Public Outreach and Professional Discipline:
Chronicling the Anthropological Society of
Western Australia
Greg Acciaioli (Anthropology & Sociology,
The University of Western Australia)
with contributions from:
Edward McDonald (Consulting Anthropologist,
Ethnosciences)
Chris Griffin (Communications and Arts, Edith
Cowan University)
Anthropological Societies in the Early
Institutionalisation of Anthropology
 1840s-1890s: Museum Period 
Ethnological Associations Period
 Société Ethnologique de Paris (1839)
 Ethnological Society of London (1843) 
Aborigines Protection Society (1837)
 Anthropological Society of London (c. 1862)
 Merger: The Anthropological Institute of Great
Britain and Ireland (1870)
 vs. Founding of Peabody Museum of
Archaeology and Ethnology only in 1866
 Forerunners in Leiden and St. Petersburg
Institutionalisation of
Anthropology in Australia (1)
 Presentations and discussions in various Royal
Societies, esp. branches of Royal Geographical
Society
 Anthropological Society of Australasia (1895-1914)
 Journal:

Australasian Anthropological Journal (to 1898)
 Science of Man and the Australian Anthropology Journal
(N.S., to 1900)
 Science of Man: Journal of the Royal Anthropological
Society of Australasia (to Society’s end)
 Semi-popular focus: documentation & recording
 Ethnology as the proper term to define this focus?
Institutionalisation of
Anthropology in Australia (2)
 Establishment of first academic programs in
Anthropology
 Department of Anthropology at University of Sydney (1925)
 Board of Anthropological Research at University of Adelaide
(1926)
 Complementary rise of associations:
 1926 Anthropological Society of South Australia (ASSA)
 1928 Anthropological Society of New South Wales (ASNSW)
 1932 Anthropological Society of Victoria (ASV)
 1948 Anthropological Society of Queensland (ASQ)
 mid 1950s: (abortive?) Anthropological Society in Darwin
(exact title?)
 1958 Anthropological Society of Western Australia (ASWA)
Institutionalisation of
Anthropology in Australia (3)
 Scope of societies closer to American (4-
field) model
 Social (& Cultural) Anthropology
 Archaeology
 Physical Anthropology
 Linguistics
 Material Culture

Link to museums
 Applied Anthropology

Humanitarian impulses of societies and
associations
Anthropological Society of New
South Wales (ASNSW)
 Impetus from the Australian Museum, not
Department of Anthropology
 Parallel British precedent: first professional
anthropologists were museum curators
 Later a stronger association with
Department of Anthropology
 Venue for meetings after first few
Umbrella Organisation: Australian
Anthropological Association (1939)
 Established by ASSA, ASNSW, ASV
 Seen as successor to Royal Anthropological Association
of Australasia
 Objects: ‘‘to promote through co-operative effort “the
science of Anthropology” and “to take public and official
action in the interests of Anthropology, as may be
deemed desirable.”
 Journal: Mankind
 Published by ASNSW (since 1931), now as organ for AAA
 No fixed set of officers
 Rotate among executive councils of affiliated state societies
(later include ASQ, ASWA too)
 Handover at meetings of the Australian and New Zealand
Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS)


Meetings of Section F for Anthropology in association with AAA
No real activities beyond meetings at ANZAAS?
Founding of Anthropological Society
of Western Australia (ASWA, 1958)
 Follow ASNSW model
 Slightly after establishment of Anthropology at UWA
 Initial constitution & by-laws (1959) modelled on
those of ASNSW (1945 version)
 Poised institutionally in intersection of University,
Museum, and Native Welfare Department
 Interim committee:



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
Dr RM Berndt, Centre for Anthropology UWA
Dr WDL Ride, Director of the West Australian Museum
Mr FWG Anderson, Deputy Commissioner of Native
Welfare
Dr Catherine Berndt, Centre for Anthropology UWA
Mr VN Serventy (Sec-Treas), West Australian Museum
Tension in formulation of Aims
 Not first attempt to found such a Society
 Failure to materialise in AO Neville era
 Tension of scientific and
humanitarian/administrative impulses
 Editor of Mankind/Treasurer of ASNSW to RM Berndt:
‘For God’s sake, keep it scientific and discourage
crackpot sentimentalists from joining’
 Need for disciplining expressions of Anthropology in
the state and through the AAA the country as whole

E.g. investigating qualifications of Dr. Hossfeld,
discoverer of Aitape skull in PNG
 Parallel earlier tensions in Ethnological Society of
London
 Humanitarian vs. scientific impulses
Scope and Orientation of
Inaugural Meeting

Speakers at first meeting

Mr FWG Anderson: ASWA as ‘neutral ground’ for interchange of
ideas of value to administrators, esp. in Department of Native Affairs

