Beattie visited the Mission base of St Barnabas at Kingston in 1896. One of his photographs from the trip depicts a group portrait of women associated with the Anglican Melanesian Mission at St Barnabas on Norfolk Island. The women missionaries were primarily responsible for the education and domestic training of Melanesian girls. The St Barnabas Mission was established in 1880 with a focus on training Melanesians for Christian ministry and leadership in their home communities. It operated on Norfolk Island until 1920.