This is the first of twelve film titles documenting the Board for Anthropological Research (BAR) Harvard-Adelaide Universities expedition, during 13 May 1938 - 30 June 1939.
This expedition travelled through South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. For a listing of the locations visited by the expedition party see: JB Birdsell's 'Australian Daily Field Journal 1938-1939' (AA 689/1/1) and NB Tindale's Journal 'Harvard and Adelaide Universities Anthropological Expedition, Australia, 1938-1939' (AA 338/1/15/1-2).
'Pygmoid Natives of the Atherton Plateau, Queensland' 1938 is a final film production documenting the BAR expedition's visit to Queensland during August to December 1938.
The cinematographer was NB Tindale (AA 338) with possible involvement from both DM Tindale and BG Birdsell who stating that they were 'looking forward to interesting experiments with a small movie camera,' 'Women Look Forward to Year's Camping Trip.' Advertiser 5 May 1938, clipping in NB Tindal Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.xi.
The Harvard Adelaide films were made for the South Australian Museum's (SAM) Children's Museum, however due to the onset of the Second World War and the prohibitive costs of bringing film to a final production stage, these films except the present item, remained unfinished. During 1974 NB Tindale wrote a report on the unfinished BAR films. See: (AA 346/9/27/8).
The South Australian Museum Archive Master Preservation Tape (AA 346/9/13/1/5) consists of Reels 1-2 (AA 346/9/13/1/1-2), duration 22 minutes 49 seconds, with intertitles. This expedition film was previously held in the NB Tindale collection and was transferred into the BAR collection in December 2005.
Additional footage not included in the final film production was found spliced to the end of Mann Range, 1933, Reel 3, See: Access copy (AA 346/9/13/1/11-12), Time Codes 11:26-11:53, duration 34 seconds.
This film has been titled, additional titles not included in the final film production are found in (AA 346/9/13/8) Time Codes 05:39-06:05.
In this summary all intertitles are italicised and within quotation marks. All spelling within intertitles have been left as originally spelt. Language and terms which reflect the author's attitude or that of the period in which the item was produced may be considered inappropriate today.
The method adopted by BAR expeditions to undertake research and record the results involved assigning a unique number to each individual (here called 'individual subject number'). This number was given the expedition symbol as a prefix, and remained consistent throughout the research. This expedition was assigned the symbol 'N'. All individuals recorded during the expedition were assigned an individual subject number, for example [N419]. Where possible the 'individual subject number' of those who appear in film have been noted.
The time coded summary is in minutes and seconds. Following the summary of this film is a list of references
Formats Held: 16mm, SP Betacam, Digital Betacam, Access DVDs
Summary (Time Coded): Taken from Access DVD 3 (AA 346/9/13/1/9)
00:00 Harvard-Adelaide Expedition Film: 'Pygmoid Natives of The Atherton Pleateau, Queensland.'1938.
00:00 'Cultural Sensitivity Warning.'
00:00 'The Museum Board of South Australia © 1938.'
01:30 'Pygmoid Natives of The Atherton Plateau, Queensland. I' Film title overlaid on a photograph of a group of Australian Aboriginal people from Millaa Millaa, Queensland, c.1890. Photographed by Alfred Atkinson.
01:36 'Photography and Arrangement by Norman B Tindale Ethnologist SA Museum.'
01:41 'Hinchinbrook Island - southern limit of Queensland's largest rain jungle.'
01:46 An Australian Aboriginal man wades through a river carrying an tomahawk and other items above his head. He then returns to the far bank of the river. Palm Island, Queensland. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), pp.611-613, and related footage (AA 346/9/13/1/11) Time Codes 11:26-11:53.
02:00 Hinchinbrook Island channel viewed from the mountains that overlook Cardwell, Queensland.
02:11 Sign for 'Russell River.'
02:15 The Russell River with Mt Bartle Frere in the background, Queensland.
02:23 Sign for 'Barron Falls' with the falls in the background.