Subsequent correspondence: fear of ASWA becoming a ‘pressure group’

Professor Joe Lugg (UWA Department of Biochemistry): Relation of
Anthropology & Genetics
 Dr WDL Ride: role of West Australian Museum in regard to
anthropology
 Dr RM Berndt


Maturity of anthropological theory
Problems demanding attention





Aboriginal adjustment to changing conditions

‘Dangling carrot of assimilation’

‘Vexed question of citizenship status’
Indonesian claims to West New Guinea, or West Irian
Dutch-Australian administrative cooperation and the position of the indigenous New
Guinea peoples
Greater understanding by Australians of the cultures and societies of Asian peoples

Generally

Particularly Asian student adjustment in this country
Problems of rapid change and technological emphasis in our own society

Choice in a large number of situations

Tightening of controls in others
Differences from early societies
 Predominant impetus from Academic Anthropology
program
 Secondary influence from State Museum in WA case
 Eventual formation of own Museum in academic context
 Different constituency
 Students> layfolk
 Aim ‘disciplining students’: productive and segregating


‘ASWA started way back when we were undergraduates - when
Peter Lawrence was here (1961?), it just emerged from the
Department. It was a sort of meeting place for people with an
interest in anthrop and sort of forum for talks. It was Uncle
Ronnie’s sort of link with the wider community really; only it
wasn’t that wide, it was mostly students.’
`ASWA included members of the community; it was an attempt to
promote anthropology in the community. Though most of the
members were students; Ron was very keen that honours
students attended meetings…It was an academic society really; I
was quite impressed with it. There were not many members of
the public mainly students, almost all the graduate students and
staff were members.’
Relations with West Australian Anthropology and
Sociology Students Association (WAASSA)
 ASWA subsidising of WAASSA student
journal
 Ilchinkinja
 eidos  Ilchinkinja
 WAASSA subsidising of ASWA functions
 Representation of postgraduate students
in ASWA executive
 Realisation of Elkin’s model of proper
integration into university activities
Developing orientation: ‘Objects’ of the
society in the 1959 Constitution


‘Cribbing’ from ASNSW Constitution
Objects:
(a) To promote the study of General Anthropology with special emphasis on the Australian
Aborigines. The fields to be included are Social and Cultural Anthropology, Physical
Anthropology, Ethnology, Archaeology, Genetics, Linguistics and Semantics.
(b) To provide a common medium and meeting place for people interested in these subjects, and
facilitate the interchange of ideas.
(c) To encourage interest and research in these fields.
(d) To act as a body in matters relating to these topics.
(e) To encourage teaching and research in Anthropology in the University of Western Australia.
(f) To encourage anthropological teaching and research, as well as public interest in the relevant
collections within the Western Australian Museum and assist in the collection of objects for that
Institution.
(g) To take a lively, but informed, interest in matters of native welfare in this State as in Australia
generally. (Constitution and By-Laws of the Anthropological Society of Western Australia
[undated draft, c. 1959]).

Increasing emphasis in development of society on humanitarian/administrative issues
of Indigenous welfare



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Publicising the need for tightened customs regulations and prohibitions on sale of sacred
objects
(Co-)sponsorship of art exhibitions: aesthetic appreciation of Aboriginality
Publicising survey of Aboriginal unemployment and poverty
Eventually, vehicle of influence on drafting of Aboriginal Heritage Act (1972)
Role of ASWA in Demise of AAA (1)
 Early tension concerning urging of members to pay
higher membership fee to include subscription to
Mankind
 Undated circular letter from C.M. Berndt, President (1961-2)
 ‘The journal Mankind is the official organ of the
combined Anthropological Societies of Australia, of
which our own Society is one. It was established in 193536 and, along with the journal Oceania has pioneered the
publication of anthropological materials. At first it was
published only by the New South Wales Anthropological
Society, but other State Societies (as they were formed)
joined the ‘parent’ body… It is vitally important that
members of the different Anthropological Societies
should support what may be regarded as their “own”
journal.’
Role of ASWA in Demise of AAA (2)
 Letter of W.D.L. Ride of Western Australian Museum in
reply:
 I appreciate the views which you have expressed about the
need for support for the journal MANKIND but I see no
reason why we should consider that this should be taken as
a Society matter instead of a matter for individuals to have
to consider in their support of things anthropological. I say
this because MANKIND is not published by the combined
anthropological societies of Australia but by the
Anthropological Society of New South Wales. While I
appreciate that the Anthropological Society of New South
Wales requires support for MANKIND, I can see no reason
why they should consider it is in any way our journal unless
they are prepared to give us a voice in its organization and
editorship and, in return, we should be prepared to pay a
portion of the running costs. Surely the time has come for
us to make a definite stand in this matter.
Role of ASWA in Demise of AAA (3)
 Letter of RM Berndt to ASNSW Secretary after 44th
ANZAAS Congress (Uni of NSW, 1972) [meeting in
which the moves to set up the Australian
Anthropological Society to succeed Association of
Social Anthropologists discussed]
 AAA as a body in name only, with no officers
except those elected by constituent societies
 Mankind published under the auspices of the AAA,
but by and for the ASNSW

