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'Tasmania and the Part Aborigines of the Bass Strait Islands and Kangaroo Island, also some field notes on stone implements and general field observations on Lepidoptera by Norman B. Tindale. 1936-1965+'

Archive Collections / Dr Norman Barnett Tindale / Series AA338/01 / 'Tasmania and the Part Aborigines of the Bass Strait Islands and Kangaroo Island, also some field notes on stone implements and general field observations on Lepidoptera by Norman B. Tindale. 1936-1965+'

The volume is a compilation of Tindale's records of expeditions to Tasmania and related data. Journal entries have been handwritten on the right-hand page leaving the left for drawings, annotations, haietc. The journal contains black and white photographs, maps, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and reprints. An additional page, 324a, is included; pages 16 to 46 are blank. The journal includes a contents page and a detailed index (pages 339-81).

This journal includes the following:

  • Photograph taken of Cape Barren Islanders during the Governor of Tasmania's visit in January 1911 (page vii)

  • Sample of Aboriginal Tasmanians' skin colour (page vi)

  • 'Visit to Tasmania to report on Mt Cameron West rock carvings'. Includes a negative and 3 black and white photographs, a note by Tindale indicating that part of the journal is missing (pages 16-46 have been left blank), and a newspaper clipping entitled 'Rock Carvings - West Coast Discovery - Near Trial Harbour', March-April 1936 (pages 1-15)

  • 'Notes about Rocky Cape Cave N. Coast Tasmania' (page 47)

  • Typescript copy of a letter to the Tasmanian Premier regarding the Aboriginal Rock Carvings at Mount Cameron West, dated 24 April 1936, and a letter to Mr J Pearson of the Tasmanian Museum, dated 28 April 1936, both from Tindale (page 49)

  • Drawings of 2 flints from A Meston's collection[?] (page 50)

  • Drawing of a skull drinking vessel from Archibald Lawrence Meston's collection (page 52)

  • Newspaper clipping on Truganini, 29 April 1949 (page 53)

  • 'Visit to Cape Barren Island, Harvard-Adelaide Expedition, January 1939'. This is the original journal entry from the expedition. The Harvard and Adelaide Universities journals (see AA 338/1/15) contain a copy. Includes reference to specimens A27501-503, A27570 and A27564, sketch of a section at Thunder and Lightening Bay, Cape Barren Island, and Pitt Water Bay, newspaper clipping entitled: 'A Vanished Island People - New finds on Flinders', dated 23 April 1946, 'Notes on scholars on Cape Barren Island', social organisation, tuberculosis, data taken from tombstones, suggestions by CE Brown 'for the betterment of Islanders', intermarriage, employment, and Miss Hudson's suggestions for the Islanders' needs regarding sanitation, irrigation, improvements to housing, afforestation and teaching of industry (page 55-156)

  • Notes and references to Tasmanian implements, 1940 (page 157)

  • Typescript copy of Thomas Dunbabin's 'Buccaneers of Bass Straits - Wild doings by land and sea in the twilight of Tasmanian History (Extracts from a paper read before the Royal Historical Society of Australia, Sydney, 20 July 1924) (pages 158-163)

  • Typescript copy of 'Bushrangers and Blacks - Stories of old Pittwater' by Donald Bain, 21 September 1922 (pages 164-65)

  • Typescript copy of a letter to the editor of the 'Mercury' from C Charlson on the 'Early Settlers on Bruny Island' (page 165)

  • Newspaper clipping dated c.1920, re violent encounter (page 166)

  • Notes on the 'Story of white men hunt a wallaby in form of a song', and a reference to Tasmanian skeletons (page 167)

  • Sketch of a Tasmanian basket form Angel, 1941 (page 168)

  • 'A summary of a note by Mrs MA Pridmore' on the phrase 'Tilta Vrenna', 24 January 1947 (page 169)

  • Newspaper clipping relating to a Tasmanian Aboriginal head cast, 6 October 1948 (page 169)

  • Harvard and Adelaide Universities Board for Anthropological Research visit to Tasmania and Cape Barren Island with Joseph and Bee Birdsell (see AA 689) and Dorothy Tindale, December 1948-15 February 1949. Includes references to butterfly collecting, songs, social organisation, sketches and documentation on specimens A39681-3, A39687-39695 and A39735, fauna, printed brochure on Mount Barrow with Tindale's annotations, newspaper clipping entitled: 'Completes study of half-castes' dated 9 February 1949, sketches and notes of a Tasmanian spear held by the Melbourne National Museum, and a carbon typescript copy of Tindale's report on the visit of the Board for Anthropological Research (pages 171-269)

