The notebook is one of three known to exist which contain Gillen's anthropological fieldnotes taken during his 1901-1902 'Across Australia' expedition with WB Spencer (AA 301). The other two books are in the Mortlock Library (PRG 54/2/1-2) covering the periods 25 August 1901 to 15 November 1902 and 16 November 1901 to 5 January 1902.

The original forms part of the EC Stirling collection (See AA 309/4/5).

For an account of the Spencer and Gillen 1901-1902 expedition, see;

Gillen, FJ (1968) Gillen's Diary: The Camp Jottings of F.J. Gillen on the Spencer and Gillen Expedition across Australia 1901-1902. Adelaide, Libraries Board of S.A. and Spencer, W.B. and Gillen, F.J. (1912) Across Australia (vols. 1 and 11). London: Macmillan.