Editorial board and other officials all from the University
of Sydney Department of Anthropology
 No decision making role of ASWA in policies of Mankind
Role of ASWA in Demise of AAA (4)
 RM Berndt’s demands for re-organisation for AAA to
reflect opinions and aims of its constitutent Societies:
 Executive Board be elected from the office-bearers of the




constituent societies for a 2-year period. Such a board must
constitute the effective executive committee (Board) of the
Anthropological Societies of Australia and be empowered to
transact its businesss. Need for strict parity of constituent
State societies to transact its business
Executive Board with its newly drawn up Constitution to
meet at least once within a 2-yr. period
Association to take over publication of the journal Mankind
so that it may effectively become the official organ of the
combined societies
Executive Board needs to appoint an editorial committee to
manage and publish journal under its own auspices
Business of journal and its publication should be rostered
among the constituent societies, State-wise along the lines
of the present practice of the American Anthropologist
Role of ASWA in Demise of AAA (5)
 Discussion of overall lack of definition of AAA at its
general meeting at 45th ANZAAS (Perth, 1973)
 Transfer of AAA Council of Management to members of
ASWA
 Passing of resolutions in line with Berndt’s demands by
Council of Management in Perth
 Circular requesting that all societies affiliated to AAA
demonstrate constitutional authority for this
 Resolution to disband AAA after unsatisfactory meeting
at 1975 ANZAAS
 Final disbanding at AAA meeting held at 1977 ANZAAS
 Motion by RH Pearce from ASWA agreed to that ‘since the
Australian Anthropological Association has not functioned
for several years, the constitution be formally terminated
and the books and papers be offered to the National Library,
and the the Editor of ‘Mankind’ be informed of this
resolution and requested to delete all reference to the
Association from the journal. ’
ASWA after 25 years
 Silver Jubilee (1983)
 Particularly celebrate
applied interventions
(e.g. Noonkanbah)
 Strengthening of
orientation to
Indigenous issues

Transition to ‘pressure
group’ status feared by
FWG Anderson?
 Emergence of problems
in disciplining
professional practice

Less emphasis on
disciplining students?
ASWA Interventions in
Noonkanbah
 Historical record emphasise RM Berndt’s intervention:
 ‘That evening Professor Berndt issued a statement that was
the lead story in the West Australian on the morning of 2
April. He demanded a halt to drilling on the station, and
criticised the Government’s repeated direction of the
Museum Trustees. He also called for the appointment of a
specialist group to assist Amax in negotiating with the
Community, and for a Royal Commission to “look into all
matters relating to Aboriginal land rights’. The Western
Australian Anthropological Society [sic] supported his call
and attacked Grayden and the Government.’ (Hawke and
Gallagher, Noonkanbah: Whose Land, Whose Law 1989:
207)
 Contrast with reticence in specific interventions in past

‘Purveyor of expert advice’

‘A priestly role’
ASWA Interventions in
Noonkanbah
Motions tabled and passe at prior ASWA Special meeting called on 31 March, 1980
1
That this Society reaffirms its support of the principle of the need to protect
Aboriginal sites of significance to living people, and furthermore, reaffirms that the
nature of sites should in each instance be determined on the basis of professionally
collected and presented anthropological evidence.
2
That this Society calls on the Minister for Cultural Affairs and the Trustee of the
Western Australia Museum to give effect to the spirit of the Aboriginal heritage Act by
asking AMAX Mining Company to cease operations at Noonkanbah and to reopen
discussions with the Aboriginal community.
3
That in any discussions taking place between the Government, the mining company
and the Aboriginal community at Noonkanbah, the professional advice of
anthropologists and archaeologists be taken into account.
4
That this meeting asks the Executive Committee of the Society to pursue the
recommendations made tonight with the Minister for Cultural Affairs as a matter of
urgency, and to take such additional steps as may be required.
4(i) That this meeting affirm that information about Aborigines derives in the first place
from Aborigines themselves.
4(ii) That this meeting deplore the action of the Government in having ignored the
professional advice of anthropologists in their handling of the Noonkanbah issue.
5
Motion 4(ii) was put again as a substantive motion of the meeting.
6
That the Executive Committee call a further meeting in two weeks time to report on
the outcome of their meeting with the Minister.
Release of these motions as a press statement
Sent to all Indigenous communities in Western Australia and to interested bodies in
the rest of Australia
ASWA Interventions in
Noonkanbah
 Deputation to Minister Grayden on 2 May 1980
 Discussions on possibility of a tribunal to consider
interests of various parties
 Formation of an Aboriginal Heritage Subcommittee
within ASWA (14 April 1980 Special meeting)
 Brief to examine all existing and proposed legislation
relevant to ownership and protection to Aboriginal land