  • Notes on the Archibald Meston collection, 1952 (page 271)

  • Notes and copies of correspondence relating to the discovery of a burial site at Low Rocky Point, Port Davey, Tasmania, 1953 (pages 273-274)

  • Typescript copy of a 'Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club' article on 'Tasmanian Mollusca' by WL May, January 1906 (page 275)

  • 'Reference to Rew family in Cape Barren Islands area', 18 March 1957 (pages 275-76)

  • Notes from Mrs Marjory Rose Casson (see AA 55) regarding Waubadebar, 9 October 1957, and newspaper clipping copy of an article dated 11 August 1964 (pages 277 and 382)

  • Typescript copy of notes making reference to Abyssinian Jack and William Lanney in the Hobart Mercury from Mrs MR Casson, dated 3 March 1869, and typescript notes dated 16 October 1957 with Tindale's annotations (pages 277-283)

  • Extracts from the 'Hobart Town Gazette' relating to activity in the Straits and Kangaroo Island, 1826 (pages 285-291)

  • Notes dated 28 April 1958 on and print of Truganini taken by HH Baily (See AA 15, formerly AP2440) after 1867 (page 293)

  • Notes and reply to Professor HN Barber's letter regarding a 'Plan for evaluation of the History of the Tasmanian aborigines', 1959-1960 (pages 295-299)

  • 29. 'Mr EL Bates early reminiscences of Tasmanians on Kangaroo Island', 1 September 1960 (pages 301-317)

  • Comment by Mr Harold More Cooper (see AA 64) on Mr EL Bates's early reminiscences (see above) and further reference to Mrs William Seymour (pages 317-318)

  • Notes on Alexander Tolmer's and Dr Peel's comments on Kangaroo Islanders (page 319)

  • Newspaper clippings relating to 'last of the Aboriginal Tasmanians' including Truganini, 25 May 1961 and 29 March 1974 (pages 322-323)

  • Inserted letter to Tindale from WF Ellis relating to the delay in Tasmanian field work, 11 September 1962 (pages 324-324a)

  • Notes on Bessie Clark (pages 325)

  • HM Cooper's notes on Kangaroo Islanders, 27-30 August 1965 (pages 326-327)

  • Data collected by Tindale, including a list of Tasmanian words current amongst Kangaroo Islanders dated 30 March 1936, and a Cape Barren Island song from Julian Clifford Everett dated 27 January 1939 (page 336)

  • Notes on the plaster bust of Wooreddy, Truganini's husband (page 337)

  • Reference to other Tindale journals containing data on Tasmania (page 338)

  • Alphabetical index completed 28 February 1969 (pages 339-381)

  • List and notes of Kangaroo Island and Tasmanian Kartan side pebble chopping tools showing weight and dimensions, A26287-299, A20475, A20432, A26201-218 (insert at pages 382-383)

  • 'List of Papers bound in as supplement, by N.B. Tindale', as follows: (page 383)

  • Inserted between reprints 11 and 12 are copies of newspaper clippings, copy of correspondence between Tindale and Grace Koch regarding the dubbing of Tasmanian cylinder recordings, 1987 and 1988, copy of a 'Campsites and Implements' journal on 'JS Falkinder on Tasmanian type implements found at Murramurang in the Ilawarra District, NS Wales' dated 1963 and handwritten notes



A pocket inside the back of the journal contains the following:

  • a copy of John Henderson's 1832 'Observations on the colonies of NSW and Van Diemens Land'

  • original and copy of a letter sent to Dorothy Tindale from James Read, dated 1939

  • a newspaper clipping entitled 'Leader of bombed-out Pa[l]au begs help' dated 1981

  • 3 copies of newspaper clippings regarding Tasmania



Tindale does not include Tasmanian and Bass Strait Islanders in his catalogue, therefore no link to 'Tindale Tribes' is made.

Creator: Dr Norman Barnett Tindale
Control: AA 338/1/36
Date Range:  1936  -  1988
Quantity:  5.2cm,   1   buckram bound volume 22.0x26.5cm, 416 pages with 21 inserts and 11 loose items
Formats: Newspaper Clippings, General Correspondence, Maps, Photographic Film Negatives, Loose Photographic Prints, Photocopied Documents, Sketches, Loose Notes, Indexes
Series:  AA338/01