Event

American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land (1948)

From
February 1948
To
November 1948
Functions
Anthropology, Expedition and Natural history
Alternative Names
  • Arnhem Land Expedition (Also known as)

Summary

The American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land was the last of the big expeditions in Australia, the emphasis being the natural environment and Indigenous people rather than geographical exploration. Charles Mountford, an experienced traveller in outback regions of Australia in pursuit of his ethnographic and photographic interests, was the leader of the Expedition. He earned considerable recognition overseas for his films and lectures, particularly on Aboriginal art, paving the way to the Expedition. Sponsors included the Smithsonian Institution of Washington (four of its staff participated in the Expedition) and the National geographic magazine. In part, the Expedition was designed to underline the diplomatic connections between Australia and the United States. The Expedition spent several months in each of three locations: Groote Eylandt (February - July), Yirrkala (July - September) and Oenpelli (September - November). Considerable assistance was provided by the local Indigenous people. Participants in included scientists (mammalogist, ichthyologist, botanist), nutritionists, and anthropologists. In their diaries, some of the scientists were less than complimentary of Mountford's management and organisation. The Expedition was notable for the range of sound recordings and photographic records made, and for the 4-volume series of scientific reports (1956-1964). Natural history specimens collected included: >13,500 plants, 30,000 fish, 850 birds and 460 mammals. Over 3,000 archaeological and cultural artefacts (paintings, baskets, fish nets, weapons, string figures and ceremonial objects) were also collected, including skulls and bones stolen from rock shelters and graves. Most of these collections went to the Smithsonian and the Australian Museum. In 2008 and 2010 the human remains held by the Smithsonian were repatriated to their communities of origin.

Skip to

Details

Members of the Expedition included:
Peter Bassett-Smith: camera operator, cine-photographer
Brian Billington (Institute of Anatomy, Canberra): medical officer and leader of the Nutrition Unit
John Bray: cook and (from July 1948) transport officer
Keith Cordon: transport officer (until July 1948)
Herbert Deignan (Smithsonian Institution): ornithologist
Bill Harney: Expedition guide (from July 1948)
Kelvin Hodges (Institute of Anatomy, Canberra): biochemist, Nutrition Unit
Reg Hollow: cook (from July 1948)
David Johnson (Smithsonian Institution): mammalogist
Margaret McArthur (Institute of Anatomy, Canberra): biochemist and nutritionist, Nutrition Unit
Frederick McCarthy (Australian Museum): anthropologist
Robert Miller (Smithsonian Institution): ichthyologist
Bessie 'Mrs Monty' Mountford: honorary secretary
Charles 'Monty' Mountford: leader, ethnologist and filmmaker
Frank Setzler (Head Curator of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution): deputy leader, anthropologist
Raymond Specht (Waite Agricultural Research Institute): botanist
Howell Walker (National geographic, Washington, D.C.): writer and photographer

Indigenous people who assisted the Expedition included:
Jimmy Bungaroo;
Larry Marawanna;
Mawalan (Mauwalun, Moalun) Marika;
Jimmy Kalarriya Namannyilk;
Nangapiana (artist).

Repositories which now hold collections from the Expedition include:
Art Gallery of New South Wales;
Art Gallery of South Australia;
Art Gallery of Western Australia;
Australian Museum;
National Gallery of Victoria;
National Museum of Australia;
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution;
Queensland Art Gallery;
South Australian Museum;
State Herbarium of South Australia;
State Library of South Australia;
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

Related Corporate Bodies

Related People

Published resources

Books

  • May, Sally K., Collecting Cultures: Myth, Politics, and Collaboration in the 1948 Arnhem Land Expedition (Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press, 2010), 229 pp. Details
  • Thomas, Martin, Clever men: how worlds collided on the scientific expedition to Arnhem Land of 1948 (Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, 2025), 452 pp. Details

Book Sections

Edited Books

  • Mountford, Charles P. ed., Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land 1: art. myth and symbolism (Carlton, Vic.:: Melbourne University Press, 1956), 513 pp. Details
  • Mountford, Charles P. ed., Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 2: anthropology and nutrition (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1960), 516 pp. Details
  • Specht, R. L. ed., Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 4: zoology (Parkville, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1964), 533 pp. Details
  • Specht, R. L. & Specht, A. ed., Personal experiences on the coast of adventure: Arnhem Land reunion, Sydney, 27 - 28th June 1998 ([Coffs Harbour, N.S.W.]: Southern Cross University, 1998), 83 pp. Details
  • Specht, R. L. and Mountford, C. P. eds, Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 3: botany and plant ecology (Carlton, Vic: Melbourne University Press, 1958), 521 pp. Details

