The Aboriginal story of Burke and Wills : forgotten narratives

The Aboriginal Story of Burke and Wills is the first major study of Aboriginal associations with the Burke and Wills expedition of 1860–61. A main theme of the book is the contrast between the skills, perceptions and knowledge of the Indigenous people and those of the new arrivals, and the extent to which this affected the outcome of the expedition. The book offers a reinterpretation of the literature surrounding Burke and Wills, using official correspondence, expedition journals and diaries, visual art, and archaeological and linguistic research – and then complements this with references to Aboriginal oral histories and social memory. It highlights the interaction of expedition members with Aboriginal people and their subsequent contribution to Aboriginal studies. The book also considers contemporary and multi-disciplinary critiques that the expedition members were, on the whole, deficient in bush craft, especially in light of the expedition's failure to use Aboriginal guides in any systematic way. Generously illustrated with historical photographs and line drawings, The Aboriginal Story of Burke and Wills is an important resource for Indigenous people, Burke and Wills history enthusiasts and the wider community. This book is the outcome of an Australian Research Council project. Cultural sensitivity Readers are warned that there may be words, descriptions and terms used or referenced in this book that are culturally sensitive, and which might not normally be used in certain public or community contexts. While this information may not reflect current understanding, it is provided by the author in a historical context. The First Major Study Of Aboriginal Cross-cultural Exchanges With The Burke And Wills Expedition Of 1860-61. Introduction : A Yandruwandha Perspective / Aaron Paterson -- Responding To Yandruwandha : A Contemporary Howitt's Experience / Richie Howitt -- Chapter 1. The Aboriginal Legacy Of The Burke And Wills Expedition : An Introduction / Ian D. Clark, Fred Cahir -- Chapter 2. The Members Of The Victorian Exploring Expedition And Their Prior Experience Of Aboriginal Peoples / Ian D. Clark -- Chapter 3. 'exploring Is A Killing Game Only To Those Who Do Not Know Anything About It' : William Lockhart Morton And Other Contemporary Views About The Victorian Exploring Expedition And Its Fate / Ian D. Clark -- Chapter 4. The Use And Abuse Of Aboriginal Ecological Knowledge / Philip A. Clarke -- Chapter 5. The Aboriginal Contribution To The Expedition, Observed Through Germanic Eyes / David Dodd. Appendix 5.1. Extracts From The 1861 Anniversary Address Of The Royal Society Of Victoria Delivered By The President, His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly Kcb On 8 April 1861 ; Appendix 5.2. English Translation Of Beckler H. (1867) Corroberri : Ein Beitrag Zur Kenntnis Der Musik Bei Den Australischen Ureinwohnern, Globus 13, 82-84 -- Chapter 6. Language Notes Connected To The Journey Of The Expedition As Far As The Cooper / Luise Hercus -- Chapter 7. Burke And Wills And The Aboriginal People Of The Corner Country / Harry Allen -- Chapter 8. 'devil Been Walk About Tonight - Not Devil Belonging To Blackfellow, But White Man Devil. Methink Burke And Wills Cry Out Tonight What For Whitefellow Not Send Horses And Grub?' : An Examination Of Aboriginal Oral Traditions Of Colonial Explorers / Fred Cahir -- Chapter 9. How Did Burke Die? / Darrell Lewis -- Chapter 10. Telling And Retelling National Narratives / Deirdre Slattery -- Chapter 11. The Influence Of Aboriginal Country On Artist And Naturalist Ludwig Becker Of The Victorian Exploring Expedition : Mootwingee, 1860-61 / Peta Jeffries -- Chapter 12. If I Belong Here- How Did That Come To Be? / Paul Lambeth -- Chapter 13. Alfred Howitt And The Erasure Of Aboriginal History / Leigh Boucher -- Chapter 14. Remembering Edwin J. Welch : Surveyor To Howitt's Contingent Exploration Party / Frank Leahy -- Chapter 15. 'we Have Received News From The Blacks' : Aboriginal Messengers And Their Reports Of The Burke Relief Expedition (1861-62) Led By John Mckinlay / Fred Cahir -- Chapter 16. William Landsborough's Expedition Of 1862 From Carpentaria To Victoria In Search Of Burke And Wills : Exploration With Native Police Troopers And Aboriginal Guides / Peta Jeffries -- Chapter 17. 'i Suppose This Will End In Our Having To Live Like The Blacks For A Few Months' : Reinterpreting The History Of Burke And Wills / Ian D. Clark, Fred Cahir. Edited By Ian D. Clark And Fred Cahir. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Finished artwork, nLPDF; 20 April 2013. Cover 1 Foreword 6 Contents 9 List of contributors 11 Acknowledgements 12 Introduction: a Yandruwandha perspective 14 Kindred spirits and Yandruwandha country: a Yandruwandha perspective in 2013 on the Burke and Wills Expedition 14 Responding to Yandruwandha: a contemporary Howitt’s experience 18 1 The Aboriginal legacy of the Burke and Wills Expedition: an introduction 22 2 The members of the Victorian Exploring Expedition and their prior experience of Aboriginal peoples 36 3 ‘Exploring is a killing game only to those who do not know anything about it’: William Lockhart Morton and other contemporary views about the Victorian Exploring Expedition and its fate 68 4 The use and abuse of Aboriginal ecological knowledge 82 5 The Aboriginal contribution to the expedition, observed through Germanic eyes 102 Appendix 5.1 Extracts from the 1861 Anniversary Address of the Royal Society of Victoria delivered by the President, His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly KCB on 8 April 1861 130 Appendix 5.2 English translation of Beckler H (1867) Corroberri: Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Musik bei den australischen Ureinwohnern Globus 13, 82–84. 132 6 Language notes connected to the journey of the expedition as far as the Cooper 136 7 Burke and Wills and the Aboriginal people of the Corner Country 150 8 ‘Devil been walk about tonight – not devil belonging to blackfellow, but white man devil. Methink Burke and Wills cry out tonight “What for whitefellow not send horses and grub?”’ An examination of Aboriginal oral traditions of colonial explorers 170 9 How did Burke die? 190 10 Telling and retelling national narratives 200 11 The influence of Aboriginal country on artist and naturalist Ludwig Becker of the Victorian Exploring Expedition: Mootwingee, 1860–61 212 12 If I belong here ... how did that come to be? 228 13 Alfred Howitt and the erasure of Aboriginal history 244 14 Remembering Edwin J. Welch: surveyor to Howitt’s Contingent Exploration Party 262 15 ‘We have received news from the blacks’: Aboriginal messengers and their reports of the Burke relief expedition (1861–62) led by John McKinlay 282 16 William Landsborough’s expedition of 1862 from Carpentaria to Victoria in search of Burke and Wills: exploration with native police troopers and Aboriginal guides 300 17 ‘I suppose this will end in our having to live like the blacks for a few months’: reinterpreting the history of Burke and Wills 322 Index 326 andrew@studioqwerty.com.au,ph:,0404,048,620 andrew@studioqwerty.com.au,ph: 0404 048 620