02:29 Barron Falls near Cairns, Queensland.
02:40 'Atherton Tableland - formally home of many pygmoid tribes.'
02:45 Rain forest near Mona Mona, Queensland.
02:53 ' Many pygmoid natives now congregate about Mona Mona'
02:55 Map of Queensland showing the Cairns Hinterland, a hand points out Mona Mona, Queensland.
03:02 People gather at the communal tap, Mona Mona Mission, Queensland.
03:13 Children playing. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland.
03:46 A group of women carry large planks of timber. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland.
03:58 'Anthropologist JB Birdsell talks to a Bararam man.'
04:02 'NB Birdsell speaks to Starlight Street [N444] of the Tjapukai people. Mona Mona Queensland. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.325.
04:20 Cecil Brim [N479] of the Tjapukai and Buluwai peoples walks towards the camera. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland. See NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.329.
04:33 Toby Brim [N428] of the Tjapukai people. See: NB Tindale film summary (AA 346/9/27/6) p.3.
04:39 BG Birdsell speaking with and Maggie Davis [N435]. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland.
05:03 Cyril Hobson [N433] of the Tjapukai people. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland. See NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.325.
05:19 Gwen (Gwene) Molloy [N581] of the Buluwai and Muluritji peoples. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland. See: Photographs (AA 338/5/15/46-47) and NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.369.
05:35 Young daughter of 'Ollie Carroll.' See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.353, and NB Tindale photograph (AA 338/5/15/36-37, 44)
05:45 An Australian Aboriginal woman holding her young child. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland.
05:51 A group of children. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland.
06:06 An Australian Aboriginal man poses for the camera, laughing.
06:25 JB Birdsell speaks with a Nora Mont [N464] of the Tjapukai people. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland. See: Photographs (AA 338/5/15/24) and NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), pp. 326-327.
06:38 Mary Ann Lawrence [N475] of the Tjapukai people. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland. See: Photographs (AA 338/5/15/28) and NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.328.
07:01 Night shot of Bob Rose [N488] of the idindji people speaking his traditional language. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.339, and NB Tindale's film summary (AA 346/9/27/6) p.4, Reel 10.
07:30 'Newly-born pygmoid infant with pink skin'
07:35 A nurse and an Australian Aboriginal woman with her newborn baby. Close up of several newborn babies. Yarrabah, Queensland.
08:36 'Giant figtrees mark age-old camping places of aborigines.'
08:41 DM Tindale and BG Birdsell examine figtrees.
09:16 DM Tindale, BG Birdsell and JB Birdsell crossing log bridges in the rainforest, Lake Barrine, Queensland.
09:40 'Volcanic crater lakes in the jungle.'
09:44 Wild ducks fly over a large lake in the rainforest. Lake Barrie, Queensland. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.417.
10:00 Great expanses of rainforest vegetation on the edge of Lake Barrie, Queensland.
11:00 'Cassowaries and tree kangaroos live in the jungle.'
11:05 A cassowarie chick. Oombundgie, Queensland.
11:22 'A dozen small tribes roam these jungles.'
11:26 An Australian Aboriginal man on the far bank of a river, standing on a raft. The man poles the raft across the river towards the camera, smoking a pipe. The man picks up a tomahawk and other items from the raft. Palm Island, Queensland. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), pp.611-613, and related footage (AA 346/9/13/1/11) Time Codes 11:26-11:53.
11:54 Photographic still of a group of Australian Aboriginal people from Millaa Millaa, Queensland. Photograph by Alfred Atkinson c.1890. See: NB Tindale photograph (AA 338/5/15/87).
12:02 'Tree-climbing, a daily necessity for jungle dwellers.'
12:06 Tall trees at the edge of the forest. Lake Barrie, Queensland.
12:19 An idindji man prepares a cane loop by tying knotted hand grips. Lake Barrie, Queensland.
