Asians have played important roles in the social and economic history of Uganda from the start of the colonial period up to the present. Asians had contact with the East African Coast for at least 2000 years. The first Asians to arrive in Uganda were troops from the Punjab, sent to join the colonial army in the mid-1890s. They were followed immediately by indentured workers and ‘free migrants’. Although some colonial officials viewed Asians as important agents in social change and sought to encourage the indentured workers to settle in Uganda, less than twenty percent chose to remain after their contracts expired.

For much of the twentieth century growth of the Asian population in Uganda was due to migration and natural increase in roughly equal proportions. Most migrants came from either the Punjab or Gujurat in Western India, but were not in any sense a homogenous group.

In my Africa: a guide to reference material (London, Hans Zell, 1993), works relating to the biological sciences were deliberately excluded. In order to fill a part of this gap, I am producing a series of lists of major reference sources relating to African flora and fauna. “Birds of Africa: a guide to reference material” was published in ARD, 75, 1997, 12-38 with a supplement in ARD, 80, 1999, 35-37 while “Mammals of Africa: guide to reference material” was published in ARD, 77, 1998, 20-38.

The continent of Africa is normally considered to fall within three of the various floristic realms or kingdoms into which botanists have found it convenient to divide the world.

Eric M. Borgzinner was born in London in 1903. His father, a German Jew, had emigrated to England as a young man. During the First World War the family changed its name to Bonner. Eric trained reluctantly for a career in banking. He served in the British Army during the Second World War ending his contribution, using his German language skills, in an Allied denazification project. Following the war he pursued his true passion, bookselling. He probably started as a “runner,” purchasing single items from one bookseller and making a few shillings or a pound by reselling it to a bookseller who specialized in the item.

Between 1949 and 1970 Bonner, an antiquarian bookseller, produced at least 39 catalogues, about two per year, almost all of which are in the British Library. He specialized in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, voyages, exploration, with some attention to the East and West Indies.

Twenty-one years ago, on 1 May 1978, an historic workshop was held which led to the formation of the Association for Archivists and Manuscript Librarians (AMLIB). This name was suggested by founder member Dr A M Lewin Robinson, and Dr Moonyean Buys provided the Afrikaans version as well as the format for the Newsletter. Hosted by Professor Reuben Musiker at the University of the Witwatersrand the theme of the workshop was Current Issues Confronting Archivists and Manuscript Librarians. The issues discussed were ‘A Coordinated Collecting Policy, Problems of Copyright, Sensitive Material’ and ‘Care of Collections.’

At the end of a stimulating and fruitful day the delegates resolved that an association should be formed and a steering committee was appointed, comprising Maryna Fraser (Barlow Rand Archives), Anna Cunningham (University of the Witwatersrand Library), and Marie Coetzee(University of South Africa Library).