Person

Williams, Francis Edgar (1893 - 1943)

Born
9 February 1893
Malvern, South Australia, Australia
Died
12 May 1943
Papua New Guinea
Occupation
Anthropologist

Summary

Francis Williams was government anthropologist, Territory of Papua 1928-1943. He founded and edited a monthly newspaper in simple English, the "Papuan Villager" (1929-1942). Before and during the Second World War he was liaison officer for the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit.

Details

Chronology

1914
Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Adelaide
1915 - 1918
Military service - First World War. Captain, Australian Imperial Force
1921
Education - Diploma in anthropology, Oxford University
1922 - 1928
Career position - Assistant government anthropologist, Territory of Papua
1928
Education - Master of Arts (MA), University of Adelaide
1928 - 1943
Career position - Government anthropologist, Territory of Papua
1933
Award - Wellcome gold medal for anthropological research
1933 - 1934
Award - Rockefeller fellowship
1934
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), Oxford University
1935
Award - Cilento medal
1939
Career position - President, Section F (Anthropology), Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
1941
Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), Oxford University
1941 - 1943
Career position - Military intelligence, compiling manuals for the Allied Geographical Section
1942 - 1943
Military service - Second World War. Captain, Allied Geographical Section [Killed in an air crash in Papua New Guinea]
1943
Career position - Liaison officer, Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Book Sections

  • Young, Michael W., 'Williams, Francis Edgar (1893-1943), anthropologist and public servant' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 12: 1891 - 1939 Smy-Z, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1990), pp. 497-498. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120559b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

  • Elkin, A. P., 'Obituary: F. E. Williams', Australian Journal of Science, 6 (3) (1943), 92-93. Details
  • Williams, F. E., 'Presidential address: Creed of a government anthropologist [Section F - Anthropology]', Report of the twenty-fourth meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science, Canberra meeting, January, 1939 (1939), 145-159. Details

Resources

Rosanne Walker; Ken McInnes

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"... the rengitj, as a visible mark or imprint on the land, is characterised as a place of origin, the repository of all names, as well as a kind of mapped visual expression of the connection between people and places which is to be carried out in the temporal sequence of the journey." Fanca Tamisari (1998) 'Body, Vision and Movement: In the footprints of the ancestors'. Oceania 68(4) p260