This volume investigates the historical and political motivations behind Australia's strategic interest in and eventual administration of New Guinea. W. J. Hudson, a noted historian of Australian foreign policy, compiles a series of primary source documents and analytical essays to examine the complex relationship between the Australian government and the territory of New Guinea. The work frames this interaction within the broader context of regional security, colonial ambition, and the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Pacific during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Historians and scholars of Pacific history frequently cite this work as a foundational resource for understanding the administrative history of the region. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored for researchers and students of Australian foreign policy.