural traits and political intrigues.
He has that old fashioned journalist’s eye for objectivity and the writing is not judgmental, though his selection of facts and characters makes plain where his heart lies. For the reader, this translates to a great deal of new and interesting information, that sheds a mostly positive light on the indigenous peoples as well as newer settlers.
See the full review at: https://www.queenslandreviewerscollec...

[Zach Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read of Melanesian countries and cultures from ex foreign journalist Hamish McDonald. I was particularly interested in the chapters on Papua New Guinea due to a lot of personal time and family history there, and I have even met many of the same characters that McDonald encounters himself. Thoroughly enjoyed the PNG chapters and learning more about the country, particularly the political and cultural aspects, but the other countries covered didn’t interest me as much tbh.

[Iain Hawkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay. It's the author's trips across Melanesia, moving in an east-to-west direction, ending up in West Papua. Some elements I found more interesting than others. Anyway, it's fine.