Historical information

Photo display relating to the work of Eltham anthropologist Professor Donald Thomson (1901-1970) who was renowned for his work researching Aborigines across Central Australia. Part of the Bicentennial/Heritage Week Display, "The Eltham Tradition", Eltham Shire Office, 17-22 April 1988.

"The Photographic record which forms part of the Donald Thomson collection housed at the Museum of Victoria, by arrangement with the University of Melbourne contains 10,580 negatives. The collection also includes 5,700 artefacts and 4,500 pages of field notes. Cumbersome camera equipment and glass negatives often had to be carried hundreds of miles by pack horse, on small boars and other means. Three documentary films have been made, two by the BBC and released in over 18 countries and third, made by Academy of Science (1987) is for Year 12 Biology students. 28,000 feet of film record of Arnhem land was destroyed whilst in Commonwelath Government Custody."

Physical description

Two colour photographs