IDNO

P.85740.ACH2

Description

On Catalogue Card for duplicate print P.236.ACH1: “Natives netting ducks, Lower Murray river (Eucalyptus).”

Four Aboriginal men trapping ducks on the Lower Murray river.
A large net is hung between two trees on opposite banks of the river, with the tension kept by two holding long ropes. A third man holds a rope attached one bottom corner of the net. The man "on the one bank can let go of the net simultaneously with the man on the other side, and the bottom part of his net will pull the top part of the net on the other side and roll it up. The ducks are herded towards the net; then a hunter in hiding throws a piece of bark between the birds and at the same time makes a strange whistling sound which sounds like the duckhawk. The ducks believe that their archenemy is nearby so they fly low only to get caught in the net which is suddenly let go and then pulled together. With this method 50-100 ducks can be rolled up in the net at the same time." [Blanddowski 1862, pl.55 and 56]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Victoria; Lower 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.85724. to P.85811. were tied together in a bundle.

Bibliographical Reference: Blandowski, William von, 1862. Australien in 142 Photographischen (Unpublished), with the caption “Aborigines of Australia, Plate 154. William v. Blandowski, Australia. Natives netting ducks, Lower Murray River. Eucalyptus bicolour”. The image is signed “G.M.60”. [JD 23/8/2007]

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]

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:
“55. and 56. This is how duck catching takes place: A very large net is tied to two trees on opposite bank of the rivers; the tension is maintained with the help of long ropes. The aborigine on the one bank can let go of the net simultaneously with the man on the other side, and the bottom part of his net will pull the top part of the net on the other side and roll it up. The ducks are herded towards the net; then a hunter in hiding throws a piece of bark between the birds and at the same time makes a strange whistling sound which sounds like the duckhawk- The ducks believe that their archenemy is nearby so they fly low only to get caught in the net which is suddenly let go and then pulled together. With this method 50-100 ducks can be rolled up in the net at the same time- Drawing by W. v.Blandowski.” [WV 27/3/2009]

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 1/4/2009]