This film item documents the Board for Anthropological Research (BAR) University of California Los Angeles and the University of Adelaide (UCLA) expedition, during 18 October 1952 - 10 September 1954.
This expedition travelled through South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. For a listing of the locations visited by the expedition party see: JB Birdsell's 'Australian Daily Field Journal 1953-1954' (AA 689/1/2) and NB Tindale's Journal 'Anthropological Field Notes on the University of California at Los Angeles - University of Adelaide Anthropological Expedition, North West Australia. Volume 1-2' (AA 338/1/19/1-2).
'Pilgangoora Rare Earth Mining & Mandora Playabout Dance' is a unfinished film documenting the BAR expedition to Pilgangoora and Mandora, Western Australia. See: NB Tindale's 'Notes on partly processed 16mm films,' July 1974. (AA 346/9/27/6).
The film was shot by NB Tindale (AA 338) and was previously held in the NB Tindale collection as UCLA item [1B] until was transferred into the BAR collection (AA 346) 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 'R.' All individuals recorded during the expedition were assigned an individual subject number, for example [R472]. Where possible the 'individual subject number' of those who appear in film have been noted.
Note that the time coded summary is in minutes and seconds. Following the summary of this film is a list of references and further notes.
Formats Held: 16mm, B&W, Silent, SP Betacam, Digital Betacam, Access DVDs.
Summary (Time Coded): Taken from Access DVD 3 (AA 346/9/16/2/6)
00:00 'UCLA: 'Pilgangoora Rare Earth Mining & Mandora Playabout Dance.' 1953.
00:00 'Cultural Sensitivity Warning.'
00:00 'The Museum Board of South Australia © 1953.'
01:30 Australian Aboriginal men, women and children engaged in various stages of processing and separating the metal columbite from dirt. 'In the afternoon took a cine film of 100ft in Kodachrome to show the columbite alluvial diggings at Pilgangoora Bore camp being worked by the 70 odd natives we have measured here. The digging out, spreading to dry winnowing, and the yandying processes were filmed.' NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/19/1), p.367.
01:57 Maildu [R472] of the Mandjildjara people winnows metals from the dirt. In the foreground are several young girls of the 'Jigalong group (Kartupjara) [See: Kardudjara] who are playing.' NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/19/1), p.367. Tindale notes that those in the mining operations are predominantly Njangamarda people. See: 'Notes on partly processed 16mm films examined by NB Tindale July 1974.' (AA 346/9/27/6).
02:46 An Australian Aboriginal man using a pick axe to loosen the ground of a dry river bed.
02:56 An Australian Aboriginal man places into a dish, dirt that has been dried in the sun. He then pours the contents of the dish from a height to separate the lighter waste material. 'They dig the old creek bed deposits 3-4 feet deep and take the six inches of so of alluvial above bed rock, dry it on swept places on the bank, then winnow it to remove dust, yandy it in wooden, or more often metal dishes, shaped like their old wooden dishes.' See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/19/1), p.245.
03:21 An Australian Aboriginal man who was previously digging in the dry river bed, carries a wooden dish of dirt to Maildu [R472] of the Mandjildjara people who winnows the dirt to separate out the collumbite.
03:40 Columbite is poured from one tin can into another. A handful is shown to the camera.
03:55 Distant view of the workers taking a break and of the area around the mining operation.
04:16 Several Australian Aboriginal women sitting beside a shelter winnowing columbite. NB Tindale in his journal records that at Kuli Kuli he took film of 'the processing of columbite. In the first section large pieces were being shifted to the right and small pieces to a heap at the left of the woman yandier. In the second process dust and the lighter extraneous rubbish was being removed.' See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/19/1) UCLA Journal Vol 1. p.493.
05:13 In the final stage of processing columbite, a woman uses a large magnet to separate out the iron ore. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/19/1) UCLA Journal Vol 1. p.493.
05:50 Restricted Content Starts.
09:46 Restricted Content Ends.
09:46 End of footage.
In the BAR data cards 'Tindale Tribes' and groups recorded at the locations of:
Pilgangoora (Western Australia), R418 - R724, on the dates of 6 May to 23 June 1953.
Badjar, Bailgar, Bailgu, Indibandi, Jauar, Karadjari, Kardadjeri, Kardjeri, Kardudjara, Kariara, Mandjiljara, Mangala, Nagamada, Nanjamada, Ngalibarda, Ngalibardu, Ngarla, Ngerla, Niabali, Njamal, Njamarda, Padjima, Potidjara, Swan River Tribe, Talandji, Wanman.
Mandora (Western Australia), R781 - R809, on the dates of 12 to 15 July 1953.
Julbaritja, Mangala, Nangamada, Wanman.