The University of Adelaide Library Information Service 
HISTORY OF THE

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA

Part 1, 1788-1900


Last update: June 2000, by Margaret Hosking


For any further help in finding  or using these resources please come in to see or contact your
Research Librarian for History, Margaret Hosking
 margaret.hosking@adelaide.edu.au  (Mon, Tues, Wed am)
or her assistant, Peter Jacobs
peter.jacobs@adelaide.edu.au (Wed pm, Thurs am, Fri am)
ph. 83033706  (shared)
WWW RESOURCES REFERENCE TOOLS
Dictionaries and encyclopedias
Biography
Atlases
Chronology
Bibliographies
Statistics
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN
PRIMARY SOURCES
Beyond the BSL
Barr Smith Library
Parliamentary papers
Newspapers

WWW

See also Aboriginal Studies: a guide to library resources on the Library Information Service.

Many www sites are not very useful for nineteenth century topics, but it is worth visiting the
Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Studies (AIATSIS)
and  searching their on-line cataloge, Mura.

 THE CATALOGUE

Try the following combination of words in Keywords from Subject:
   Aborigines [and] History
   Aborigines [and] Missions
   Aborigines [and] South [and] Australia

Keyword is good for names of tribes:

eg Kaurna

REFERENCE TOOLS

DICTIONARIES AND ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Ref 994.0049915  H823e (also available on CD ROM on machine 330 behind the Info desk)
The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia : Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, society and culture , ed. D. Horton,  2 vols. 1994.
This provides a very useful introduction to a wide variety of topics. There are see also  references  and suggestions for further reading from the  extensive bibliography at the end of vol. 2 where you will also find useful chronologies, lists of legislation, statistics, etc. in the appendices.

 Ref  994  A93425
Australians: a historical library. 1987.
 v.1. To 1788
 v.2.  Australians 1838
 v.3.  Australians 1888
 v.6  Historical  Atlas
 v.7. A guide to sources (Section IV Aborigines)
 v.10 Historical statistics.

Ref  305.89915  H482a
Helon, G. W.  Aboriginal Australia : register of tribe, clan, horde, linguistic  group, language names and AIATSIS language codes - including  synonyms, misnomers and approximate locations. 1998.

Ref  994  J95a
Jupp, J. The Australian people: an encyclopedia of the nation, its people and their origins.  1988.
For Aborigines.see pp. 7-22 and pp. 135-262

Ref  305.89915   T588a
Tindale, N. B. Aboriginal tribes of Australia.  1974

Ref 994.2  C99 1978
Cyclopedia of South Australia. 1907.       For aborigines see vol 1, pp.21-40, 398-99

Electronic Data Base
Frontier [computer file] : stories from white Australia's forgotten war.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation,  1997.

BIOGRAPHY

Ref  920  A937
Australian dictionary of biography.       v.1- and Index.to vols. 1-12.
 A few aborigines are included (check their names in the index)
 Also look in the Index  on p.256 for Protectors of Aborigines.

Ref  305.420994  R129t
Radi, H. 200 Australian women a redress anthology. 1988.
 For aborigines see entry in index (p.236)

ATLASES

Ref  912.9423/G852a  c.2   Oversize
Atlas of South Australia   ed.T.Griffin. 1986      see pp. 2-4.

CHRONOLOGY

Ref  305.89915  W914c
Woolmer, G. A chronology of Aboriginal South Australia. 1986.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Aboriginal Studies in general

There are basically two ways of assembling a list of references for a particular topic in Aboriginal history.

1) For articles in history and related journals look at:
Ref   994.0016  I38
Index to journal articles on Australian history
The first volume in this series covers material up to 1973, and subsequent volumes  cover the period up to 1988.
Each volume has a subject index entry for Aborigines.
continued by:
Ref   994.005  A93
 APAIS (Australian Public Affairs Information Service)  1945-
 APAIS is an index to journal articles on Australia which is extremely useful for  finding aboriginal material.  From it 1978- is available on  AUSTROM .

2) For references from the field of  aboriginal studies  look at:
Ref  305.89915  G816
Greenway, J.  Bibliography of the Australian Aborigines & the native peoples of Torres Strait to 1959.
(This is the classic bibliography for early material about aborigines. Note the  the subject index at the back).
or more recent references look at::
 Mura at the AIATSIS, which indexes books, journal articles and other types of materials

Ref  929.394  L933r
Resources for Aboriginal family history.  1986

Ref 305.89915  T368b.2
Bibliographies on the Australian Aborigine. 2nd ed.  1987.

