Ngadlu tampinthi ngadlu Kaurna Miyurna yartangka. Munaintya puru purruna ngadlu-itya. Munaintyanangku yalaka tarrkarriana tuntarri.

We acknowledge we are on Kaurna Miyurna land. The Dreaming is still living. From the past, in the present, into the future, forever.

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It is a condition of use of the cultural components of the Museum Archives that users ensure that any disclosure of information contained in this collection is consistent with the views and sensitivities of Indigenous people. Users are warned that there may be words and descriptions that may be culturally sensitive and which might not normally be used in certain public or community contexts. Users should also be aware that some records document research into people and cultures using a scientific research model dating from the first half of the twentieth century, and depicts people as research subjects in ways which may today be considered offensive. Some records contain terms and annotations that reflect the author's attitude or that of the period in which the item was written, and may be considered inappropriate today in some circumstances. Users should be aware that in some Indigenous communities, hearing names of deceased persons might cause sadness or distress, particularly to the relatives of these people. Furthermore, certain totemic symbols may also have prohibitions relating to the age, initiation and ceremonial status or clan of the person who may see them. Records included may be subject to access conditions imposed by Indigenous communities and/or depositors. Users are advised that access to some materials may be subject to these terms and conditions that the Museum is required to maintain.
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Photographs and glass negatives relating to Australian Aboriginal people and culture and related correspondence

Archive Collections / Thomas Harvey Johnston / Series AA161/01 / Photographs and glass negatives relating to Australian Aboriginal people and culture and related correspondence

This series comprises four albums of photographs and negatives, and related correspondence.

AA 161/1/1
Album 1 includes the following items:

  1. Aboriginal man and woman sitting in a shelter. No other details available. 2 black and white (b/w) prints, 19x14cm; 1 duplicate, 15x10cm.

  2. Aboriginal man, sitting. Possibly Finke River (NT). 1 b/w print, 20x14cm. Formerly Acc. No. 2094; AP5142.

  3. 'Luritcha girl. Waterhole in Finke near Henbury' (NT). This print is a copy of one taken by Baldwin Spencer (see AA 301 Album 2 for the original photograph, plus several other photographs of the same woman). 1 b/w print, 20x15cm. Formerly Acc. No. 2094; AP5145.

  4. Aboriginal man and woman. Possibly Finke River (NT). 1 b/w print, 19x16cm. Formerly Acc. No. 2094; AP7230.

  5. Aboriginal woman. Possibly Finke River (NT). 1 b/w print, 19x16cm. Formerly Acc. No. 2094; AP7229.

  6. Group of Aboriginal men, some painted white for mourning (?). Possibly Finke River (NT). 1 b/w print, 19x13cm. Formerly Acc. No. 2094; AP5144.

  7. Aboriginal man captioned '"Layerdurng", born at Lake Albert 74 years. Tribe Narrinyeri, "uncle" to Archie. 10/3/1921'. 1 b/w print, 15x12cm. Formerly Acc. No. 2094; AP5141.

  8. 'Wilurara tribe - Musgrave Ranges. Women and dingoes, c.1927'.This photograph, and the one below, evidently are copies of original prints taken by RM Williams (see AA 623). One of the duplicate prints has been mounted onto a foolscap card. 1 b/w print, 18x11cm; 2 duplicate prints, 12x7cm; 1 negative, 12x9cm. Formerly Acc. No. 2094.

  9. 'Wilurara tribe - Musgrave Ranges. Women and dingoes, c.1927'. See RM Williams collection. 1 b/w print, 18x11cm. Formerly Acc. No. 2094.

  10. Macdonald Downs expedition (1930) showing hunting and gathering activities, camp scenes and landscape views. 32 b/w prints, 11x8cm. Some of these prints were formerly accessioned as Acc. No. 306; other prints were retrieved from the Tindale (see AA 338) collection in 2005. Some of the latter are marked Acc. No. 320.

