C. A. W. (Charles Arthur Whitmore) Monckton

Born in Invercargill, New Zealand, Charles Arthur Whitmore Monckton was educated at Wanganui College and went to British New Guinea in 1895 seeking work in the magisterial service. He later held a range of colonial posts there, including resident magistrate, and became known for his long involvement in the administration of the territory.

Monckton also wrote about New Guinea for a wider audience. His best-known books include Some Experiences of a New Guinea Resident Magistrate and Taming New Guinea, works drawn from his years in the region and his encounters with its landscapes, peoples, and colonial institutions. Museums and library records also note his interest in ethnography and collecting, alongside his writing career.

Modern reference works describe his career as controversial as well as adventurous, and that context matters when reading him now. His books can still be valuable as firsthand historical accounts, but they also reflect the assumptions and power structures of early twentieth-century colonial rule.