This is the first of eleven film items documenting the Board for Anthropological Research (BAR) expedition to Macumba, South Australia and Alice Springs, Northern Territory, during 30 December 1926 - 19 January 1927.
The expedition party made base camps at 'Ross Waterhole, on Macumba Station, and about 40 miles north-east of Oodnadatta; [and] Stuart Town, [Alice Springs] Central Australia.' Campbell, TD and Hackett, CJ. 'Adelaide University Field Anthropology: Central Australia.' No. 1. Introduction, descriptive and anthropometric observations.' Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 51 (1927), 65-75.
The cinematographer was FA Jeffery (AA 155). In 1979 the South Australian Museum Archive (SAMA) deposited its nitrate film collection with the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) for cold storage. The history of the SAMA nitrate film deposit at NFSA in 1979 has been documented in the Series Report (AA 346/9). The original nitrate film is managed as 'NFSA Title No. 33558.'
This film item also contains footage from the BAR expedition to Ooldea SA, 1926. This footage was inadvertently spliced with films from Macumba. See: (AA 346/9/27/1)
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 in some circumstances.
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 'C.' All individuals recorded during the expedition were assigned an individual subject number, for example [C2]. 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: SP Betacam, Digital Betacam, Access DVDs.
Summary (Time Coded): Taken from Access DVD 3 (AA 346/9/2/1/5)
00:00 Start of Macumba, SA, & Alice Springs, NT., 1926-1927, Copy of 'NFSA Title No. 33558'
00:00 'Cultural Sensitivity Warning.'
00:00 'The Museum Board of South Australia © 1926-1927.'
01:30 'University of Adelaide. University Field Expedition to Central Australia. Dec. 1926 – Jan. 1927. Records of Australian Aborigines. Film published under the direction of The Board for Anthropological Research.'
01:52 'Photography by FA Jeffery. MRPS London. Member American Society of Motion Picture Engineers.'
02:10 'These records illustrate native life and customs of the Arunta tribe, whose original habitat in Central Australia covered a large area from Charlotte Waters to many miles north of Alice Springs.'
02:44 'Central Australia is mostly arid country consisting of immense "gibber" plains, tableland and sandhills.'
03:02 'Tablelands'
03:10 Macumba Jack [C2] of the Kaitish [see Kaititja] people demonstrates how to throw a spear with a spear thrower.
03:22 A hand writes in a notebook '[Hamilton?] Bore Temperature 117oF.'
03:37 'The nomadic habit of the natives in this country requires the frequent building of wurleys and shelters.'
03:59 Close up of an Australian Aboriginal man holding a spear and spear thrower.
04:11 Restricted Content Starts.
07:14 Restricted Content Ends.
07:14 BAR expedition members sit on and stand next to a stationary expedition vehicle. From left to right: TD Campbell (AA 52), CJ Hackett (AA 122), EW Holden (AA 135), JB Cleland (AA 60) sitting in vehicle and EH Davies (AA 70).
07:37 CJ Hackett takes a photograph of the expedition party standing against the vehicle.
07:49 The expedition vehicle drives across a vast plane.
08:02 '"Gibbers" are small, rounded, polished pebbles, derived from the hard capping "tablelands," which through countless years has been slowly disintegrated. The small fragments, polished by wind and sand, are strewn in wonderful mosaics over the plains.'
08:30 TD Campbell with a handful of "gibbers."
08:39 'Stretching in a SE direction are many rivers which flow only after heavy rains. Adjacent to the rivers are miles of sandhill country.'
08:58 Panorama of landscape.
09:40 Sunset.
10:01 Start of film relating to BAR expedition to Ooldea, South Australia. 1926. See (AA 346/9/1/5) Time Code In 16:00 - Time Code Out 17:18.
10:01 Children at Ooldea siding, South Australia. 1926.
10:05 Women at Ooldea siding, South Australia. 1926.
10:36 A series of portraits of Australian Aboriginal men and woman in profile and in portrait. Ooldea siding, South Australia. 1926.
11:13 End of film relating to BAR expedition to Ooldea, South Australia. 1926.
11:13 'Building a Shelter.'
11:16 Two Australian Aboriginal men and three boys remove leafy branches from trees for the construction of a shelter.
11:50 The leafy branches are dragged to a clearing where the men and boys construct a shelter.
13:57 End of footage.
Tribal / language groups recorded during this expedition as recorded in the Data Cards (AA 346/4/8)
Tindale Tribes: Aranda; Kaititja; Arabana; Kukatja (NT); Walpiri; Wongkanguru.
AIATSIS Tribal / Language Groups: Arrernte; Kaytej; Luritja; Arabana; Warlpiri.