Take note of impending changes to Aboriginal Heritage Act
 Motion urging AAS to to approach Trustees of Western
Australian Museum and Western Australian Government
to urge them to take into account professional advice of
anthropologists in matters concerning Aboriginal people
 Motion to call for donations to support these activities
Tensions between academic and applied
orientations: counterorganisations
 Formation and death of GRASS (Group
Research and Action for the Social
Sciences)
 Attempts to form Australian Association
for Applied Anthropology (AAAA) (53rd
ANZAAS, 1983, Perth)
 Counterproposal and Decision (13
September 1982) to establish The
Professional Association for Applied
Anthropology and Sociology (PAAAS)
Subsidising of activities of ASWA
 Note cards: intersection of public outreach
and political intervention
 Partnership with UWA Anthropology Research
Museum
Demise of ASWA? (1)

Reduction of frequency of meetings

Original monthly format from 1959 (10/yr)


2003-4:
2004-5:
 2005-6:
 2006-7:

3
1
3
0
Declining audiences (levels of engagement)

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Approx. 50 recorded at initial 1958 meeting
Probable peak at time of Noonkanbah meetings
Current range of 15 + 5

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Largely academics from Perth universities’ anthropology programs
General erosion of attendance by academics

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Culture of accountability: Academic criteria of efficiency, exposure and impact

ASWA activities not income-generating for universities (i.e. Development)
Paucity of students except from campus hosting the meeting
Virtual absence of members of general public unless formerly a student in
one of these departments
Demise of ASWA? (2)

Transitions

No longer a forum of engagement with general public

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Ethnographic exposure in infotainment: 4 Corners, Late Line, Asia Pacific,
Message Stick, Foreign Correspondent, Global Village, etc.
Rise of reality TV’s virtual exoticism

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BBC’s ‘Tribe’ and more recent variants in the Netherlands, Australia, etc.
Infotainment:
Up-to-date information on NGO web sites accessed conveniently at will
through the internet
Television as the cause of declining rates of civic participation
(Robert Putnam on ‘social capital’)
Socialisation of younger generations into ‘image’ culture

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Plethora of images, Ways of Seeing (Berger, 1972)
Image as ‘cool’ vs. written and spoken word
Celebrity as source of community, Amusing Ourselves to Death
(Postman 1987)
 Pragmatic/strategic orientation of current university generation?


‘Getting a life’ beyond the bounds of campus
Lifelong education as part-time training to be balanced with other activities
(jobs, etc)

Student life not campus-focussed
Demise of ASWA? (3)
 Exceptions in attendance
 Better attendance at social events than
ordinary meetings with presentations
 Fun & Sociation
 Retention of professional engagement

Indemnity insurance for professional
anthropologists
 Careers night
 In many ways professional orientation of
ASWA as the most capable of survival
Demise of ASWA? (4)
 A greater orientation to the professional orientation
may not be the salvation for ASWA?
 Professionalisation of discipline also subject to
centralisation
 Why have a code of ethics provided for ASWA for
practitioners in Western Australia when already a
code provided by AAS?
 General move from federated structures to
centralised structures of association
 Transition from AAA to AAS in mid-seventies (beg.
1972)

An ironic unforeseen consequence of the very actions of
state associations such as ASWA
Demise of ASWA? (5)
Concluding queries on possible bases
for the continuing existence of ASWA


Is the sub-national state or regional association an institutions whose
time of relevance has passed?
The only regional, non-national associations to belong to the World
Council of Anthropological Associations (WCAA)

Member supra-national regional associations

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International Union of Anthropological and Ethnologicalo Sciences
Association of Social Anthropologists of the U.K. and the Commonwealth
European Association of Social Anthropologists
Latin American Association of Anthropology
Pan-African Anthropological Association
Member sub-national regional associations

Catalan Institute of Anthropology

E.g. Paralleling such non-WCAA associations as:



Catalonia as an autonomous nation within the state of Spain
Ankulegi (ANtropologia, KULtura Eta GIzartea) Elkartea (Anthropology, Culture and Society of
the Basque Region)
The Hong Kong Anthropological Society

Special Autonomous Region (SAR) status for Hong Kong within China
Should we declare an end to ASWA?
or
Do we need to declare Western Australia an autonomous region
so that ASWA may thrive?