Journal: A third letter from Australia. Adelaide, South Australia to the Warburton Ranges WA 1935 via Ooldea 1934 / Board for Anthropological Research Expeditions J & K

Archive Collections / Cecil John Hackett / Journal: A third letter from Australia. Adelaide, South Australia to the Warburton Ranges WA 1935 via Ooldea 1934 / Board for Anthropological Research Expeditions J & K

Date Range: 02 October, 1934 - 31 August, 1935

Collection: Cecil John Hackett

Quantity: 9cm, 3 Bound volumes

Arranged: Broadly chronological.

Series Identifier: AA 122/04/01

CONTAINS RESTRICTED MATERIAL

Three volumes of photographs sparsely tied together with a few annotations of expeditions from Adelaide, South Australia to the Warburton Ranges, Kalgoorlie and Laverton (WA) between July - August 1935 and Ooldea between September - November 1934.

The author records in his introduction that 'the first photographs were taken at Ooldea Soak in 1934'. Therefore the photographs on pages 3 - 31 are prefixed with the number "34" indicating taken in the year 1934 and relate to the Board for Anthropological Expedition to Ooldea 2 October - 16 November 1934.

The photograph[s] as annotated and described by the author is also recorded. The photographs bear an author's reference number (eg 34.2.15; 35.2.13) - which equates to the year taken, followed by the proof film number, followed by the proof sheet proof number (see AA122/4/4). NOTE: no proof sheets yet sighted for the Ooldea expedition but see strip negatives (AA122/4/4). Where no annotation is given, description is provided by the listee.

Some of the photographs (and associated annotations, if any) have been restricted.

The photographs have been scanned and held on separate drive.

For the purpose of digitisation the inventory is arranged by page number and the number of photographs per page.

AA122/4/1 Volume 1: Pages 1 - 109

AA122/4/2 Volume 2: Pages 1 - 95

AA122/4/3 Volume 3: Pages 1 - 104

The first volume is prefaced "A third letter from Australia. Adelaide South Australia to the Warburton Ranges WA via Ooldea SA, Kalgoorlie and Laverton WA. July and August 1935, Vol 1. London 1937". Hackettt provides a further "Warning! This is not really a letter, but rather a collection of photographs arranged more or less in order in which they were taken. They will be left to tell most of the story, if there is any to be told. As this was to be the last -- for a long time at any rate -- I should do among the Australian Aboriginies, I was perhaps more liberal with exposures than usual.
Although the natives are similar to those met in the Musgrave Ranges in 1933, the country appeared to be different, firstly no hooves have yet wrecked and secondly it shared with the rest of Western Australia, many flowering bushes and trees, among which is the giant mallee. Compared with flowers of the ordinary mallee, those of this species are lies! Would you believe it if you saw a mouse the size of an Airedale!
The first pictures were taken at Ooldea Soak in 1934.
I know that there are too many photographs for you to look through, so only pause at those that please you. I have not gone to the trouble of reducing their numbers to an absolute minimum, -- for they all convey some memory to me, and this letter is mainly for myself in a few years time."