This item consists of 13 wax cylinders recorded by Norman B Tindale (with the assistance of Thomas D Campbell) during the University of Adelaide's Board for Anthropological Research expedition to Cockatoo Creek in 1931. In his field journal Tindale wrote: 'using wax cylinders I attempted to make recordings of the songs sung at the various ceremonies which were part of our contact with the study of the aborigines. As far as possible a duplicate recording was made of each song. In subsequent studies of the records only the first, labelled as trial, was used, it being intended that the final recording would be preserved against a day when a more permanent form could be made' (AA 338/1/7, p. 122). It is likely that these 13 wax cylinders survive from an original total of 16 cylinders. In his field journal Tindale noted that cylinder 16A was of poor quality and that owing to faulty cylinders recording activity ceased (p. 135).

As there are gaps in the surviving collection of wax records and in the associated documentation, this item description provides two lists below. The first lists each surviving wax cylinder. The cylinders' contents are provided with song numbers, and these correspond to items found in the second list, which indicates all of the songs recorded during the expedition. Crosschecking reveals which songs survive in audio form and which exist only in written form. Note that Tindale did not indicate the contents of wax record 13A and that there is an additional song on cylinder 16A that was not transcribed by Tindale.

Note that most of the songs are transcribed but are not translated into English.

According to Tindale's Cockatoo Creek field journal (AA 338/1/7, pp. 122-135), the wax cylinders listed below contain the following song recordings:

AA 338/11/3/

• Record 1. Contains songs 1 & 2
  [No audio nor transcription. AS1&2]
  
  
• Record 2. Contains songs 3 & 4
  [Track 1. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R1; Cyl.2; AS3&4]
  
  
• Record 3. Contains song 5 & 6 [Only Song 5 is mentioned in the audio]
  [Track 2. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R2; Cyl.3; AS5&6]
  
  
• Record 4. Contains songs 6 & 7
  [Track 3. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R3; Cyl.4; AS6&7]
  
  
• Record 5. Contains songs 7 & 8
  [Track 4. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R4; Cyl.5; AS7&8]
  
  
• Record 6. Contains song 9
  [Track 5. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R5; Cyl.6; AS9]
  
  
• Record 7. Contains song 10 (cylinder broken)
  [Track 6. Not digitised due to damage]
  
  
• Record 8. Contains song 11
  [Track 7&8. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R6&7; Cyl.8&9; AS11]
  
  
• Record 9. Contains songs 12 & 13
  [No audio nor transcription. AS12&13]
  
  
• Record 11. Contains songs 14 & 15 [Only song 15 is mentioned in the audio]
  [Track 9. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R8; Cyl.11; AS14&15]
  
  
• Record 12A. Contains song 16
  [Track 10. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R9; Cyl.12A; AS16]
  
  
• Record 13A
  [Track 11. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R10; Cyl.13A]
  
  
• Record 15A. Contains song 17
  [Track 12. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R11; Cyl.15A; AS17]
  
  
• Record 16A. Contains song 18 & one unlisted song
  [Track 13. Tape No. 9572; TT10; R12; Cyl.16A; AS18]
  
  

The following songs are listed by Tindale in his Cockatoo Creek field journal:

• Snake (wanna) song of Tatiwana
  [Song 1; AS1. No audio nor transcription]
  
  
• Ilpindja or sex lure song from Tanamai
  [Song 2; AS2. No audio nor transcription]
  
  
• Tjangalbu or Opossum song of Jardijardu
  [Song 3; AS3]
  
  
• Tjangalbu or Opossum song of Jardijardu
  [Song 4; AS4]
  
  
• Ilpindja or sex lure song of Jardijardu
  [Song 5; AS5]
  
  
• Third part of Tjandalbu or Opossum song of Jardijardu
  [Song 6; AS6]
  
  
• Fourth part of Tjandalbu or Opossum song of Jardijardu
  [Song 7; AS7]
  
  
• Fifth song of Tjandalbu or Opossum series of Jardijardu (Inanta or Bean Tree song)
  [Song 8; AS8]
  
  
• Sixth song of Tjangalbu or Opossum series of Jardijardu
  [Song 9; AS9]
  
  
• Agarra (Kangaroo) totemic song
  [Song 10; AS10]
  
  
• Waningala (place) song of Aknatalya (Cockatoo Creek)
  [Song 11; AS11]
  
  
• Agarra (Kangaroo) song of Waningala (place)
  [Song 12; AS12. No audio nor transcription]
  
  
• Agarra (Kangaroo) song of Waningala (place)
  [Song 13; AS13. No audio nor transcription]
  
  
• Ilpindja or sex lure song of the Malu totem
  [Song 14; AS14 ?Audio. No transcription]
  
  
• Song from Wadi (a place a long way south of Cockatoo Creek)
  [Song 15; AS15]
  
  
• Song from Tjardiwandu country
  [Song 16; AS 16]
  
  
• Playabout corroboree song
  [Song 17; AS17]
  
  
• Massed song
  [Song 18; AS18]
  
  

For further documentation see: 'Expedition G. Expedition to Cockatoo Creek, Central Australia. August 6-27, 1931. Journal and field notes by Norman B. Tindale.1931' (AA 338/1/7, pp. 122-135), the S. A. Museum Speech and Sound Collections register entries AS 1-18, and the Macdonald Downs and Cockatoo Creek song notebook (AA 339/12/1/1).

In the S. A. Museum Speech and Sound Collections register Tindale assigns these songs to the Ilpirra (Walpiri) tribe. In general, however, the actual language or cultural ownership of a particular song is not necessarily indicated in the catalogue descriptions provided in this series. In many cases, such comment awaits further work upon the collection.

Tindale Tribes: Walpiri.