Australia has been interested in the South-West Pacific and its many islands ever since the first settlement on the east coast. Their geographical proximity and economic resources particularly attracted Australian attention; the moves of other nations reminded Australia of her defence interests in the area. The determination to protect Australians from the island peoples and the missionary desire to convert the island peoples to Christianity reinforced the pressure on the colonial governments to extend Australian control. Australian interests were maintained after an expanding Europe partitioned the islands. In the 1950’s Australian interests necessitated watching both international and local developments with much the same apprehension as in 1883 when the colonial governments declared what amounted to an Australian Monroe Doctrine for the area.