This journal is handwritten in blue and black ink with some pencil. Tindale wrote on the right-hand page, leaving the left page for annotations and drawings. A contents page precedes the journal entries. Pages 92 to 140 are blank. Page 91 has a note in pencil 'Index see further'. After the blank pages Tindale recommences numbering, commencing with page 91 and ending on page 107. The actual page numbers are pp 141-157. These pages are the the alphabetical index. Pages 158 to 165 are blank. Tindale resumes noting from pages 166 to 171. Inside the back cover is a pasted envelope containing loose items. The expedition dates are 11 August to 1 September 1956.
The expedition was financed by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research in New York and the University of Adelaide.
This journal includes the following:
- newspaper articles: 'Natives to be X-Rayed' in the 'The Advertiser', 2 August 1956 and 'Expedition to study Native ash-blondes' in the 'The Advertiser', 18 April 1956 pasted onto the page opposite page 1
- meets Mr D Whitehall, new Baptist missionary at Yuendumu, page 1
- newspaper article: 'Research in Central Australia' in the 'The Advertiser', 6 August 1956 pasted onto page 2
- Tindale works on Mount Liebig genealogies and place names, page 5
- meets Olive Pink, page 5
- Pintubi men, including Wendarutjukurupa (H70 measured in 1932). Talked about place and names and mapped country, page 7
- Wenanba boundaries, page 9
- collects insects and moths
- Aranda, Pintubi and Ngalia vocabulary, page 10
- Tindale takes blood samples, page 11
- learns native plant names as part of Cleland's survey, page 11
- shows movies to the Aboriginal people, page 11
- Tindale makes mention that he was in Mbitjara, Hermannsburg in 1929, so he was recognised as an old friend, page 11
- Aranda, Kukatja and Pintubi plant names. Data obtained by Alwin, pages 12, 14 and 16
- Y15 talks about tribal boundaries, page 13
- honey ants, page 17
- Nosepeg's Pintubi group are collecting dog scalps, page 17
- Inperata (plant specimen) is stuck on page 20 with tape. Collected from Ulambara Spring, Haast Bluff
- place names, page 21
- Aranda, Kukatja, Pintubi and Ngalia Ulambara plant names, pages 22, 24 and 36
- cossid (witchetty) grubs, page 23
- Warungola is selected to greet the Queen in Brisbane, pages 25 and 31
- boundaries and country, page 27
- Aranda, Kukatja, Pintubi and Ngalia Haast Bluff Station plant names, page 28
- ration day, page 29
- Pintubi adopts Kukatja 8 class system which is also used by the Pitjandjara, page 29
- compass directions, page 33
- boys' drawings show European influence. Some drew traditionally but a boy with stock camp experience draws 3 dimensionally, page 33
- spear throwers and the use of mulga wood, page 35
- collects genealogical data, page 37
- When Pintubi and Ngalia men go north they talk and identify themselves as Walpiri but are not, page 37
- red ochre and boundaries, page 37
- Abbie and Chippendale arrive, page 41
- works with Alwin to record a formal Aranda vocabulary which is in Hermannsburg style. Works with Dukie to record Nglaia voabulary, page 41
- Mickey Wheeler brings a block of red ochre, page 43
- Jumu tribe that live between the Ilpili and Paura speak Nga:tatara, page 43
- stone implement making
- Tindale shows Nosepeg Carl Strehlow's (AA 315) book, page 63
- yellow ringneck green parrot, page 63
- Kukatja vocabulary, page 65
- sacred objects
- totems
- song, pages 65-67
- Nosepeg receives 19/- for scalps, Mission receives 10% commission of ٟ. Nosepeg is able to collect ٣-6 for several weeks work
- Ilda or Karo people, page 73
- Aranda, Kukatja, Pintubi and Ngalia plant names, pages 74 and 76
- use of grass tree gum as an adhesive when making spearthrowers, page 77
- pearl shell ornaments, page 77
- newspaper articles: 'Clue from Natives may aid doctors' and 'Palm Valley despoiled' in the 'The Age', 24 September 1956, pages 84 and 85
- Rieschieck sends the Museum 6 specimens: 3 hand axes and 3 tooth engravers dated 31 October 1956, page 87
- notes on photographs taken, pages 166-169
- expenses, page 171
- 3 loose copies, 1 typescript and 2 carbon copies, of the 'Nominal Roll of Haast Bluff Aborigines' dated 23 June 1956, 20 pages each
- 7 loose black and white Michael Terry photographs captioned 'Pintubi Aborigines met by Michael Terry at Yingurrdu Soak W of his camp 60 SW of the Ehrenberg Range, CA. 1932'
- 2 loose typescript carbon copies titled 'Arrangements for Haast's Bluff Trip' and 'Equipment required for Centralia Expedition', 2 pages
- 1 loose 'Permit to enter and be upon an Aboriginal Reserve' for Tindale and Kempster effective from 13 August to 15 September 1956, 1 page
- 1 loose annotated newspaper article stapled to a letter from Olive Pink to Tindale dated 13 August 1956, 3 pages and 1 article
- 2 loose TAA (Trans Australia Airlines) passenger tickets for Tindale to Alice Springs and return
- 13 loose handwritten notes, 13 pages
Recorded South Australian Museum objects include: A49800-11, A49833, A49835, A49837, A49848, A49851, A49858-67, A49876-78 and A49880.
People recorded other than expedition members includes: Mr D Whitehall (new Baptist missionary), Miss Olive Pink, Mr Turk, Old Epaphras, Longkada (Pintubi man), Monginj (Pintubli man), Banjo (Ngalia man), Mr and Mrs Lou Borgelt (missionaries), Warungola (son of Ngalpilala, Mount Liebig), Old Tjurdi II (Y39), Penga (Pintubi man), Mirawara (Y37), Roy (Y34), Pindimatja (Y35), Alwin (Aranda man), Dukie Ngajoatjukurupa (Y20), Mickey Wheeler (Y2, Ngalia man), Ngiritjukurupa (H8, Ngalia man), Tjandu (Frank, Y6, Pintubi man), Pela Tjukurupa (Larry, Pintubi man), Mr Ted Reischieck (acting missioner, guide), Nosepeg (Wenanba man of the Pintubi), Wendarutjukurupa (H70) and Mr Bowden (Manager, Haast Bluff Station).
The expedition party included Professor Andrew Arthur Abbie (leader, anatomy, University of Adelaide, cinematographer, joined the party on 22 August, AA 688), Sir John Burton Cleland (blood sample, botany and bird study, see AA 60), Dr Norman Barnett Tindale (ethnologist, sound and colour film recording), Dr A Dudley Packer (anthropologist, anatomy, acting leader until Abbie's arrival), Mr George Chippendale (botany, arrives at the same time as Abbie), Mr John R Casely-Smith (blood samples), Mr Geoffrey S Heithersay (dental), Peter Kempster (technician), Miss Gwen D Walsh (photographer), Prue Kriewalt (cook) and Jeff (driver).
Tindale Tribes: Pintubi; Aranda; Ngalia; Kukatja (NT); Pitjandjara; Jumu; Ngadadjara; Walpiri.