SENSITIVE CONTENT Magic and Medicine Men

From folder labelled: 'Magic and Medicine Men'. The item comprises 14 bundles of handwritten and typescript research notes as well as journal articles.

Bundle 1 (12pp): Reprint of 'The Dieri Kinship System' by AP Elkin, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Vol. LX1, July-December, 1931; includes handwritten notes on brain capacity and initiation and disposal of the dead in the handwriting of AR Radcliffe-Brown; and a table on Medicine Men and Language Groups.
Bundle 2 (5pp): RESTRICTED Notes about initiation, Clever Men, Aboriginal Men of HD [High Degree]; mythology.
Bundle 3 (18pp): Notes taken from the book 'Heilkunde und Volkstum auf Bali' by Wolfgang Weck, 1937, pp231-7; most of the notes relate to Yoga, while some relate to Strehlow's work on and Magic Doctors, Beings.
Bundle 4 (19pp): RESTRICTED notes re Dieri medicine, Medicine Men, Spirits is Dead, sickness, magic causing blindness, magic and spittle, Kadaitja, kidney fat, pointing stick, boning.
Bundle 5 (8pp): typescript entitled 'Pointing bone. Ungarinyin and Wurara', notes on totemism, Medicine Men.
Bundle 6 (2pp): typescript entitled 'Billy Rooke'. Information provided by Billy Rooke about local Clever Men, bone pointing, the making of Clever Men. (See Hut of Billy Rooke, Gus Combo and family, Collarenebri (Accessed 10/07/2025))
Bundle 7 (4pp): typescript entitled 'Initiation of Pupils to "Medicine"', about Stanley River tribes: Waka Waka, Nguwera.
Bundle 8 (3pp): typescript entitled 'Bunyips - Wiradjuri (Brungle) - Information from Fred Freeman, 74 years old; speaks the language', a the top of the first page is a handwritten note by S Parkes to Elkin advising that should he [Elkin] want anything followed up, Parkes will do so.
Bundle 9 (26pp): Exercise notebook with handwritten draft on 'Medicine Men'. Language Group: Wardaman - Northern Territory. Inserted in the notebook between pages 6-7 is a small envelope with handwritten notes; and between 14-15 one sheet of loose paper with handwritten notes on them.
Bundle 10 (10pp): copy of a 3 page letter from Alfred E Neave to Richard Hamilton, Southern Cross, 30 June 1935, and letters to Elkin regarding telepathic powers of Aboriginal people.
Bundle 11 (2pp) handwritten notes about Aboriginal life.
Bundle 12: News cutting from Sunday Sun 10 December 1944 entitled 'Abos used telepathy - Messages by Thought'.
Bundle 13: Reprint of AP Elkin's article 'Primitive Medicine Men' from 'The Medical Journal of Australia', Nov 30, 1935, p.750.
Bundle 14: two tables referencing medicine men against tribes.

Names: Billy Rooke, Yowa Jimmy, Billy Emu, Dr Birkett, Geerbough - Stanley River man.

Many Language Groups are discussed, particularly in the Bundle 1 table of Medicine Men, this list includes Luritja, Diyari, Yandruwantha, Worrorra, Ungarinyin, Gamilaraay, Paakantji, Kakadu, Arabana, Bundjalung, Waka Waka, Nguwera, Buyibara, Wiradjuri, Wardaman.

Places mentioned include Musgrave Ranges, Fraser Island, Princess Charlotte Bay, Perth, Clarence River, Daly River, Coonamble, Stanley River, and Brockhurst.

Elkin, A. P. “The Dieri Kinship System.” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. 61, 1931, pp. 493–98. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2843933 (Accessed 10 July 2025).

Elkin, A. P. (Adolphus Peter), 1891-1979. (1977). Aboriginal men of high degree / A.P. Elkin. St. Lucia, Q. : University of Queensland Press https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2661118 (Accessed 10 July 2025).