Correspondence, Field Notes and Research Material on New Guinea and Pacific Islands [Adolphus Peter (AP) Elkin] (Series 734)

Due to the nature of the records, the Archives reserves the right to restrict, limit or refuse access to any item/s without prior notice, on the basis of personal privacy or out of respect for the rights and/or beliefs of First Nations people in accordance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library, Information and Resource Network (ATSILIRN) protocols.

Although most of Elkin's work was carried out in Australia he maintained some interest in the Indigenous peoples of New Guinea, and the Pacific islands. In addition, he made sure the Department of Anthropology employed an anthropologist who specialised in New Guinea and the Pacific; Ian Hogbin being one of the most notable. Elkin himself made a trip to New Guinea in 1946, taking notes about the rebuilding works, as well as on anthropological matters. Further trips were undertaken in 1950, and 1955 and 1956 to oversee a Nuffield Foundation project. However, once the Australian School of Pacific Administration was established in 1946, and the training of Patrol Officers taken from the Department, Elkin was very little involved in New Guinean affairs.

This series contains correspondence, field notebooks and diaries of Elkin and other researchers, reports from Patrol Officers [Ref 1], theses, published and unpublished journal articles, general research material, and a catalogue of tribes arranged by district.

The series contains original letters by Robert (Bertie) Hislop to his father George, and transcriptions of the letters, presumably by Elkin. It is unclear how these original letters came to be in Elkin's possession.

George Hislop owned Wyalla Plains Station, inland from Weary Bay. "Hislop and his family distributed food, blankets and other goods to Aborigines in return for work." [Ref 2] The letters are regarding Bertie's travels to Papua and his work as a government officer there. He was appointed resident magistrate for the Northern Division of Papua in 1902 [Ref 3].

The series also contains papers of Leo Austen, a New Guinea magistrate and an ex-student of Elkin's, later an Aboriginal Welfare Officer for the NSW north coast.

Note that the records were sorted by the Department of Anthropology into artificial series based on subject prior to their deposit in the Archives in 1983. See biographical note for further details.

Additional arrangement and description of the items may have resulted in changes to the titles and description.

Ref 1: See National Archives of Australia for 'Fact Sheet on 'Papua New Guinea Patrol Reports' and Papua and New Guinea Patrol Reports' Series A7034 for more information (Accessed 25/03/2025).

Ref 2: Anderson, J. C. (1984). The political and economic basis of Kuku-Yalanji social history [The University of Queensland, School of Social Science]. https://doi.org/10.14264/189759 (Accessed 25/03/2025)

Ref 3: National Archives of Australia: Series Correspondence files, 'A' series [Immigration, New Guinea, New Hebrides]; Item No: A9, A1902/102/36