'Australian Daily Field Journal 1938-1939'

Harvard and Adelaide Universities expedition, 1938-1939

THIS ITEM CONTAINS RESTRICTED MATERIAL
This item is a bound journal containing three Daily Fielaltmand 'Books' used as a diary record of activities and data collected on the Harvard and Adelaide Universities expedition, May 1938 - May 1939. These three books contain anthropometric measurements and observations, hand drawn maps, birth-weights, some genealogies, archaeological site information, photographic indexes, bibliographical references, geological information, notes on soil samples, data on blood group types and morphological data on crania. Some of this material is restricted.

Book One (pp. 1-156) contains journal entries 20 April 1938 - 18 February 1939 from New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland. Notes and observations were made at La Perouse, Adelaide, Swan Reach, Murray Bridge, Cohuna, Cumeroogunga, Sydney, Pillaga [Pilliga], Walgett, Brewarrina, Tibooburra, Dennings Station, Quantambone Station, Narran Lake, Cato Creek, Tolawanta Station, Weilmoringle, Boggabilla, Talawanta, Warwick, 'Talgai skull site', Dalrymple Creek, King Creek, Woodenbong, Richmond River, Brisbane, Mona Mona, Lake Barrine, Yarrabah, Budaludeloo, Oombundgie, Palm Island, Woorabinda, Cherbourg, Nambucca Heads, Kempsey, Wallaga Lake, Lake Tyers, Mount Gambier, Portland, Cape Blow Out, Mount Shank, Point McLeay. For information regarding 'interlude between Lake Tyers and Point McLeay, see special Tasmanian Journal' which is Book Three of this journal.

Book Two (pp. 1-105) contains journals entries 2 March - 26 June 1939 from South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales. Notes and observations were made at Point Pearce, Port Augusta, Iron Knob, Eucla, Nullarbor Station, Ooldea, Balladonia Station, Afghan Rocks, York, Esperence, Bunbury, Mount Barker, Gnowangerup, Borden, Albany, Katanning, Narrogin, Moore River, Southern Cross, Kalgoorlie, Laverton, Warburton, Scaddan, Norseman, Koonibba, Menindee.

Book Three (pp. 1-26) is titled 'Tasmanian Journal' and contains journal entries 19 January - 3 February 1939. Notes and observations were made at Cape Barren Island, Launceston, Thunder and Lightening Bay, Flinders Island, Hobart, Melbourne. (See reference to this journal in Birdsell AA 689/1/3 and AA 689/1/4).

Only the first citation of a place name has been noted, it should be noted however that occasionally Birdsell returned to a place previously visited when still within the vicinity.

There are two genealogies, located on p.15A and p.19. There are twenty seven maps, located on p.3A, p.6, p.15A, p.71A, p.141, p.157, p.158A, p.158, p.159A, p.7A, p.13, p.43, p.53, p.71, p.81, p.107A, p.108A, p.112A, p.113A, p.114A, p.128A, p.130A, p.131A, p.132A, p.107, p.108.

The Board for Anthropological Research Expedition included Norman and Dorothy Tindale (See AA 338) and Joseph and Bee Birdsell.

Bridsell recorded data on the right hand page leaving the left hand page blank for annotations, additions and illustrations. Each 'Book' of this journal has been numbered by Birdsell on the right hand page, and subsequent pages whether blank or not have been counted in the same manner. Each of these three 'Books' are followed by numerous pages which are not numbered and either contain notes or are blank. There are 287 pages of 'Daily Field' entries, 131 pages of notes and 36 blank pages.

There is a complete handwritten transcript, AA 689/1/1/1 to AA 689/1/1/2, of the 'Australian Daily Field Journal 1938-1939'. Item AA 689/1/1/1 also contains a typewritten incomplete transcript 45 pages in length containing diary entries 20 April - 17 November 1938 relating to the locations of Sydney, New South Wales to Woorabinda, Queensland.

CreatorDr Joseph Benjamin Birdsell
ControlAA 689/1/1
Date Range01 April, 1938  -  01 July, 1939
Quantity 4.5cm,   1   Dark red hard bound notebook, 457pp., 20.7x26.2 cm
FormatsMaps, Sketches, Numeric Data, Diaries, Notebooks, Tables of data
Series AA689/01