This is the third of twelve titles documenting the Board for Anthropological Research (BAR) Harvard-Adelaide Universities expedition, during 13 May 1938 - 30 June 1939.
This expedition travelled through South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. For a listing of the locations visited by the expedition party see: JB Birdsell's 'Australian Daily Field Journal 1938-1939' (AA 689/1/1) and NB Tindale's Journal 'Harvard and Adelaide Universities Anthropological Expedition, Australia, 1938-1939' (AA 338/1/15/1-2).
'Woorabinda' is an unfinished film documenting the BAR expedition's journey through Woorabinda (Queensland), Boggabilla, Pilliga, Cumeragunja (Cumeroogunga) (New South Wales); Lake Tyers (Victoria); Nullarbor (Western Australia); and Lake Alexandrina (South Australia).
NB Tindale's annotations on the edge of 16mm film, which usually records the subject, location and the date of filming have been used to identify the many different locations found in this film.
The cinematographer was NB Tindale with possible involvement from both DM Tindale and BG Birdsell. See: (AA 346/9/13/1).
The Harvard-Adelaide films were made for the South Australian Museum's (SAM) Children's Museum, however due to the onset of the Second World War and the prohibitive costs of bringing film to a final production stage, these films remained unfinished. According to NB Tindale's 1974 report on the unfinished BAR films he states that that this film was 'ready to print,' presumably after the addition of the films intertitles which are located in (AA 346/9/13/8), Time Codes 02:25-03:37. See report: (AA 346/9/27/8).
The South Australian Museum Archives Master Preservation Tape (AA 346/9/13/3/3) consists of (AA 346/9/13/3/1), duration 10 minutes 24 seconds, with no title or intertitles.
This expedition film was previously held in the NB Tindale collection and was transferred into the BAR collection in December 2005.
The method adopted by BAR expeditions to undertake research and record the results involved assigning a unique number to each individual (here called 'individual subject number'). This number was given the expedition symbol as a prefix, and remained consistent throughout the research. This expedition was assigned the symbol 'N.' All individuals recorded during the expedition were assigned an individual subject number, for example [N256]. Where possible the 'individual subject number' of those who appear in film have been noted.
The time coded summary is in minutes and seconds. Following the summary of this film is a list of references.
Formats Held: 16mm, SP Betacam, Digital Betacam, Access DVDs.
Summary (Time Coded): Taken from Access DVD 3 (AA 346/9/13/3/7)
00:00 Harvard-Adelaide Expedition: 'Woorabinda' 1938-1939.
00:00 'Cultural Sensitivity Warning.'
00:00 'The Museum Board of South Australia © 1938-1939.'
01:30 River flowing. Woorabinda, Queensland, 1938.
01:39 Restricted Content Starts.
04:06 Restricted Content Ends.
04:06 Distant view of Boggabilla Mission, New South Wales.
04:13 A grove of gum trees.
04:18 Charlie Dennison [N256] aged 84 years, of the Kamilaroi people, selects a suitable tree for making a canoe, 200 yards downstream from the mission. MacIntyre River, Boggabilla, New South Wales. See: NB Tindale photographs (AA 338/5/15/6-9), and NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15), p.231.
04.27 Charlie Dennison [N256] of the Kamilaroi people, assisted by a group of men, uses a tomahawk to outline the canoe shape in the bark. Lengths of bark are stripped from surrounding trees to wedge the bark off the tree.
05:03 Charlie Dennison [N256] of the Kamilaroi people, using a tomahawk to outline the canoe to a height of some 14 feet above ground. Wooden wedges are used to prize the bark from the tree. His grandson assists him.
06:07 A group of men remove the large piece of bark from the tree.
06:31 The inner surface of the bark canoe.
06:35 A large crack appeared throughout the piece of bark and proved unsuitable for planed the large canoe. Two pieces of bark are laid out on the ground near a smoking fire.
06:48 Charlie Dennison [N256] of the Kamilaroi people demonstrates with the back of his old canoe how the end of the canoe is blocked with a piece of bark held in place with mud. See: NB Tindale journal (AA 338/1/15), p.233.
07:04 Charlie Dennison [N256] of the Kamilaroi people with the help of the young girl pushes his old canoe down the bank into the river.
07:15 Charlie Dennison's grandson paddling the finished canoe. McIntyre River, Boggabilla, NSW. See: NB Tindale photograph (AA 338/5/15/170) and NB Tindale journal (AA 338/1/15), p.233. (The finished canoe is SAM Registry number A27479).
07:52 Dudley Dennis demonstrating two Weliwan string games from Brewarrina that he as been taught. Pilliga, New South Wales. See: NB Tindale photograph (AA 338/5/15/2-3) and NB Tindale journal (AA 338/1/15), p.139.
08:06 Boomerang throwing by four men of the Jotijota people. Cumeroogunga, New South Wales. 1938. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.89.
08:40 Dan Cortwine [N1547] of the Bunganditj people, holds a sign 'Last Bunandaitj man Dan Courtwine.' Lake Tyers, Victoria. 1939.
09:02 Hector Bull [N1532] of the 'Kiernai' [Kurnai] people. Lake Tyers, Victoria.
09:15 Noel Hood [N1538] and his son, Jack Hood [N1539] of the Kurnai people. Lake Tyers, Victoria.
09:25 Jack Hood [N1539] of the Kurnai people. Lake Tyers, Victoria.
09:33 Kitty [N2345] of the Mirning people and DM Tindale dancing to a gramophone record. Watched on by Rupert [N2344] and Jelan [N2343] of the Mirning people. Nullabor Station, Western Australia. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15), pp.1014-1017. See also: NB Tindale's film notes (AA 346/9/27/6). Reel 29c.
10:00 Mrs Susie Glennie (Jaranda) one of the last of the Pangkala people. Port Augusta, South Australia. See: NB Tindale photographs (AA 338/5/15/146-147) and NB Tindale journal (AA 338/1/15), p.408.
10:15 Milerum (Clarence Long) [N1829] of the Tanganekald people, walking through sand dunes. Brighton Beach, South Australia. December 1937. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/33/2), pp. 223-228, 236. See the complete final film production of 'Basket-making, Coorong, South Australia.' 1937. (AA 338/25/2).
10:35 'Shells as implements among the Jarildekald, Lake Alexandrina, South Australia.'
10:40 'Mussell (Unio shells) as knife and scraper.'
10:44 Mark Wilson [N1830] of the people Tanganekald people, in a possum skin cloak using a shell as a scraper. South Australia. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/33/2), pp.102-103.
10:53 'Verconis shell as a scraper and chopper.'
10:58 Close up of Mark Wilson [N1830] of the Tanganekald people, using a shell as a scraper. Slow motion footage. South Australia. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/33/2), pp.102-103.
11:18 Recording Jarildekald texts with Albert Karloan [N1823] of the Jarildekald people. Murray River, South Australia. Possibly during March 1940. See: NB Journal (AA338/1/33/3), pp.31-107, and Speech and Sound Recordings (AA 338/11/14/1-4).
11:55. End of footage.