South Australia

Ref  305.89915  C848r.5
Regional bibliography of the Aboriginals of South Australia. 5th ed. 1993

572.06 A62.2
Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia
Volume 28 (1990) contains a Bibliography of the Kaurna people by T. Gara.

Ref  994.0049915  B864n
Newspaper index : references to Aborigines in Adelaide newspapers, 1836-1940.

Victoria

Ref  994.0049915  S797a
The aboriginal people of Victoria: select bibliography of pre-1960 printed sources in the Collections of the State Library of Victoria.  1993

Ref  994.0049915  S797a  2
The aboriginal people of Victoria: select bibliography of post 1959  printed sources in the Collections of the State Library of Victoria.  1998

History

Ref 994.0049915  H236
Handbook for Aboriginal & Islander history.   1979

Ref  994.230016  C953.2
Crowley F.K. South Australian history: a survey for research  students. 1966.
For aborigines see ch.19.

Ref  994.230016  S72
List of books, pamphlets, parliamentary papers, newspapers, maps, etc. published before and during 1845 dealing with South Australia and chronologically arranged.
Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery of South Australia. 1917.

Ref  919.4  M161a
McLaren I.F. Australian explorers by land sea and air 1788-1988. 9 vols. 1988.
For Aborigines see Index in vol.9  pp.252-253.

Education

Ref  370.9942  M959e
Mullner, S.E. Education in South Australia 1875-1975: a bibliography.  1975.
For Aborigines see ch. V, section 7, p. 47-50

Law

Ref  305.89915   H431a
Aboriginal criminal justice : a bibliographical guide.  1986.   Section 1 lists historical materials.

RESERVE 342.0872  M131ab
Aborigines and the law : a digest.  1987
 Consists of 3 sections :
(a) a list of aboriginal-related legislation of the Commonwealth, States & Territories
(b)a bibliography of books, articles, Royal Commissions, parliamentary inquiries etc.
(c)a list of Supreme Court & higher court cases.

 Religion and Culture

Ref   299.92   S971a
Swain, T.  Aboriginal religions in Australia.: a bibliographical  survey  1991

Ref  709.94  M359t
Topical bibliography of Australian Aboriginal visual arts.  3rd ed.   1987

STATISTICS

Some statistics are included in :
Ref  994.0049915  H823e
The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia : Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, society and culture , ed. D. Horton,, 2 vols. 1994.

Another quick and easy source is vol.10 of Australians: a historical library.

FINDING SOUTH AUSTRALlAN PRIMARY SOURCES

BEYOND THE BARR SMITH LIBRARY

Division of State Aboriginal Affairs maintains an archive consisting of a wide range of data including  published &  unpublished records, reports, photographs & recordings.

South Australian Museum

University of South Australia Library (Underdale Campus)
Catalogue available via the "other catalogues" option on our catalogue

State Records
Ref  994.0049915 /G946.
Guide to records relating to Aborignal people. 5 vols.  1988-91.

State Library, especially their  guide, Aboriginal Australia,
and and the South Australiana source sheet on David Unaipon.
Also visit the Mortlock Library of South Australiana at the State Library, for which we have the following guides:
Ref  305.89915 M888ga
Guide to archival records held in the Mortlock Library of South Australiana relating to Aboriginal people. 1990
Ref  305.89915 M888g
Guide to publications held in the Mortlock Library of South Australiana relating to Aboriginal people .1990
(These lists are not comprehensive - pay the library a visit)

Lutheran Archives
Ref  994.0049915 C968g
Guide to Records of Indigenous Australians in the Lutheran Archives.   1999

BARR SMITH LIBRARY

The library's  Special Collections  has considerable resources including the papers of Daisy Bates.

In process for microfilm collection
Aborigines Protection Society (London).  Annual reports and other  publications.

Parliamentary Publications

Parliamentary debates (Hansard) record what was actually said in Parliament,
and as such are a rich source for historical research.
Parliamentary papers publish reports that are tabled in Parliament (proceedings).
These can be individual reports on an issue or the annual reports of state or commonwealth officials or departments There are indexes for each parliamentary session either at the beginning or the end of the volumes and there are also separately published indexes listed in the booklet which are shelved in the Reference Collection.

South Australian Parliamentary papers etc.

Please note.......Acts and statutes will only be found in the Law Liibrary.

