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'Murray River Notes by Norman B. Tindale. 1930-1952. Adelaide, South Australia'

Archive Collections / Dr Norman Barnett Tindale / Series AA338/01 / 'Murray River Notes by Norman B. Tindale. 1930-1952. Adelaide, South Australia'

This is the first of two volumes of 'Murray River Notes'. This volume has been handwritten with annotations. 'Volume 1' has been included on the spine; Volume 2 (AA 338/1/31/2) is much slimmer though, and contains data mainly relating to Robert Mason (nicknamed 'Tarby'). This volume contains a detailed contents list and a 16 page index (pasted-in typescript) commences on page 327. Pages 204a-c and 260a-c have been included.

This volume is a compilation of short trips and associated material as follows:

  • 'Journal of Trip from Murray Bridge up stream to Blanchetown', including a map, 18 February - 3 March 1932 (pages 3-41, 184-185)

  • 'Fishing methods at Murray Bridge', 30 March 1932 (page 42)

  • 'Visit to Murray River with Dr DS Davidson' (see AA 68), 7-10 November 1930 (pages 43-45)

  • 'Notes from Mengoan' (Henry Mason) 1931 (pages 46-47)

  • 'Bark Dishes' (page 47)

  • 'Account of Sustie Wilson', 19 August 1932 (page 48)

  • 'Harold Sheard's (AA 290) list of Murray River Aborigines', dated 1926 (page 48)

  • 'Face Cast' of I Williams, Charleville, 1 April 1932 (page 49, includes short vocabulary of 21 words)

  • 'Odd notes' including ''Basket Fibres', 'Ngjang Njampe custom Wanjakalde tribe', 'Yaralde compass points', 'Murray River Spearthrower' (pages 50-53)

  • 'Visit to Wellington', including a photograph of Pinkie Mack's camp, 25-26 March 1933 (pages 54-63)

  • Pelican song by Archie Blackmore (page 57)

  • 'Easter Camp at Goolwa', 14-17 April 1933 (pages 64-69)

  • 'Pig face used as a water store' (page 69)

  • 'Salinity of Lake Alexandrina', two news clippings, 31 October - c. 1 November 1933 (page 70)

  • 'Aneroid readings on trip to Yankalilla', 26 October 1933 (page 71)

  • 'Trip to South East (Taratap)', 24 December 1933-13 January 1934 (pages 73-91)

  • 'Trip to Kanmantoo and Vicinity', 24-25 April 1935, including sketches of rock paintings and three black and white photographs. (pages 83-91)

  • 'Two ground edge chisels from Pine Hill, Bordertown' (page 92, 'page 93 attachment')

  • G Burnell & Harold Sheard's (see AA 290) photographs of canoes ('page 92 attachment', page 96, note at bottom of page 97)

  • 'Race Admixture', newspaper clippings, 29 March 1934, May & 13 June 1935 (pages 93-94, 97)

  • 'Fossil man in the State of South Australia', pasted-in typescript (pages 95, 116, 118)

  • 'Visit to Goolwa including data from Reuben Walker & Mark Wilson', 15-16, 21 June 1935 and 24 June 1937, including 'Story of Ngurunderi'; 'genealogy of Kangaroo Islanders', 'initiation', ''embraces', 'navel string relationships', 'wife-stealing raids', 'circumcision & subincision' (pages 98-125)

  • 'Visit to Tailem Bend', 10-11 July 1935 & 26 October 1935 (pages 126-129)

  • 'Drawings of Murray River Natives' (page 130)

  • 'Rafts used in Western Australia' (page 131)

  • 'Burials, River Murray Mouth', 12 February 1936 (page 131-32)

  • G Burnell photograph, 'Scene at Moorunde, R. Murray, c.1870-80' (actually 1862, pg. j), (page 133)

  • 'Visit to Murray Bridge', Easter 1938 (pages 134-149) (photograph of Albert Karloan on page134 apparently removed)

  • 'Data from EB Scott ms', relating to Moorunde people, obtained 1938. Pasted-in typescript. (pages 150-160)

  • 'Ramindjeri Tribe - Story of Kondoli written down by Mark Wilson and gone over with Frank by me. It is F. B.'s story'. Pasted-in ink and pencil ms (pages 161-165), accompanied by folded 2 page insert, typed interlinear text of Kondoli story. This story is in Jaralde language with an English translation

  • 'Wild Duck Capturing by Aborigines by Kathleen Roberts'. Pasted-in typescript (page 166)

  • 'Data recorded on the copy of the Hundred of Ridley map used when digging at Tartanga and Devon Downs also during 1932 trip to Blanchetown', including 1929 map with annotations (pages 167-168, 192)

  • Letter from Sheard to Tindale, 23 Jan, 1935 (page 169)

  • 'Visit to Murray River', including photographs, 26-28 January 1935 (pages 169-175)

