Missionaries and their work make up a large slice of Papua New Guinea's history. Since the beginning of colonisation, there has been an influx of missionaries to Papua New Guinea (PNG). One source estimates the presence of 3000 missionaries for a population of 2A million, suggesting that PNG 'must be one of the most intensively evangelised countries in the world'. Altogether, there are more than 34 autonomous mission organisations proselytising in PNG. Most scholars have acknowledged the profound influence of the missionary upon PNG societies. This presence can be seen not only in the areas of religion, health and education, but on a far broader scale as well. Marriage customs, child rearing, dress, cultural and artistic expressions, individual attitudes and outlooks, and even horticultural methods have all been affected. Several authors, in fact, have suggested that missions have frequently played a greater role and exerted more influence than the Government. Despite its importance, the missionary presence in PNG has been the subject of relatively little study. Indeed, of the few authors who have elected to write about missions, most have referred to the limited data available. While 'no one can move around in the Territory of PNG for long without being impressed by the near-universal significance of the Missions and Churches', wrote Grosart, 'almost everyone who has written about the territory ... [has given little] more than a passing recognition [to] their existence'. There are a few reasons for this dearth of material. Quite frequently missions are viewed by anthropologists and other social scientists 'as simply another distorting or confusing element which obscures the true native culture which they wish to record accurately or they simply may not be interested in studying missions'. Another explanation is the reluctance of many anthropologists to focus critical enquiry upon missions' functioning. This is partly due to the ethnographers' often sizeable reliance upon the missionary for supplies, logistical support, linguistic assistance, and companionship in geographical locations where the missionary is often the only European resident.