This is the seventh 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. 33110.'
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 [C41]. 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 346/9/2/7/6)
00:00 Start of Macumba, SA, & Alice Springs, NT, 1926-1927, Copy of 'NFSA Title No. 33110'
00:00 'Cultural Sensitivity Warning.'
00:00 'The Museum Board of South Australia © 1926-1927.'
01:30 'Manufacture of string from human hair.'
01:38 'Making the bobbin'
01:42 Jack [C41] of the Arunta [see Aranda] people makes a bobbin using straightened sticks.
01:54 'Large quantities of human hair string is used for belts, headbands, making ceremonial objects, etc. The women supply most of the raw material. '
02:16 Further preparations of the spindle.
02:23 'The raw material. This is first subjected to a teasing process.'
02:33 Jack [C41] of the Arunta [see Aranda] people holds a handful of hair then proceeds to tease it out.
02:48 'Forming the first strand, which is then attached to the bobbin.'
02:58 The first strand is made by rolling the teased hair on the leg.
03:17 'Spinning the bobbin.'
03:20 Spinning the bobbin.
03:29 'The bobbin is dissembled and the bundle released. The two ends of the string are then secured and respun into
two-ply.'
03:50 The string is then respun into two-ply.
04:54 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.