These film items were taken during the Board for Anthropological Research (BAR) expedition to Hermannsburg, Central Australia [Northern Territory] during 4-23 August 1929. The expedition party included numerous BAR members.
The BAR expedition travelled 'north on the inaugural railway train of the then new service to Alice Springs,' and visited localities in South Australia: Quorn, Farina, Marree, Coward Springs, Oodnadatta; and localities in the Northern Territory: Heavitree Gap, Alice Springs, Jay Creek, Hermannsburg and Glen Helen. See: NB Tindale 'Diary of Researches 1922-1930.' (AA 338/1/2), pp.298-306, Tindale in Twindale, p.241.
The filming was concentrated around Hermannsburg and Glen Helen, Northern Territory.
The cinematographer was NB Tindale (AA 338) who gives good account of the sequences of filming in his journal (AA 338/1/2). The film taken during this expedition does not appear to have been produced into a 'final film production' like later expedition films. NB Tindale in his unpublished manuscript 'Natives of Central Aust[ralia] and the Great Western Desert: A Descriptive Account of the 16mm films of the Board for Anthropological Research' (AA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 BAR report of this expedition does not discuss cinematography as an activity (AA 346/3).
The films were screened during the end of 1929, at the University of Adelaide. The administrative body of the South Australian Museum (The Board of Governors of the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery of South Australia) registered the copyright of a cinematic production entitled 'Natives of Central Australia; Arunta and Luritya [Kukatja (NT)] Tribes' on 11th of November 1929.
The BAR Hermannsburg film items are managed under three titles:
Hermannsburg, CA [Northern Territory], 1929. SAMA 'Reel R' 16mm copy of 35mm nitrate 'NFSA Title No. 33493.' (AA 346/9/3/1-7).
Hermannsburg, CA [Northern Territory], 1929. Copy of 'NFSA Title No. 33113.' (AA 346/9/3/8-13).
Hermannsburg, CA [Northern Territory], 1929. Copy of 'NFSA Title No. 34105' (AA 346/9/3/14-17).
These three film titles represent the entirety of known footage from the BAR expedition to Hermannsburg, 1929, held across SAMA and NFSA. Total duration of all three titles: 12 minutes 55 seconds.
The original film shot during the Hermannsburg expedition was 35mm nitrate. With the knowledge of the instability of nitrate film, all early expedition films were copied to 16mm safety film in 1937. 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). In some cases, the 16mm duplicates made in 1937 suffered less deterioration than the original nitrates. See 'Notes' for item 1 of this inventory.
The time coded summary is in minutes and seconds. Following the summary of this film is a list of references and further notes.
This summary is of the first of three film titles relating to the BAR expedition to Hermannsburg, Northern Territory, 1929. This title relates to items (AA 346/9/3/1-7). Duration 3 minutes 37 seconds.
Formats Held: 16mm, SP Betacam, Digital Betacam, Access DVDs.
Summary (Time Coded): Taken from Access DVD 3 (AA 346/9/3/6)
00:00 Start of SAMA 'Reel R' 16mm copy of 35mm nitrate [NFSA Title No. 33493]
00:00 'Cultural Sensitivity Warning.'
00:00 'The Museum Board of South Australia © 1929.'
01:30 Restricted Content Starts.
05:07 Restricted Content Ends.
05:07 End of SAMA 'Reel R' 16mm copy of 35mm nitrate [NFSA Title No. 33493]
Tribal / language groups recorded during this expedition as recorded in the Data Cards (AA 346/4/10)
Tindale Tribes: Aranda; Kukatja (NT); Walpiri.
AIATSIS Tribal / Language Groups: Arrernte; Luritja; Warlpiri.