McBryde, Isabel (1934 - )

Summary

Isabel McBryde is an archaeologist who pioneered the combining of archaeological and ethnographical research, and whose doctoral thesis was the first awarded in Australia based on archaeological fieldwork. On being appointed to the Department of Prehistory and Ancient History at the University of New South Wales in 1960 she established Australia's first formal training course in archaeology. Much of her research has centred on the archaeology and prehistory of New South Wales. She has published prolifically, her books including A petrological analysis of ground edge artefacts from northern New South Wales (1972) with Ray Binns, and Aboriginal prehistory of New South Wales (1974). McBryde has been active in professional organisations, notably the Australian Institute of Aboriginal (and Torres Strait Islander) Studies and the Australian Archaeological Association. She has also been heavily involved cultural heritage advisory committees, particularly concerning the protection of heritage sites and artefacts.

Details

Chronology

1959

Education - Diploma in Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cambridge

1960 - 1973

Career position - Lecturer in Prehistory and Ancient History (later Associate Professor), University of New England

1964 - 1990

Career position - Foundation Member, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Studies

1966

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of New England

1966 - 1976

Career position - Member, Prehistory Committee, Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies

1970 - 1980

Career position - Member, Aboriginal Relics Advisory Committee, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service

1973 - 2005

Career position - Foundation Member, Australian Archaeological Association

1974 - 1975

Career position - Secretary, Australian Archaeological Association

1974 - 1975

Career position - Senior Lecturer, Department of Prehistory and Anthropology, Australian National University

1975 - 1986

Career position - Reader in Prehistory, Australian National University

1976 -

Career position - Member, Editorial Board, Aboriginal History

1979 -

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of the Humanities

1979 - 1985

Career position - Review Editor, Aboriginal History

1980 -

Career position - Member, Technical Advisory Committee, Australian Heritage Commission

1980 - 2007

Career position - Fellow, Society of Antiquaries, London

1981 - 1983

Career position - Member of Council, Australian Academy of the Humanities

1981 - 1985

Career position - Member, Aboriginal Sites Committee, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service

1982

Career position - Vice-President, Australian Academy of the Humanities

1982 - 1988

Career position - Commissioner, Australian Heritage Commission

1985 - 1993

Career position - Member, Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area Consultative Committee New South Wales

1986 - 1989

Career position - Member, Encyclopaedia Britannica Australian Advisory Committee

1986 - 1994

Career position - Professor of Prehistory, Australian National University

1990

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to education, particularly in the field of Australian prehistory

1991 - 1998

Career position - Member, Aboriginal Education Consultative Committee, Australian National University

1993 - 1996

Career position - Member, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Interim Advisory Committee (New South Wales)

1994

Life event - Retired

1994 - 1998

Career position - Member, Technical and Scientific advisory Committee, Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area

1995 -

Career position - Professor Emerita, Australian National University

1995 - 1996

Career position - Member, Research Advisory Committee, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

1995 - 2001

Career position - Honorary Visiting Fellow, School of Social Sciences, Australian National University

1995 - 2004

Career position - Honorary Visiting Fellow, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

1996 - 1997

Career position - Member, Executive Committee for Australia, ICOMOS

1996 - 2001

Career position - Member, Board of Management, Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park

1997 - 1999

Career position - Member, National Cultural Heritage Forum

2001

Award - Centenary Medal for service to cultural heritage and a distinguished archaeologist

2003

Award - Rhys Jones Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Australian Archaeology, Australian Archaeological Association

2005 -

Award - Life Member, Australian Archaeological Association

2007 -

Career position - Board Member, Institute for Professional Practice in Heritage and the Arts, Australian National University

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Griffiths, Billy, Deep time dreaming: uncovering ancient Australia (Carlton, Vic.: Black Inc., 2018), 376 pp. Details
• Marcus, Julie, First in their field: women and Australian anthropology (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1989), 205 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Golson, Jack, 'The personality of New England: Isabel McBryde and the dimensions of her regional archaeology' in Many exchanges: archaeology, history, community and the work of Isabel McBryde, Macfarlane, Ingereth with Mountain, Mary-Jane and Paton, Robert, eds (Canberra: Aboriginal History Inc., 2005), pp. 13-34. Details
• McBryde, Isabel, 'Mathews, Robert Hamilton (1841-1918), surveyor and anthropologist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 5: 1851 - 1890 K-Q, Douglas Pike, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1974), pp. 225-226. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A050256b.htm. Details
• Mulvaney, John, 'Isabel McBryde: from regional research to national reconciliation and global heritage' in Many exchanges: archaeology, history, community and the work of Isabel McBryde, Macfarlane, Ingereth with Mountain, Mary-Jane and Paton, Robert, eds (Canberra: Aboriginal History Inc, 2005), pp. 3-12. Details
• Read, Peter, 'Many exchanges, many ripples: the work of Isabel McBryde' in Many exchanges: archaeology, history, community and the work of Isabel McBryde, Macfarlane, Ingereth with Mountain, Mary-Jane and Paton, Robert, eds (Canberra: Abiroginal History Inc., 2005), pp. 138-41. Details
• Sullivan, S., 'Out of the box: Isabel McBryde's radical contribution to the shaping of Australian archaeological practice' in Many exchanges: archaeology, history, community and the work of Isabel McBryde, Macfarlane, Ingereth with Mountain, Mary-Jane and Paton, Robert, eds (Canberra: Aboriginal History Inc., 2005), pp. 83-94. Details

Edited Books

• Macfarlane, Ingereth; with Mountain, Mary-Jane; and Paton, Robert eds, Many exchanges: archaeology, history, community and the work of Isabel McBryde (Canberra: Aboriginal History Inc, 2005), 412 pp. Details

Journal Articles

• Bowdler, Sandra and Clune, Genevieve, 'That shadowy band: the role of women in the development of Australian archaeology', Australian Archaeology, 50 (2000), 276-35. Details
• McBryde, Isabel, 'Frederick David McCarthy, 13 August 1905-18 November 1997: Obituary', Australian Aboriginal Studies, 1 (1998), 51-55. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q19593762. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/306159760. Details
• 'McBryde, Isabel (19340716-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-504149. Details

See also

• Who's who in Australia 2012 (Melbourne: Crown Content Pty Ltd, 2012), 2430 pp. Details
• Allen, Harry, 'The first university positions in prehistoric archaeology in New Zealand and Australia', Bulletin of the history of archaeology, 29 (1:2) (2019), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5334/bha-606. Details
• Flood, Josephine M., The moth hunters: Aboriginal prehistory of the Australian Alps (Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, 1980), 388 pp, https://www.ligatu.re/book/the-moth-hunters/. Details
• Lampert, R. J., 'Trends in Australian prehistoric research', Antiquity, 49 (195) (1975), 197-206. Details