  • 'Maraura Tribe Sociological Notes', 1930 & 1932 (pages 175-183)

  • Portions of annotated maps, Hundred of Ridley (pages 184-85, 192)

  • 'Genealogy II - Bob McKinley Yuyu Tribe' (pages 186-187)

  • 'Story of Waijungari', by Frank Blackmore. Pasted-in ink manuscript with partial English translation (pages 188-191)

  • 'Extract from the Diary of James Campbell Harwood aged 22, of East Wellington dated 13 July 1853 - Beliefs regarding thunderstorms'. Pasted-in typescript (pages 193-194) Original handwritten note from Miss EA Harwood in Supplementary Notes (AA338/2/63/1-2)

  • 'Work with Karlowan in Adelaide', including a genealogy, Jaralde social framework and annotated copy of pages 160-165 of Taplin's 1879 'Folklore' with Tindale's annotations, December 1935 (pages 195-207)

  • 'Ngjangjampe Custom of Wanjakalde Tribe', notes from David Unaipon, 1935 (page 208)

  • 'My First Flight over Murray River', including 27 black and white photographs, February 1936 (pages 209-221)

  • 'Visit to Murray on 15-16 February 1936', with one photograph and one negative. Includes data on shells from midden and fold-out diagram of camp-site. (pages 222-223, 230-236)

  • 'String Figures' (pages 225-227)

  • 'Club of Lindo Collection and shield', 19 February 1936 (page 237)

  • 'Flight Down the Murray Valley from Mypolonga to the Coorong', 8 March 1936 (pages 238-247)

  • 'Notes from Mark Wilson (Jarildekald)', 1 May 1936 (pages 248-249). Includes a few vocabulary items and a note on phonetics

  • News cutting: 'The Lost Tribes of the Darling', 2 December 1927 (page 250)

  • 'Maraura and other words obtained from Frank Fletcher', 23 February 1932, includes section of basket pasted in (page 251-260). This vocabulary of approximately 200 words includes entries for Jaralde, Maraura, and Juju (=Erawirung)

  • Letter from AA Walker on Nganguruku Aborigines, Mannum area, South Australia, 1 March 1939 (pages 260a-260c)

  • Copy of an article from the 'Register' concerning initiation (among the Lake Alexandrina people), 1863 (pages 261-262)

  • 'Jarildekald Notes from Mark Wilson', including 'red ochre', 'revenge for deaths', 'birds warn against enemies', 'dwarf spirit beings', 'Muldarpi', 'Notes on Jarildekald Phonetics', 'Story of the Muldjuwangk', 'Legend of the Seagulls and Crow', 'Story of the Stealing of Fire by the Whale', 'Sociological Notes from Karlowan', 'Lewurindjeri clan', 'Hunting by the Lewurindjeri', 26 May 1937 (pages 263-276)

  • 'Visit to Coomandook and Tailem Bend', 3 June 1948 (pages 277-285)

  • Photographs of Amy Johnston and sketches of artefacts, July 1927 (pages 286-289)

  • 'Odd notes from Karlowan not dated but probably 1941' (pages 290-292)

  • 'Notes made by Thomas Draper Campbell (see AA 52) from Mark Wilson, 1926 or 1927' (pages 293-294)

  • 'Rubbings of Carved Boomerang in Bridgeport Hotel, Murray Bridge', c.1932 (pages 295-297)

  • 'Odd place names', Hundred of Mobilong (page 298)

  • 'Baskets in the Australian Museum, Sydney', with pasted-in photograph (page 299)

  • 'Soc.Org. Jaraldekald - notes from Karlowan, ca. 1941', 'platypus' (pages 300-301)

  • 'Trip to Tartanga and Devon Downs with Joseph Benjamin Birdsell (see AA 689)', 21-23 November 1952. Pasted-in copy (pages 302-319). Includes a few ŋaŋuruku words and place names from Robert Mason

  • 6 photographs, February-March 1932 (pages 321-325)

  • 'Index, Murray River Notes' (pages 327-342)



Tindale Tribes: Erawirung; Jarildekald; Kunja; Maraura; Ngaiawang; Nganguruku; Ngaralta; Ngarkat; Peramangk; Tanganekald; Ramindjeri.

Creator: Dr Norman Barnett Tindale
Control: AA 338/1/31/1
Date Range:  07 November, 1932  -  23 November, 1952
Quantity:  3.7cm,   1   buckram bound volume, 21.5x26.8 cm, 364 pages with 2 inserts and 2 loose items
Formats: Newspaper Clippings, General Correspondence, Maps, Photographic Film Negatives, Loose Photographic Prints, Drawings, Sketches, Loose Notes
Series:  AA338/01
Tindale Tribes:
Erawirung, Jarildekald, Kunja, Maraura, Ngaiawang, Nganguruku, Ngaralta, Ngarkat, Peramangk, Ramindjeri, Tanganekald