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Issue Details: First known date: 1862... 1862 Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'William Blandowski was an explorer, natural scientist and artist who led a Victorian government expedition to the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers from 1856 to 1857. This is the first publication in English of his nineteenth century illustrated encyclopaedia of Aboriginal life.' (Source: LibrariesAustralia)

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Teachers' notes via publisher's website.

Notes

  • In 1862, William Blandowski published an illustrated account of his Australian expeditions, particularly the Philosophical Institute of Victoria’s expedition to the Murray River, which Blandowski led.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

First known date: 1862
    • Canberra, Australian Capital Territory,: Aboriginal Studies Press , 2010 .
      image of person or book cover 2964858695561723810.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: viii, 188 p.p.
      Description: illus. (some col.)
      Note/s:
      • English translation by Lillian Barton and Melanie Wittwer.
      • Contributions by Mark Dugay-Grist, Luise Hercus and Brook Andrew.
      • Includes editor's notes, bibliographical references and index.
      ISBN: 9780855757175 (hbk), 0855757132 (pbk), 0855757175 (hbk), 9780855757137 (pbk)

Works about this Work

[Review Essay] Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life Khadija Carroll , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Aboriginal Studies , no. 1 2012; (p. 105-108)

— Review of Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life William Blandowski , 1862 reference

'Despite…unifying factors, the tribes remained distinct and had their own languages. However, there is one feature they [the peoples of Sunraysia] all shared and which they shared with other languages further up the Murray such as the WembaWemba and the Wati-Wati: the reduplicated names of the tribes/languages mean ‘no-no’ (p.170).

'The above translation from the no-no or NerriNerri language of the romanticised ‘never-never land’ is at the heart of Wilhelm von Blandowski’s encyclopaedia of 1860. Blandowski’s native German and the interpretations of the NerriNerri, such as linguist Luise Hercus’ translation of the names of the tribes/languages, are translated into English and published for the first time. It is in the context of a handful of re-evaluations of Blandowski’s archives as records of this colonial explorer’s Indigenous informants that this book from Aboriginal Studies Press (ASP) makes a major contribution. From a publisher that focuses on Indigenous voices, this illustrated encyclopaedia of Australia can be seen as source material to understand many aspects of Aboriginal life, such as land management and ceremony. The Director of ASP, Rhonda Black, says she did not want the new edition to look like a quaint picture book but, instead, wanted to surround it with Indigenous voices.' (Introduction)

[Review Essay] Australia: William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia Robert Haworth , 2012 single work essay
— Appears in: Journal of Australian Colonial History , no. 14 2012; (p. 296-297)

— Review of Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life William Blandowski , 1862 reference

'This thoroughly entrancing volume falls somewhere between an antiquarian treasure and a nineteenth century graphic novel. It is also possibly the best and most valuable ethnographic work of the last two centuries. Most of it consists of worked up photographs with explanatory captions, depicting intimate and intricate details of Aboriginal life in the lower Murray in the 1850s recorded by the eccentric Polish-German researcher William Blandowski and his team. Blandowski worked among Aboriginal people at a critical time, while the old ways still persisted despite the encroachments of the pastoralists.' (Introduction)

Historical Journeys Stephen Gapps , 2011 single work review
— Appears in: History Australia , vol. 8 no. 3 2011; (p. 223-225)

— Review of Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life William Blandowski , 1862 reference
Book Reviews : Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life Diana Young , 2011 single work review
— Appears in: The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , no. 40 2011; (p. 125-126)

— Review of Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life William Blandowski , 1862 reference
So Much That is New : Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia John Kean , 2011 single work review
— Appears in: Artlink , June vol. 31 no. 2 2011; (p. 88-89)

— Review of Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life William Blandowski , 1862 reference
Sign Language Nicolas Rothwell , 2010 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 11-12 September 2010; (p. 6,8)

— Review of Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life William Blandowski , 1862 reference
Non-Fiction Fiona Capp , 2010 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 9 October 2010; (p. 26)

— Review of Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life William Blandowski , 1862 reference
Quixotic Adventurer's Rare Records Stephen Saunders , 2010 single work review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 27 November 2010; (p. 27)

— Review of Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life William Blandowski , 1862 reference
So Much That is New : Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia John Kean , 2011 single work review
— Appears in: Artlink , June vol. 31 no. 2 2011; (p. 88-89)

— Review of Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life William Blandowski , 1862 reference
Book Reviews : Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life Diana Young , 2011 single work review
— Appears in: The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , no. 40 2011; (p. 125-126)

— Review of Australia : William Blandowski's Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Life William Blandowski , 1862 reference
What's in a Name? Fame or Notoriety for Explorer Steve Meacham , 2010 single work column
— Appears in: The Age , 3 September 2010; (p. 10) The Sydney Morning Herald , 3 September 2010; (p. 9)
Last amended 17 Sep 2019 12:22:07
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