IDNO

T.68145.MFL

Description

A village meeting at Galiwin’ku (also known as Elcho Island) is one of the Crocodile Islands located off the coast of north east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. Many of these photographs were taken around the site of the Methodist Church at Galiwin’ku. The former mission site is now Galiwin’ku town. At the time these photographs were taken the area around the church was used as meeting place and for activities such as dances and film screenings. David Burrumarra (author of The Whale and the Cross), was working with an anthropologist in the area at the time. The minister was Reverend Harold Shepperdson who appears in some of the photographs. [Knowledge shared by Joe Neparrnga Gumbula, Arnhem Land, with notes taken by Rachael Murphy and JD 10/7/2012]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Northern Territory; Arnhem Land; Galiwin’ku; Milingimbi [Elcho Island]

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

None

Collector / Expedition

Date

8 July 1967

Collection Name

Macfarlane Collection

Source

Macfarlane, Alan

Format

Transparency

Primary Documentation

Other Information

T.67481 to T.68999 and T.74937 to T.74998 were found in the box now numbered C494/.
T.68137 to T.68156 were found in the plastic slide sheet now numbered C494/36/.

Place: Galiwin’ku (also known as Elcho Island) is one of the Crocodile Islands located off the coast of north east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. Many of these photographs were taken around the site of the Methodist Church at Galiwin'ku. The former mission site is now Galiwin'ku town. At the time these photographs were taken the area around the church was used as meeting place and for activities such as dances and film screenings. David Burrumarra (author of The Whale and the Cross), was working with an anthropologist in the area at the time. The minister was Reverend Harold Shepperdson who appears in some of the photographs. [Knowledge shared by Joe Neparrnga Gumbula, Arnhem Land, with notes taken by Rachael Murphy and JD 10/7/2012]

Context: The man standing and leaning on a tree is Djurrpum Guyula. The man in the background on the left wearing an open white shirt is Burrminy Dhamarrandji. The man in a grey shirt sitting under the palm tree that Djurrpum Guyula is leaning on is Balnu Gondarra (his head is in full profile).
The men are meeting outside the Methodist church in Galiwin’ku. This area was frequently used by members of the community to hold meetings. This mission was an outpost of the Methodist mission at Milingimbi. (please note that the spelling of Milingimbi on the slide is incorrect, the correct spelling is the one above).
The Methodist church is visible in the background. As well as being a meeting place the church was also used for dances and for outdoor film screenings. The projector was housed in the hatch window seen at the front of the church and films were projected onto an outdoor screen. The screen can be seen in slides T.68153 and T.68144.
[Knowledge shared by Joe Neparrnga Gumbula, Arnhem Land, with notes taken by Rachael Murphy and JD 10/7/2012]