This film was taken during the Board for Anthropological Research (BAR) expedition to Koonibba, South Australia during 13-25 August 1928. The expedition party included numerous BAR members.
This film was previously though not to have survived but in May 2006 this item was located during the digitisation of an unpublished film from the MacDonald Downs Expedition, titled 'A.624 81ft.' (AA 346/9/4/7)
This item contains two segments of footage relating to the Koonibba expedition, and between them is a sequence from the BAR expedition to MacDonald Downs NT, 1930, of a woman winnowing grass seeds. This MacDonald Down's footage has been cut out of the Koonibba Preservation and Access DVDs, consequently the time codes jump from 30:58 - 31:48. The 16mm film relating to the Koonibba expedition was processed, and remains within the MacDonald Downs expedition film inventory (AA 346/9/4).
'A.624 81ft.' (AA 346/9/4/7) is a 16mm positive duplicate made in 1937 of the original 35mm nitrate film. 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 original 35mm nitrate film taken at Koonibba did not survive, and is not held by NFSA. The history of the SAMA nitrate film deposit at NFSA in 1979 has been documented in the Series Report (AA 346/9).
Much about the Koonibba expedition film remain uncertain. Cinematography is mentioned in 'Study of Aborigines: A Successful Trip.' The Advertiser 28.8.28. (See list of References at the end of the inventory), but not in the report 'Board for Anthropological Research Expedition to West Coast of South Australia.' (AA 346/3)
NB Tindale in his unpublished manuscript 'Natives of Central Aust[ralia] and the Great Western Desert: A Descriptive Account of the 16mm films of the Board for Anthropological Research' (AA 346/9/27/2) p.2, states that 'active filming' of the BAR expeditions did not begin until MacDonald Downs, 1930, which is the first expedition represented in BAR film catalogue.
The quantity of film taken at Koonibba, and the cinematographer are both unknown. There is no available evidence to suggests it was taken by TD Campbell, and NB Tindale does not list it as part of this duties. The expedition party included numerous BAR members. See the 'BAR Guide' through the Archives Access Officer for a list of personnel and their roles.
Currently this film is the entirety of footage to be identified with the BAR expedition to Koonibba in 1928.
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 'D.' All individuals recorded during the expedition were assigned an individual subject number, for example [D2]. 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 346/9/28/3)
00:00 'Koonibba, S. A. 1928.'
00:00 'Cultural Sensitivity Warning'
00:00 'The Museum Board of South Australia © 1928.'
30:15 Start of 'A.624 81ft'
30:18 The camera pans Koonibba Oval. In the far background amongst the vegetation can be seen Koonibba Church and other mission buildings. A group of people are standing and walking around in the mid background. They are shooting rifles, smoky plumage is seen occasionally and a lizard runs into the foreground.
30:33 The camera pans the Koonibba scrub.
30:43 A man with a stick traces the direction of a Mallee tree root on the ground. An Australian Aboriginal man digs and pulls out a Mallee tree root.
30:58 End of Mallee tree root sequence on 'A.624 81ft.'
31:48 Continuation of Koonibba, 1928 Sequence on 'A.624 81ft.'
31:48 Bilili [D1] of the Wirrangu people, demonstrating how to hold a spear in a spear-thrower. He prepares to throw his spear in profile and then aims towards the camera.
32:04 Bilili [D1] with a the spear and spear-thrower and an older man, Mingaritja (also 'Mingaritcha') [D2] of the Wirrangu people who holds a boomerang.
32:13 Bilili straightens a spear on a raised platform of earth using ash from a nearby fire to assist the process.
32:27 End of MacDonald Downs C. A. 1930. 'A.624 81ft'.
Tribal / language groups recorded during this expedition as recorded in the Data Cards (AA 346/4/9)
Tindale Tribes: Kokata; Mirning; Wirangu.
AIATSIS Tribal / Language Groups: Kokatha; Mirning; Wirangu.