South Australia. Parliament.  Debates. 1857 +
   328.94206  S72
– – another copy  1857 - 1901. MICROFILM 13540-13546

South Australia. Parliament.  Proceedings.  1847 +
   328.94206  S72p
– – another copy  1857 - 1901. MICROFILM 13499-13539

Indexes

SouthAustralia.Parliament.Index to Parliamentary Papers 1857 - 1975.
REF  328.94206  S72p

South Australia. Parliament.  Index to the Proceedings of the Legislative Council, 1857 - 1915.
REF  328.94206  S72p

South Australian Government Gazette.  1846 +
[1846-1900 kept in Special Collections on Level 4 South]

British Parliamentary Papers

During the colonial period much of the administrative and legal reporting and debating was carried on in the British Parliament, which makes these papers a very rich source of information and opinion.
The most comprehensive sources for subject access to the 19th century Parliamentary Papers are:

Ref  328.42 C666s
Cockton, P  Subject catalogue of the House of Commons Parliamentary papers 1801-1900.  1988.  5v.
This catalogue provides direct access via subject to the microfiche set of Parliamentary Papers at MICROFICHE PER 11
and
328.4206 G78ppI
Great Britain. Parliament.Parliamentary Papers   Irish University Press series.
This series arranges the papers by topics.
Try sections such as COLONIES , and, to lesser extent, ABORIGINES.
The volumes can be distinguished from the other editions of papers not only by their call number, but by their green binding.

Further details may be found in Parliamentary publications in the Barr Smith Library: a finding list.

Newspapers

We hold a large number of South Australian and interstate newspapers on microfilm.
Indexes are rare, but for this topic we are very fortunate to have:

Ref  994.0049915/B863n
 Newspaper index: references to Aborigines in Adelaide newspapers 1836-1940.    1989
 

Adelaide Chronicle and South Australian Literary Record.
Dec.1839 - May 1842                                                           MICROFILM 15468

Adelaide Examiner.   Nov.1841 - June 1845.                       MICROFILM 15467

Adelaide Express.  Nov.1863 - Dec.1866.                            MF PER 153

Adelaide Independent.   1980.                                              RB  05  A2192

Adelaide Independent and Cabinet of Amusement.
5 Aug. - 18 Nov. 1841.                                                         MICROFILM 18278

Adelaide Morning Chronicle.  1 Dec.1851 - 29 Mar.1853.
                                                                                             MICROFILM 19819

Adelaide Times.   Oct. 1848 - May 1858.                            MICROFILM 17738-17756

Advertiser (Adelaide).   1858 +                                            MF PER 1
 

Bunyip (Gawler, South Australia).  1863 - 1950.                   MF PER 124

 Chronicle (Adelaide).  July 1858 - Sep.1975  [imperfect].    RB  05  C557

Exchange (Mount Gambier, South Australia).
27 Sep.1912 - 8 Oct.1942.                                                   MF PER 125

Express (Adelaide, 1863 - 1923) see Adelaide Express

Express and Telegraph (Adelaide).  Jan.1867 - July 1923.  MF PER 154
[Merger of: Daily Telegraph (Adelaide) and Adelaide Express]

Northern Argus (Clare, South Australia).  1869 - 1950       MF PER 97

Observer (Adelaide).  1 July 1843 - 19 Feb.1931.               MF PER 76
[From 1843 to 1906 it was called Adelaide Observer]

Observer (Adelaide).  1843, 1844, 1846, 1848-1850,
1852 - June 1928.                                                                RB  05  O139

Observer (Adelaide): Index.  1880 - 1908.                          MF PER 76 Reel 121

Register (Adelaide).  1836 - 1930.                                      MF PER 2

South Australian (Adelaide).  2 June 183-19 Aug. 1851.   MICROFILM 15449 - 15461

South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register (Adelaide).
18 June 1836 - 29 Dec. 1838.  [Facsimile reproduction]       RB  994.23  S7264

South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register (Adelaide).
5 July 1845 - 2 Oct.1847.                                                    MICROFILM 15462 - 15466

.
South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register (Adelaide).
5 July 1845 - 27 Dec.1845.                                                 RB  079.942  S726

South Australian Gazette and Mining Journal (Adelaide).
July 1845 - Mar.1852                                                          MICROFILM 15462-15466
[Called: South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register from 5 July 1845 to 2 Oct.1847]

Southern Argus (Strathalbyn, South Australia).
1866 - 1950.                                                                       MF PER 98

Telegraph (Adelaide).  15 Aug.1862 - 1 July 1865.             MF PER 151
[Changed title to: Daily Telegraph (Adelaide)]