Physical description

Produced in two large volumes, Robert Brough Smyth has collected information on various tribes and their customs, as well as their physical and mental character; birth and education of children; marriage; death and burial of the dead; daily lives of the natives; food; diseases; dress and personal ornaments; weapons; implements and manufacturers; nets and fish hooks; methods of producing fire; canoes and myths. Smyth also devotes about two hundred pages to Aboriginal languages, as well as including details and customs of the aborigines in Tasmania. Complete with hundreds of sketches, the work is still a valuable resource not only for those with in an interest in aboriginal culture, but also those wanting to know the early history of Australia.

Inscriptions & markings

maps, b&w illustrations, word lists