IDNO

P.85642.ACH2

Description

On Catalogue Card for duplicate print P.227.ACH1: “Seed of Sanicum: preparing for food on ...”

Camp scene depicting the harvesting of Panicum and Portulacea seeds - grass seeds known as Nardu and important vegetable staples, along the Darling River and in the areas north west of it towards the Cooper and Victoria rivers. The scene consists of two Aboriginal women sitting in a bark wind break grinding the seed of the panicum by using a mullen and millstone. Around the two women are a fire, bowls, and food, with a panicum growing in the foreground. A third woman is standing behind the wind break winnowing the seeds in a large tray. To the left two men are sitting behind a second wooden wind break with different kinds of fishing spears and a “very dangerous throwing weapon which can be thrown from a short distance through the enemy’s chest”. In the background are another two men carrying shields and spears, and on the right is a dog. [See Blandowski 1862, fig. 33]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Victoria; Darling River; Murray River

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Muetzel, Gustav [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.85635. to P.85723. were tied together in a bundle.

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]

Bibliographical Reference: Blandowski, William von, 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen (Unpublished), with the caption “Aborigines of Australia, Plate 181. William v. Blandowski, Australia. Seed of Panicum: preparing for food on”. The image is signed “G.M.60”. [JD 23/8/2007]

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:
“33. Along the Darling River and in the areas north west of it towards the Cooper and Victoria rivers, grow two types of small plants - Panicum and Portulacea - with lots of black seeds similar to our poppy plants. The women collect these seeds in kangaroo skins for the winter - the only known case of Aborigines preparing for the coming months. - In the foreground a woman is grinding these seeds to a pulp, behind her another woman is cleaning the seeds. These seeds have become known as "Nardu", the food Burke and Wills were eating in their last days but which failed to save them from dying of starvation. On the left there are different kinds of fishing spears and a very dangerous throwing weapon which can be thrown from a short distance through the enemy's chest. Drawn by G. Mützel.” [WV 27/3/2009]

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]

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 27/3/2009]