Journal Articles

Theses

  • May, Sally K., 'The last frontier? Acquiring the American-Australian Scientific Expedition ethnographic collection 1948', BAHons thesis, Flinders University of South Australia, 2000, 238 pp. Details

See also

  • Altman, Jon, 'From Kunnanj, Fish Creek, to Mumeka, Mann River: hunter-gatherer tradition and transformation in Western Arnhem Land, 1948 - 2009' in Exploring the legacy of the 1948 Arnhem Land Expedition, Thomas, Martin and Neale, Margot, eds (Camberra: ANU Press, 2011), pp. 113-34. https://doi.org/10.22459/ELALE.06.2011.06. Details
  • Berndt, Ronald M., 'The Mountford volume on Arnhem Land art, myth and symbolism: a critical review', Mankind, 5 (6) (1958), 249-61. Details
  • Billington, Brian P., 'The health and nutrition status of the Aborigines' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, vol. 2: anthropology and nutrition, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1960), pp. 27-59. Details
  • Chapman, Denise; and Russell, Suzy, 'The responsibilities of leadership: the records of Charles Mountford' in Exploring the legacy of the 1948 Arnhem Land Expedition, Thomas, Martin and Neale, Margot, eds (Canberra: ANU Press, 2011), pp. 253-69, https://doi.org/10.22459/ELALE.06.2011.13. Details
  • Clarke, Anne, and Frederick, Ursula, 'Making a sea change: rock art, archaeology and the enduring legacy of Frederick McCarthy's research on Groote Eylandt' in Exploring the legacy of the 1948 Arnhem Land Expedition, Thomas, Martin and Neale, Margot, eds (Canberra: ANU Press, 2011), pp. 135-55. https://doi.org/10.22459/ELALE.06.2011.07. Details
  • Cotton, Bernard C., 'Molluscs of Arnhem Land' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 4: zoology, R. L. Specht, ed. (Parkville, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1964), pp. 9-43. Details
  • Deignan, Herbert G., 'Birds of the Arnhem Land Expedition' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 4: zoology, R. L. Specht, ed. (Parkville, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1964), pp. 345-425. Details
  • Hodges, Kelvin J., 'Biochemical assessments of nutritional status' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, vol. 2: anthropology and nutrition, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1960), pp. 72-89. Details
  • Johnson, David H., 'Mammals of the Arnhem Land expedition' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 4: zoology, R. L. Specht, ed. (Parkville, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1964), pp. 427-515. Details
  • Jones, Philip, 'Inside Mountford's tent: paint, politics and paperwork' in Exploring the legacy of the 1948 Arnhem Land Expedition, Thomas, Martin and Neale, Margot, eds (Canberra: ANU Press, 2011), pp. 33-54, https://doi.org/10.22459/ELALE.06.2011.02. Details
  • McArthur, Margaret, 'Report of the Nutrition Unit' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, vol. 2: anthropology and nutrition, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1960), pp. 1-13. Details
  • McArthur, Margaret, ' Food consumption and dietary levels of the group of Aborigines living on naturally occurring foods in Mountford, C. P. ed' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, vol. 2: anthropology and nutrition, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1960), pp. 90-135. Details
  • McArthur, Margaret, 'Food consumption and dietary levels of the Aborigines living at the settlements' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 2: anthropology and nutrition, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1960), pp. 14-26. Details
  • McCarthy, F. and Setzler, F., 'The archaeology of Arnhem Land' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, volume 2, Mountford, C. P., ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1960), pp. 215-95. Details
  • McCarthy, Frederick D., 'The string figures of Yirrkalla' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, vol. 2: anthropology and nutrition, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1960), pp. 415-511. Details
  • McCarthy, Frederick D., 'The cave paintings of Groote Eylandt and Chasm Island' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 2: anthropology and nutrition, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1960), p. 297414. Details
  • McCarthy, Frederick D. and McArthur, Margaret, 'The food quest and the time factor in Aboriginal economic life' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, vol. 2: anthropology and nutrition, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic,: Melbourne University Press, 1960), pp. 145-94. Details
  • McCarthy, Lynne, 'Ecology and the Arnhem Land Expedition: Raymond Specht, a botanist in the field' in Exploring the legacy of the 1948 Arnhem Land Expedition, Thomas, Martin and Neale, Margot, eds (Canberra: ANU Press, 2011), pp. 157-69. https://doi.org/10.22459/ELALE.06.2011.08. Details
  • Mitchell, F. J., 'Preliminary account of the reptilia and amphibia collected by the National Geographic Society-Commonwealth Government-Smithsonian Institution Expedition to Arnhem land (April - November 1948)', Records of the South Australian Museum, 11 (1955), 373-409. Details
