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| AIATSIS collection | |
|---|---|
| Name | AIATSIS collection |
| Established | 1964 |
| Location | Canberra |
| Type | archive |
AIATSIS collection The AIATSIS collection is a national archive and research resource comprising audiovisual, textual, photographic and object holdings relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia. It supports research, cultural maintenance and public engagement by connecting material with communities through protocols, repatriation and digitisation initiatives involving institutions such as the National Library of Australia, Australian War Memorial, State Library of New South Wales and National Film and Sound Archive. The collection is used by scholars, community members and agencies linked to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Parliamentary Library, High Court of Australia and the Museum of Victoria.
The collection encompasses archives, manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings, film footage, multimedia, maps, language materials, art records and artefacts gathered from expeditions, missions, anthropologists, linguists and private donors. It intersects with the work of Norman Tindale, Daisy Bates, W. E. H. Stanner, Leslie White, R. M. Berndt, C. P. Mountford, Donald Thomson, George Gmelch, John Mulvaney and repositories such as State Library of Queensland, State Library of Victoria, National Museum of Australia, South Australian Museum and Queensland Museum. The materials document interactions with events and institutions including the Stolen Generations, Mabo v Queensland (No 2), Referendum, 1967, Native Title Act 1993, Aboriginal Tent Embassy and campaigns led by figures like Eddie Mabo, Faith Bandler, Vincent Lingiari and Doris Pilkington.
Origins trace to initiatives by anthropologists, archivists and activists in the 20th century who collected field notes, film and audio during expeditions, missions and legal cases. Early contributors and collectors include Charles Mountford, A. P. Elkin, Peter Sutton, Alan P. Walker and Fred McCarthy, and interactions with institutions such as Canberra School of Art, Australian National University, Griffith University and University of Sydney shaped development. Legal and policy milestones including Heritage Act 1977 (ACT), Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Native Title Act 1993 and high-profile litigation influenced accession priorities, while collaborations with community advocates such as Lowitja O'Donoghue, Shirley Smith (Mum Shirl), Charles Perkins and Marcia Langton informed ethical frameworks.
Holdings span photographic negatives by photographers like Gavin Wanganeen and Mervyn Bishop, audio recordings of languages documented by Luigi Orsini and Robert M. W. Dixon, film collections including footage by Neville Gruzman and John Gulpilil, and manuscripts from anthropologists such as Raymond F. Fogelson and Nancy Williams. Notable sub-collections reference oral histories relating to events like the Wave Hill walk-off, court evidence from Mabo v Queensland (No 2), mission records from Hermannsburg Mission, and photographic series by Harold Cazneaux, Isaac Nichols and Max Dupain. Cartographic, mission and pastoral lease records connect to places including Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land, Torres Strait Islands, Pilbara and Western Desert.
Cataloguing frameworks use descriptive standards developed with libraries and archives such as National Library of Australia, State Library of New South Wales and National Archives of Australia and incorporate metadata for languages, communities and rights. Digitisation programs partner with institutions including National Film and Sound Archive, Trove, Europeana and universities such as Monash University and University of Melbourne to create searchable records, while legal instruments like Copyright Act 1968 and court rulings affect access conditions. Online discovery interfaces link to collections at Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Perth Modern School Archive and community-run archives including Koorie Heritage Trust.
Protocols for access, use and repatriation are developed with Indigenous communities, land councils and representative bodies such as Northern Land Council, Central Land Council, Aboriginal Legal Service, ATSIC and leaders including Uncle Uncle, Basil Johnson and Uncle Jimmy Little. Repatriation projects involve museums, libraries and archives including South Australian Museum, Queensland Museum and National Museum of Australia and intersect with national initiatives like the Return of Indigenous Cultural Property programs and ceremonies linked to native title holders and clan groups. Ethical guidelines reference the work of advocates like Mick Dodson, Lowitja O'Donoghue and legal frameworks including Torres Strait Regional Authority agreements.
Research supported by the collection feeds exhibitions, catalogs and monographs produced with partners such as Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, National Portrait Gallery (Australia), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australian Centre for Photography and publishers like Australian Scholarly Publishing and Aboriginal Studies Press. Scholarly output includes studies by Helen Verran, Patricia M. Jacobs, Marcia Langton, Henry Reynolds and Bill Gammage, and exhibition projects have toured to venues including National Gallery of Victoria, Powerhouse Museum, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and international institutions such as British Museum, Smithsonian Institution and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge.
Governance frameworks involve board oversight, community advisory councils and partnerships with universities, state galleries and cultural institutions including Australian National University, University of New South Wales, University of Queensland, National Library of Australia, National Archives of Australia and funding bodies like Australia Council for the Arts. Collaborative projects and memoranda of understanding have been established with regional bodies such as Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, Aboriginal Affairs NSW, South Australian Native Title Services and international partners including UNESCO and International Council on Archives.