  11. Board for Anthropological Research (BAR; see AA 346) expedition to Cockatoo Creek (1931), showing hunting and gathering activities. These prints were retrieved from the Tindale collection in 2005. 3 b/w prints, 11x8cm.

  12. 'Mt Liebig Expedition 1932' including camp scenes and preparation of wooden artefacts. 12 b/w prints, 11x8cm. Some of these prints were formerly accessioned as Acc. No. 306; other prints were retrieved from the Tindale collection in 2005.

  13. 'Warburton Range' (1935). One print shows an Aboriginal woman winnowing seeds, the other shows seeds being ground with grindstones. 2 b/w prints, 10x8cm. Formerly Acc. No. 306.

  14. 'Abortive attempt to haft stone axe picked up on campsite near Nepabunna May 28th 1937'. 1 b/w print, 10x8cm. Formerly Acc. No. 306.

  15. X-rays of a human hand. 2 prints, 21x16cm; film negatives, 7x6cm, glass negatives. Formerly Acc. No. 816.

  16. Stretched fabric (?). 4 prints, 21x16cm; film negatives, 7x6cm; glass negatives.



AA 161/1/2
Album 2 contains restricted and culturally sensitive photographs including the following items:

  1. Macdonald Downs expedition (1930) showing ceremonial activities. 8 b/w prints, 11x8cm. Some of these prints were formerly accessioned as Acc. No. 306; other prints were retrieved from the Tindale Collection in 2005.

  2. 'Mt Liebig Expedition 1932' including camp scenes, ceremonies, preparation of wooden artefacts. 19 b/w prints, 11x8cm. Six of these prints were formerly accessioned as Acc. No. 306; other prints were retrieved from the Tindale Collection in 2005. Includes restricted photos in separate album.

  3. BAR Expedition to Cockatoo Creek (1931), showing men's ceremonies. 26 b/w prints, 11x8cm. These prints were retrieved from the Tindale collection in 2005.

  4. 'Mt Liebig Expedition 1932' showing ceremonial activities. 8 b/w prints, 11x8cm. Some of these prints were formerly accessioned as Acc. No. 306; other prints were retrieved from the Tindale collection in 2005.

  5. Aboriginal man suffering from a severe skin disease. 3 prints, 21x16cm; film negatives, 7x6cm; 3 glass negatives. Formerly Acc. No. 816.

  6. European man suffering from melanotic sarcoma.3 prints, 21x16cm; film negatives, 7x6cm; 2 glass negatives. Formerly Acc. No. 816.

  7. A framed portrait of TH Johnston is housed in an archive box with Series 2. 21x14cm.



AA 161/1/3
Album 3 comprises 157 b/w prints (17x12 cm) taken on various BAR expeditions between 1929 and 1937. It includes numerous restricted and culturally sensitive photographs. The album includes the following items:

  1. N3839/2-16: Photos taken during 1929 expedition to Hermannsburg, including Alice Springs, Jay Creek Childrens' Home, Finke River Gorge and Hermannsburg Mission.

  2. N3840/2-35: Photos taken by HM Hale during 1929 expedition to Hermannsburg, including Marree, Glen Helen, Jay Creek, Finke River, Kaperilya Springs, MacDonnell Ranges and Hermannsburg Mission.

  3. N3841/3-17: Photos taken during 1937 expedition to Nepabunna Mission, including landscape scenes at Mt Chambers Creek, Italowie Gorge and Malkaia Springs.

  4. N3842/28-30: Photos taken during 1936 expedition to The Granites (NT) of Aboriginal man spinning fur.

  5. N3843/2-5: Photos taken during 1936 expedition to The Granites (NT). Aboriginal men with native tobacco plant.

  6. N3844/7-14: Photos taken during 1936 expedition to The Granites (NT). Aboriginal man cooking a snake in the campfire.

  7. N3845/16-25: Photos taken during 1936 expedition to The Granites (NT). Aboriginal men preparing for ceremony. Restricted.