  • Mitchell, Francis J., 'Reptiles and amphibians of Arnhem Land' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 4: zoology, R. L. Specht, ed. (Parkville, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1964), pp. 309-43. Details
  • Mountford, Charles P., 'Astronomy' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land 1: art. myth and symbolism, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1956), pp. 479-508. Details
  • Mountford, Charles P., 'Carved and painted figures' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land 1: art. myth and symbolism, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1956), pp. 415-75. Details
  • Mountford, Charles P., 'The art of Yirrkalla' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land 1: art. myth and symbolism, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic: Melbourne University Press, 1956), pp. 267-411. Details
  • Mountford, Charles P., 'The art of Oenpelli' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land 1: art. myth and symbolism, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic: Melbourne University Press, 1956), pp. 109-264. Details
  • Mountford, Charles P., 'The art of Groote Eyland' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land 1: art. myth and symbolism, C. P. Mountford, ed. (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1956), pp. 19-106. Details
  • Scott, Arthur M. and Prescott, Gerald, 'Some freshwater algae from Arnhem land' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 3: botany and plant ecology, R. L. Specht and C. P. Mountford, eds (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1958), pp. 9-136. Details
  • Setzler, F. M. and McCarthy, F. D., 'A unique archeological specimen from Australia', Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 40 (1950), 1-5. Details
  • Specht, Marion M., 'History of zoological collections in Arnhem Land' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 4: zoology, R. L. Specht, ed. (Parkville, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1964), pp. 1-7. Details
  • Specht, R. L., 'The history of botanical exploration in the Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve' in Records of the American Australian Expedition to Arnhem Land, 3: botany and plant ecology, R. L. Specht and C. P. Mountford, eds (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1958), pp. 1-8. Details
  • Specht, Ray L., 'Geographical relationships of the flora of Arnhem Land' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 3: botany and plant ecology, R. L. Specht and C. P. Mountford, eds (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1958), pp. 415-78. Details
  • Specht, Ray L., 'Climate, geology, soils and plant ecology of the northern portion of Arnhem Land' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 3: botany and plant ecology, R. L. Specht and C. P. Mountford, eds (Carlton, Vic: Melbourne University Press, 1958), pp. 333-414. Details
  • Specht, Ray L., 'An introduction to the ethno-botany of Arnhem Land' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 3: botany and plant ecology, R. L. Specht and C. P. Mountford, eds (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1958), pp. 479-504. Details
  • Specht, Ray L., 'Gymnospermae and Angiospermae collected on the Arnhem Land Expedition' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 3: botany and plant ecology, R. L. Specht and C. P. Mountford, eds (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1958), pp. 185-317. Details
  • Taylor, William R., 'Fishes of Arnhem Land' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 4: zoology, R. L. Specht, ed. (Parkville, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1964), pp. 45-307. Details
  • Thomas, Martin, 'Smoke and mirrors in Arnhem Land: what expeditions tell us about the materiality of crosscultural encounters', History and anthropology, 30 (2019), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/02757206.2019.1695201. Details
  • Womersley, H. Bryan S, 'Marine agae from Arnhem Land' in Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 3: botany and plant ecology, R. L. Specht and C. P. Mountford, eds (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1958), pp. 139-61. Details

Helen Cohn

Created: 5 August 2025, Last modified: 21 August 2025

EOAS ID: biogs/P007811b.htm

This Edition: 2026 February - 1926 Centenaries
Kooyang - Gariwerd calendar - Late summer: late January to late March - season of eels
Reference: https://www.bom.gov.au/resources/indigenous-weather-knowledge/indigenous-seasonal-calendars/gariwerd-calendar#bom-anchor-list__item-kooyang-season-of-eels

Publisher: Swinburne University of Technology.

Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
What do we mean by this?

The Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation uses the Online Heritage Resource Manager (OHRM), a relational data curation and web publication system developed by the eScholarship Research Centre and its predecessors at the University of Melbourne 1999-2020. The OHRM has been maintained by Gavan McCarthy since 2020.

Cite this page: https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007811b.htm

For earlier editions see the Internet Archive at: https://web.archive.org/web/*/www.eoas.info

"... 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