12:26 An idindji man demonstrates how to climb a tree using a cane loop. Lake Barrie, Queensland. See: Photos (AA 338/5/15/57) and NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.419-421.
13:17 'Pygmoid Natives of the Atherton Plateau, Queensland, II' Film title overlaid on a photograph of 'Idindji tribes people near Babinda, Cairns District, 1893.' Taken by Alfred Atkinson. See: NB Tindale photograph (AA 338/5/15/85).
13:23 A Tjapukai man demonstrating spear holding method. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.543.
13:36 Close up of spear holding method.
13:42 'Tjapukai man making wax-hafted quartz knives.'
13:47 George Kuranda [N429] of the Tjapukai people demonstrating pressure flaking. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), pp.340-341.
14:47 Placing bees-wax on the stone flake.
15:01 Two women carry firewood through grassland. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland.
15:18 'Staple diet of bush yams pounded and milled.'
15:23 Mrs Carroll of the Tjapukai people grinding yams for food. In the background are various baskets used by the local people. A rolling motion is used on the grindstone to prepare the yams, which are first hammered, pounded and then rolled. The stone mills are in the SAM collection. Mona Mona Mission, Queensland. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), pp.351-353, 359.
16:03 'Nets, spears and poisons are used in fishing.'
16:00 Women and children walk with fishing nets.
16:17 Restricted Content Starts.
17:27 Restricted Content Ends.
17:27 'Basket-making methods follow those of extinct Tasmanians.'
17:31 Mrs Carroll of the Tjapukai people weaving baskets. The grass is split and flattened, then the initial arrangement and first movements of the weaving process are demonstrated. Mona Mona, Queensland, 1938. See: Photographs (AA 338/5/15/42-44) and NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.353.
18:52 An Australian Aboriginal man uses his teeth to strip the cane into lengths. The final stages of lashing the handle onto the basket. Mrs Carroll places the basket on her head to show the manner of carrying. A young child sits by her side.
19:51 'Flat tree-buttresses yield large Idindji fighting shields.'
19:55 An idindji man uses a tomahawk to outline the shape of the shield in a fig tree. Oombundgie, Queensland. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.471.
20:08 Fred Mandraby [N611] of the idindji people making a shield. Yarrabah, Queensland. NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.462. The shield is SAM Registry No. A27377.
20:46 Shield being smoked over a fire. Yarrabah, Queensland. NB Tindale Photographs (AA 338/5/15/62).
20:58 Scraping the shield smooth with a rasp stone. Yarrabah, Queensland. See: NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), p.461.
21:19 Using coals to burn through the handle of the shield. Yarrabah, Queensland.
21:33 Preparation of turtle designs for the shield. Yarrabah, Queensland.
21:40 Fred Mandraby [N611] and Charles Hyde [N704] of the idindji people decorating shields. Yarrabah, Queensland. See NB Tindale Journal (AA 338/1/15/1-2), pp.461, 541, NB Tindale photograph (AA 338/5/15/67). Additional footage is found in Harvard Adelaide: Film Offcuts (AA 346/9/13/12/6), Time Codes 01:57-02:04.
21:53 'Placing turtle and fish designs on these shields.'
21:58 Fred Mandraby [N611] of the idindji people painting turtle and fish designs on a shield.
22:32 Charles Hyde [N704] of the idindji people painting himself.
22:44 Fred Mandraby [N611] and Charles Hyde [N704] of the idindji people with their painted shields and a broadsword. Oombundgie, Queensland.
22:49 'A wooden broadsword is the principle fighting weapon'
23:54 Fred Mandraby [N611] and Charles Hyde [N704] of the idindji people with their painted shields, close up of the designs.
23:16 Restricted Content Starts.
24:17 Restricted Content Ends.
24:17 Sill photograph 'Idindji tribes people near Babinda, Cairns District, 1893.' Taken by Arthur Atkinson. No Intertitle.
24:19 End of footage
Tindale Tribes: Tjapukai; Idindji; Muluritji.