Cinefilm titled ‘Natives of Princess Charlotte Bay, Queensland, 1926-1927’

‘Natives of Princess Charlotte Bay’ was not part of the Board for Anthropological Research film collection, but appears in the ‘South Australian Museum Catalogue of Cine-Films’ (AA 346/9/28/1, Film paperwork: Catalogues) dated 18.x.1940, assigned as negatives #1 and #2.

As discussed in the inventory the positive 16mm safety film held at SAMA (AA 124/1/1-2) was struck from nitrate stock that did not get transferred to NFSA in 1979. It is believed that this SAMA nitrate stock was disposed of after being digitised in the mid 1990’s. There is no documentation of this however it sounds like this was not an irregular practice with nitrate film.
There are several reasons why the 16mm safety film held at SAMA (AA 124/1/1-2) is believed to be copied from nitrate stock (thought to be disposed). Firstly, the initial title ‘Native of Princess Charlotte Bay’ consists only of 8 frames which is the case in both the nitrate transfer (AA 124/1/9, AA 124/1/11-12) and in the 16mm positive prints (AA 124/1/1-2). This intertitles is only 8 frames long, visible for about half a second when it would have been originally 168 frames and about 7 second long. Secondly, the SAMA 16mm films are the only Reel 2, with intertitles. Finally none of the summaries of the NFSA nitrate items have the same characteristics as the SAMA 16mm film.

One SPBetacam and VHS previously in the old video library have not been processed into the new DVD library, and have been consequently disposed of. On the cover was written ‘extra footage’, however this is not the case. This was a copy of NFSA item: 430267 ‘Version 2’ which consisted of Reel 2 followed by Reel 1 with no intertitles.

'Natives of Princess Charlotte Bay, Queensland.' 1926-1927

This is the final film production documenting the South Australian Museum expedition to Northern Queensland in 1926-1927. The expedition party included HM Hale as the South Australian Museum zoologist and NB Tindale (see AA 338) as assistant entomologist. Both were involved in recording and filming aspects of the local Australian Aboriginal cultures.

Whilst the expedition party visited localities including Flinders Island, Bathurst Head, Barrow Point, Thursday Island, Coen, Port Stewart and Cairns; the filming was concentrated on Princess Charlotte Bay, Bathurst and Flinders Islands, Queensland.

The original film was 35mm nitrate film. The final film production held at the South Australian Museum Archives consists of two reels, duration 13 minutes 02 seconds, with intertitles and corresponds to items AA 124/1/1-9 and items AA 124/1/11-12.

In this summary all intertitles are italicised and within quotation marks. All spelling within intertitles have been left as originally spelt. Language and terms which reflect the author's attitude or that of the period in which the item was produced may be considered inappropriate today.

All quotations from NB Tindale's journal are followed by the journal's control number. Following the summary of this film is a list of references. Please note that the time coded summary is in minutes and seconds.

Formats Held: 16mm, black and white {b/w), safety film, SP Betacam, Digital Betacam, Access DVDs & VHS.

NOTES 1
In 1979 the South Australian Museum Archives (SAMA} deposited its nitrate film collection with the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA} for cold storage. This deposited material excluded the final film production of 'Natives of Princess Charlotte Bay, Queensland. 1926-
1927', but included nitrate footage relating to 'Natives of Princess
Charlotte Bay, Queensland. 1926-1927.' At NFSA footage relating to
'Natives of Princess Charlotte Bay, Queensland 1926-1927' has been managed as five separate titles:

# NFSA Title Number: '34102' '[Natives of Princess Charlotte Bay: South Australian Expedition to Northern Queensland, 1926-1927. [Reel1 :Semi-Final Edit]', consists of Reel 1 with intertitles. Access copies of this item are held at SAMA. See AA 124/1/10 & AA
124/1/13.

# NFSA Title Number: '430267' '[Natives of Princess Charlotte Bay: South Australian Expedition to Northern Queensland, 1926-1927. Reels 1 and 2: Excerpts of Footage]', no intertitles.

# NFSA Title Number: '60029' '[Natives of Princess Charlotte Bay: South Australian Expedition to Northern Queensland, 1926-1927. Four Scenes]', consists of a sequence of four brief scenes, all but one of which are contained in the final film.

# NFSA Title Number: '57628' '[Natives of Princess Charlotte Bay: South Australian Expedition to Northern Queensland, 1926-1927. Footage of Still Images]', consists of a series of still shots used throughout the final film.

# NFSA Title Number: '239404' '[Natives of Princess Charlotte Bay: South Australian Expedition to Northern Queensland, 1926-1927. Three Scenes]', consists of a series of three shots, all of which appear to be contained in the final film.

NOTES2
The positive 16mm safety film held at SAMA, AA 124/1/1-2, was struck
from nitrate film that was not deposited with NFSA in 1979. It is understood to be a print of the final production of this film. Sometime in the mid 1990's an SPBetacam, AA 124/1/9, and two VHS, AA 124/1/11-12 were made directly from this SAMA nitrate film. These items have the orange brown tinge of degrading nitrate film. The digital transfers, AA 124/1/3-8, made in 2005 were taken from the 16mm positive safety film that was struck from the final production SAMA nitrate. Consequently both the 1990 and 2005 digital transfers are of the same SAMA nitrate source, but are of from differing generations of this final production film. The 1990 digital transfer is a dark orange brown colour, the 2005 transfer is black and white.

REFERENCES

# 'Journal of a Museum Trip to Cape York Peninsula, North Queensland by Norman B Tindale. Nov. 1926 - March 1927. Adelaide, S.A'. See AA 338/1/4), pp. 216-217 'Native names and localities of natives on Flinders l[sland] 1-10 Jan.1927' includes the following information on individuals: Name, sex, age, locality, white name, and occasionally information on relationships.

# Hale, HM & Tindale, NB 1933, 'Aborigines of Princess Charlotte Bay, North Queensland, Part I, Records of the South Australian Museum 5 (1): 63-116.

# Hale, HM & Tindale, NB 1934, 'Aborigines of Princess Charlotte Bay, North Queensland, Part II, Records of the South Australian Museum 5 (2): 117-172.

Creator Herbert Matthew Hale
Control AA 124/1/1-14
Date Range November 1926 - March 1927, dates of expedition.
Quantity 40.5 m, 14 film items. Formats: 16mm, Betas, DVDs, paperwork
Inventory Identifier AA 124/1/1-14
Series AA 124/1