In August 1951, Norman Barnett Tindale joined the Board for Anthropological Research (BAR) expedition party to Yuendumu, Central Australia. The journey commenced on 13 August by airplane en route to Alice Springs, and by a vehicle from Alice Springs to Yuendumu. While on the flight, Tindale took a number of aerial photographs including images of Southern and Northern Lake Eyre, Oodnadatta and of sand ridges North of Finke. Remaining images were taken at Yuendumu camp. There are two volumes of photographic material in this item which are supplementary to Tindale's 'Journal made on Expedition to Yuendumu, Central Australia 13 August - 1st September 1951.' (see AA 338/4/30).

Vol. 1 of item AA 338/5/18 contains the abovementioned aerial photographs and a few images of stone tools made at Yuendumu camp. Vol. 2 contains images concerning ceremonial activities that are restricted to men only.

The party members worked extensively on anthropometric, sociological and population data; songs and stories were recorded; observations were made on food habits, stone tools production and rock art; vocabulary and notes on kinship system were recorded. See also related collections: Board for Anthropological Research (see AA 346); Thomas Draper Campbell (see AA 52); Andrew Arthur Abbie (see AA 688); Dr Hugh Le Messurier (see AA 785); John Burton Cleland (see AA 60); Henry Kenneth Fry (see AA 105); Miss Gwen D Walsh; Charles Pearcy Mountford (see AA 228). There are copies of a motion picture AA 346/9/15 (authors: Tindale, Campbell and Dobbie) concerning this expedition available in the South Australian Museum Archives.

Please note Tindale's abbreviations: SA. (South Australia); Aug (August); Tr. (Tribe); CA, C.A., C Aust (Central Australia); Journ. (Journal).


The detailed list of the Yuendumu expedition photographs is as follows:

Vol. 1, photographs 1 - 54

1. 'Coal dumps Leigh Creek SA.'
   One b/w 35 mm film negative, and two b/w photographic prints, annotated by Tindale.
   
   
2. 16. No captions.
   A group of aerial photographs depicting a semi arid landscape interwoven with occasional waterways. Black and white photographic prints, multiple copies. These images are also available in b/w 35 mm film negatives.
   
   

17. 'Mound Springs Lake Eyre Basin'.
    Two b/w photographic prints, only one annotated by Tindale.
    
    
18. 20. No captions.
    Aerial photographs of Lake Eyre. Six b/w photographic prints, annotated by Tindale.
    
    

21. 'Lake Eyre Aug 1951 N B Tindale'.
    Two b/w photographic prints, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
22. No caption.
    An aerial photograph of Lake Eyre. Two b/w photographic prints, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
23. 'Lake Eyre with water N. B. T. Aug 1951'.
    Two b/w photographic prints, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
24. 'Lake Eyre with water. Aug 1951 N B Tindale'.
    Two b/w photographic prints annotated by Tindale.
    
    
25. 'Lake Eyre 1951 N B Tindale'.
    Two b/w photographic prints, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
26. 'Oodnadatta'.
    One b/w 35 mm film negative, and two b/w photographic prints, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
27. 'Nobi Pintubi Tr. Knapping discoidal implements Yuendumu mine C.A. 24 Aug. 1951 N B Tindale photo'.
    One b/w photographic print, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
28. 'Minjena Ngalia tribe knapping implements Yuendumu implement mine 24 Aug. 1951 N B Tindale photo'.
    One b/w photographic print, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
29. 'Group of Ngalia men knapping implements of Yuendumu mine CA. 24 Aug. 1951 N B Tindale photo'.
    One b/w photographic print, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
30. 'Minjena Ngalia Tr at stone knapping site Yuendumu CA N B Tindale photo 24 Aug. 1951'.
    One b/w photographic print, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
31. 'Ngalia tribe Minjena with completed knife Yuendumu Implement mine 24 Aug. 1951 N B Tindale photo'.
    One b/w photographic print, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
32. 'YUENDUMU NGALIA TRIBE Yuendumu, C.A. Ngalia Tribe Minjena pressing the sharpened adzes stone in the cutting position N B Tindale 22 Aug 1951 Journ. P.55'.
    One coloured slide, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
33. - 36. 'Anapheis java eggs on Capparis mitchelli 30 Aug 1951 New Well NB Tindale'.
    Four b/w 35 mm film negatives and two b/w photographic prints, annotated by Tindale.
    
    

37. 'Varanus gouldii [Sand Monitor] C Aust N B Tindale photo'.
    One b/w photographic print, annotated by Tindale.
    
    
38. 43. 'Ogvri larva a pupae 30 August [19]51 Rembrandt Rock Burt Plain'.
    Six b/w 35 mm film negatives and six b/w photographic prints, annotated by Tindale. An alternative annotation: 'Anapheis java larva on Capparis mitchelli 30 Aug [19]51 N. B. T.'.
    
    

44. 54. 'Photos 1951 Waterfall Gully N B Tindale, Murray Barrett, Le Messurier'..
    Eleven b/w 35 mm film negatives. Annotations by Tindale.
    
    

55. 62. THESE ITEMS ARE RESTRICTED.
    (Photographs relating to men's ceremonies)