opening the doorway to ancient knowledge: aboriginal and torres strait islander cultural knowledge...
TRANSCRIPT
Opening the doorway to ancient
knowledge: Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander cultural knowledge and
the AIATSIS archive
Lyndall Ley Osborne
AIATSIS acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia and their
continuing connection to land, culture and
community. We pay our respects to elders past
and present.
Today I in particular acknowledge the traditional
owners of the country on which we meet and
recognise their continual custodianship of the
land – past present and future.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples should be
aware that this presentation may
contain images or names of
deceased persons in
photographs or printed material.
‘As an intergenerational
keeping place for
Indigenous Australians
the AIATSIS collection is
significant across all four
categories – historic,
artistic/aesthetic,
research/scientific, and
social/spiritual – and
remains the most
extensive and best
contextualised collection
of Indigenous Australia in
the world. It is a site of
pilgrimage.’
Veronica Bullock – Significance
International August 2014
This unique diptych is a symbolic public rendition of the Warlpiri Fire Ceremony
(initiation) and is of great artistic and aesthetic merit, but it is also of the highest
historic significance: these two canvases were the first large paintings intended to
be sold on the art market and herald the entry of the Warlpiri into the modern world
of art. The works, known formally as “Toyota Dreamings”, were painted in 1984.
approx. 675,000 images
40,000 hours of sound
more than 5,000 video titles
850 film titles or 6.25 million feet of film
3,000 artworks or material culture objects
more than 176,000 published items
around 13,700 manuscripts and record series
First known published image of a corroboree (near Newcastle) from
Corrobborree : or dance of the natives of New South Wales, New Holland [picture] Preston, W. (Walter)
A group photo taken during the filming of 'The Spear in the Stone', Ngilipitji, Arnhem Land, N.T., 1981.
Photographer Rhys Jones. AIATSIS Ref. JONES.R19.CS-000148411
Luise Hercus recording Mick McLean at a camp site near Lake Eyre, SA, 1966. Photographer: Isobel White. AIATSIS Ref. WHITE.I09.CS-000117538
Songline from Forget about Flinders: a Yanyuwa atlas of the South West Gulf of Carpentaria
Yanuwa people, John Bradley and Nona Cameron.
Men of the Fourth Contingent, Queensland Imperial Bushmen, who returned from the Boer War August 1901
One of the few known Aboriginal soldiers, name unknown
Francis Birtles in foreground and two Aboriginal men alongside Birtles’ Oldsmobile, c1910.
AIATSIS Ref. BIRTLES.F24.BW-F00005263
“In many instances this is the only location of an endangered language recording, an ancestor’s photograph, or stories on how life was. It is a storehouse of unique and incalculable value to the Indigenous communities which are described and to which the knowledge belongs. It requires the most respectful, ethical and careful handling, and preservation forever.”
40% video titles 37% film titles (32% film reels) 34% photo collections (22% of images) 55% audio collections (75% sound hours) 82% priority manuscripts (38% of pages) 1.4% of manuscripts 10% rare serials <0.1% of serials 12% rare books <1 % books 0% microforms <6% kits 14% of rare pamphlets, maps, posters
Using the
archiveOur collection mostly
holds items that
are permitted to be
shared by communities to
help educate and build
awareness about
Australia's Indigenous
cultures. However, it also
includes restricted
knowledge and sacred
items that are not
available to be viewed
except by the appropriate
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people.
Photo caption: Mulluk Mulluk boy with pelican captured
on the river. Daly River region, NT, c1935.
AIATSIS Ref. STANNER.W10.BW-N01008_05
Left: Mervyn Japanangka Rubuntja looking through AILC
material at the AIATSIS Library. (photo: Andrew
Babington/AIATSIS)
Below: Gloria Napurrurla Pannka looking through AILC
material at the AIATSIS Library
(photo: Andrew Babington/AIATSIS)
To use the
collection you
can…
search the collection online
see digitised collection items and online exhibitions
ask us a question about items in the collection
request copies of items to be sent to you
request collection items be returned to community, or
visit the Reading Room to view original collection items and conduct further research.
Recording session undertaken by Alice Moyle of the 'Blue Tongue Corroboree', Oenpelli, NT,
1960s AIATSIS Ref. MOYLE.A01.DF-D00003039. Photographer, Alice Moyle.
Categories of access and use
Access
• Onsite research and study (reading, viewing or listening only)
• Copying for research and study (onsite or remotely)
Use
• Any form of public dissemination, including print publication,
broadcast, telecast, web publication (including social media),
conference presentations, performing a work, quotation, etc.
• Making an adaptation of an item, e.g. translating, arranging or
transcribing, creative reuse
Access and use of sensitive material
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES
STRAIT ISLANDER STUDIES ACT 1989 - SECTION 41
1. Where information or other matter has been deposited with the
Institute under conditions of restricted access, the Institute or the
Council shall not disclose that information or other matter except
in accordance with those conditions.
2. The Institute or the Council shall not disclose information or other
matter held by it (including information or other matter covered by
subsection (1)) if that disclosure would be inconsistent with the
views or sensitivities of relevant Aboriginal persons or Torres
Strait Islanders.
photographs, audio or moving image, lists of additional resources
Online exhibitions showcase topics and issues using contextualised collection materials:
Active social media presence draws attention to and shares
resources, publications, seminars, research and events
Rights
management
Crowd sourcing
community
metadata
Born digital
preservationFailing analog
formats
Reuse &
repurpose
Repository
management
Overwhelming
digital
opportunity
Community
archives
Providing
access
Visiting the collectionhttp://aiatsis.gov.au/collections/using-collection/visiting-collection
Using the collection
http://aiatsis.gov.au/collections/using-collection
http://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/collections-and-library/access-and-use-policy-aiatsis-collection.pdf
http://aiatsis.gov.au/collections/using-collection/search-collection
Searching the collection