  8. N3846/27-33: Photos taken during 1936 expedition to The Granites (NT). Landscape and camp scenes and ceremonial activities. Restricted.

  9. N3847/2-16: Photos taken during 1936 expedition to The Granites (NT). Landscape scenes and Aboriginal men painting on rock outcrop.

  10. N3848/2-35: Photos taken during 1936 expedition to The Granites (NT), including sacred sites near Thompson's Rockhole, and landscape scenes at Mt Gillen, Simpson's Gap and Brook's grave at Brooks' Soak.Restricted.

  11. N3849/2-33: Landscape scenes - Palm Valley, Finke River, Glen Helen and Kaperilya Springs.

  12. N3850/7-13: Photos of Aboriginal women taken during 1935 expedition to Warburton Range Mission (WA).



AA 161/1/4
Album 4 comprises 131 b/w prints (17x12 cm) taken during various BAR expeditions during the 1920s and 1930s. It includes numerous restricted and culturally sensitive photographs. The album includes the following items:

  1. N3851/19-28: Photos taken during 1935 expedition to Warburton Range Mission (WA) - landscape scenes and Aboriginal life.

  2. N3852/2-19: Photos of Mt Chambers Creek (Flinders Ranges) - landscape scenes and Aboriginal rock engravings.

  3. N3853/11-13: Photos of Aboriginal rock engravings, Mt Chambers Creek (Flinders Ranges).

  4. N3854/1-34: Photos taken during 1935 expedition to Warburton Range Mission, including portraits of Aboriginal people, hunting activities and ceremonies. Restricted.

  5. N3855/8-31: Photos of Nepabunna Creek, Malkaia Gorge and Nepabunna Mission (Flinders Ranges).

  6. N3856/1-9: Photos taken during expedition to Hermannsburg Mission (1929), including views of Alice Springs and Jay Creek, and ceremonial activities. Restricted.

  7. N3857/13-22: Photos taken during 1935 BAR expedition to Warburton Range Mission (WA) showing ceremonial activities. Restricted.

  8. N3858/1-34: Photos taken during expedition to Hermannsburg Mission (1929), including ceremonial activities. Restricted.

  9. N3910/1-4: Unidentified photos (1930s, SA?) of tooth avulsion and blood-letting ceremonies. Restricted.

  10. N3911/1-9: Photos taken during expedition to Macdonald Downs (1930), including Aboriginal women of 'Ilyarra' tribe gathering food.



AA 161/1/5
This item includes a letter from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) to the South Australian Museum in August 1986 relating to the TH Johnston collection of photographs held by that institute. These photographs had been acquired some time previously from Johnston's grand-daughter in Adelaide. AIAS provided a detailed list of the photographs, as well as a set of contact prints. The photographs were all taken during BAR expeditions to Hermannsburg (1929), Macdonald Downs (1931), Warburton Range (1935), the Granites (1936) and Nepabunna (1937) and depict camp scenes, ceremonies and rituals, hunting and food-gathering activities, rock art and landscape scenes.

This series includes references to the following regions of South Australia: Flinders Ranges; North West; River Murray - Coorong.

This series also includes references to: Northern Territory; Western Australia.

This series contains references to the following named groups: Ilyarra, Narrinyeri, Wilurara.

These correspond to: Tindale Tribes: Iliaura; Pitjandjara.

These correspond to AIATSIS Tribal/Language Groups: Alyawarre; Ngarrindjeri; Pitjantjatjara.

Creator: Thomas Harvey Johnston
Control: AA 161/1/1-5
Date Range:  1900  -  2006
Quantity:  23cm,     Four photo albums, box of glass negs, documents in sleeve
Formats: General Correspondence, Photographic Film Negatives, Photographic Glass Negatives, Loose Photographic Prints, Mounted Photographic Prints
Series:  AA161/01
Tindale Tribes:
Iliaura, Pitjandjara