The collection consists of his diaries in the Alert, 1878 to 1882. There are also photograph albums relating to North in the Historic Photographs Section.

Administrative / biographical background
North entered the Navy as an assistant clerk in 1854 and served in the Crimean War. He was promoted to assistant paymaster in 1860 and paymaster in 1870. In 1878 he was appointed to the survey ship Alert, under Captain Sir George Nares (q.v.). The first season was spent surveying in the Magellan Strait and the surrounding area. In the spring of 1879 Nares was recalled and succeeded by Captain J.F.L.P. Maclear (q.v.). The Alert carried out survey work in the Pacific, the Torres Strait (Prince of Wales Channel) and the Indian Ocean (Amirante Islands) before arriving home in 1882. North was promoted to Fleet Paymaster in 1886 and he retired in 1895 as Paymaster-in-Chief.