IDNO

P.85626.ACH2

Description

On Catalogue Card for duplicate print P.299.ACH1: “Native tomb of the Wombangoe natives. Mt. Murchison on the Darling river.”

An burial tomb of Mt. Murchison Aboriginals constructed from vegetation over a log structure laid horizontally. The crying widows visit it daily. When they depart they put another green twig onto the pile and while they continue to do this they are untouchable to all men. Two men are squatting beside a fire to the left of the tomb, and in the foreground are four skulls by the tomb, and a large pile of firewood, possibly a burial pyre. [JD 23/8/2007] [WV 7/4/2009]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Victoria; Lower Darling River; Mt. Murchison; Wilcannia

Cultural Affliation

Naualko [historically Nawalko; Ngunnhalgu; Unelgo; Bungyarlee; Wampandi; Wampangee; Wompungee; Wombungee; Wombangoe?]

Named Person

Photographer

von Blandowski, Wilhelm [Artist]

Collector / Expedition

von Blandowski, William [Blandowski Expedition to the Lower Murray River, 1857]

Date

1860; 1862

Collection Name

Haddon Collection

Source

?Haddon, Alfred Cort (Dr)

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.84200. to P.84255. and P.85603. to P.85634. were tied together in a bundle.

Bibliographical Reference: Blandowski, William von, 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen (Unpublished), with the caption “Aborigines of Australia, Plate 140. William v. Blandowski, Australia. Native Tomb of the Wombanjee Natives. Mt. Murchison on the Darling river”. The image is signed “G.M.60”. [JD 23/8/2007]

Place: “Originally named Mt Murchison by the explorer Major Thomas Mitchell who passed through in 1835, Wilcannia was proclaimed in June 1866 and incorporated as a municipality in 1881. The township reached its height in the 1880s due to the booming sheep industry, when it boasted 13 hotels, a population of 3000, and a local newspaper - the Wilcannia Times. Wilcannia is the home of the Barkindji people (also known as Paakantji) who have been living in the area for over 40,000 years. Wilcannia in the local language”. [Source: Wisdom Archive on Darling River, www.experiencefestival.com/darling_river, JD 28/8/2007]

Bibliographical Reference: For discussion of authorship see: Allen, H. 2006. Authorship and ownership in Blandowski's Australien in 142 Photographischen Abbildungen. Australasian Historical Archaeology 24:31-37. [Jane Lydon, Monash University, 8/7/2009]

CUMAA Exhibition: P.84112.ACH2 to P.85713.ACH2 were on display in the SSL as part of the Brook Andrew ‘The Island’ Exhibition, 24th June - 27th September 2008. [JD 25/6/2008]

Publication: Blandowski, W. 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen Ahbildungen. Gustav Neumann, Gleiwicz. Edited by Harry Alien. Translated from the German by Lillian Barton. Translation Copyright: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, 2007. with the caption:
“133. At the lower Darling River (142° eastern longitude and 32° southern latitude) a vertical pile of wood is put up over the deceased and decorated with green twigs. The crying widows of the deceased visit it daily. When they depart they put another green twig onto the pile and while they continue to do this they are untouchable to all men. Drawing by W.v. Blandowski.” [WV 6/4/2009]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 23/8/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Aboriginal Visual Histories Project, Monash University. [Wonu Veys 7/4/2009]