Records about Aboriginal people

 


UNION AND ORGANISATION RECORDS

The records of many unions and organisations include files about Aboriginal organisations and issues. The items listed below are just a sample.

 

Amalgamated Metal Workers Union

Aborigines – Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement, 1970–78 (Z102/30)

 

Association of Architects, Engineers, Surveyors and Draughtsmen of Australia, Federal Council Aborigines Strike Fund, 1967 (E192/9/4)

 

Australian Council of Salaried and Professional Associations

Aborigines, 1964–70 (E215/19, 49)

 

Australian Council of Trade Unions

Correspondence with unions – WA and Darwin, 1929–40 (N21/48)

Secretary’s subject files – Aborigines, 1946–71 (N21/362 & 662, N68/1–3)

North Australian Workers Union, 1946–69 (N21/625, 2030–32)

Congress minutes, 19.9.63 and 16.9.65 (S784/2–3)

 

Australian Railways Union

Tas Branch – Aborigines, 1958–68 (E231/99, N11/1)

SA Branch – Aboriginal Education Foundation of SA, 1968–69 (N79/461)

 

Australian Teachers Federation

Education for Aborigines seminar, 1966 (E223/25)

Aboriginal education, 1966–73 (E275/1–2)

 

Australian Workers Union

Pastoral Industry Award, AWU v. Pastoralists’ Federal Council of Australia, 1917 (N117/560)

 

Clothing and Allied Trades Union of Australia, Federal Office

General correspondence, 1965 (N84/205)

 

Federated Engine Drivers & Firemen’s Association, New South Wales Branch

Aboriginal rights, 1977–83 (N72/1226–27)

 
Federated Furnishing Trade Society

SA Branch – ACTU Congress 1963, Aborigines – equal wages (N98/32)

 

Federated Miscellaneous Workers Union

Aborigines – FCAATSI and other organisations prior to 1972 (Z370/79)

Aboriginal advancement, 1962–75 & Aboriginals – Northern Territory, 1963–73 (Z370/80)

North Australian Workers Union – minutes and correspondence, 1971–76 (Z370/12)

 

Federation of Scientific and Technical Workers, Victorian Branch

Correspondence with Aboriginal organisations, 1946–56 (A14/8/6)

 

New South Wales Farmers Association

Aboriginal land rights, 1964–82 (N92/843–45)

 

New South Wales Teachers Federation

Aborigines, 1965–75 (N111/1–8)

FCAATSI, 1965–73 (N111/9–16)

 

North Australian Workers Union

Correspondence, 1942–44 (E170A/1)

 

Seaman’s Union of Australia

Fremantle Branch – correspondence and clippings, 1945–57 (E183/17/9)

Federal Office – Aborigines, 1961–78 (N38/61–65)

Victorian Branch – Aborigines, 1966–72 (Z263/1)

Council for Aboriginal Rights, 1957–65 (Z263/12)

Sydney Branch – Aborigines, 1970–78 (Z91/95)

 

Sheetmetal Working, Agricultural Implement and Stovemaking Industrial Union of Australia

Papers of TW Wright, NSW Branch Secretary and Federal President – Aboriginal organisations,
1960–72 (E206/1)

Federal Council meeting, May 1964 (E245/33)

 

South Australian Institute of Teachers

Education of Australian Aborigines (N91/264)

 

Union of Postal Clerks & Telegraphists, Executive Council, Sydney 

Thompson case, 1970–71 (E226/98–100)

FCAATSI, 1964–72 (E226/389–92)

 

Waterside Workers Federation

Aborigines – FCAATSI, 1963–66 (N114/489)




Waterside Workers Federation (cont.)

Aborigines – land rights – Gurindjis, 1972–74 (N114/490)

Aborigines, 1976–80 (Z432/24)

Aborigines – employment, 1964–65 (Z432/24)

Aborigines – land rights, includes Noonkanbah dispute, 1965–82 (Z432/24)

Sydney Branch photograph – Aborigines demonstrating for equal rights (Z248/80)

Sydney Branch pamphlets on Aborigines (Z248/69)

 

 

COMPANY RECORDS

The Noel Butlin Archives Centre holds records of a number of Australian pastoral companies and stations where Aboriginal people lived and worked. We also have comprehensive maps to identify stations and a complete set of the Australian Pastoral Directory to track ownership of stations. Some examples of company records are:

Australian Agricultural Company

Brunette Downs Station files on Aboriginal/Native payments, 1963–71 (Z354/1 & 5)

 

Australian Estates Pty Ltd

Eva Downs Pastoral Co native wages books,

1963–68 (Z200/79)

Creswell Downs Pastoral Co native wages books, 1959–68 (Z200/83A)

Walhallow Pastoral Co Pty Ltd native wages book, 1961–68 (Z200/87)

 

Bovril Estates Ltd

‘Native Ledger’ – Victoria River Downs Station, 1932–50 (87/5)

Statements of wages paid to Aboriginal station and domestic workers on Victorian River Downs Station, 1951–52 (42/12)

Papers relating to Aboriginals and their employment, 1945–48 (42/14)

Papers relating to Aborigines employed on Victoria River Downs, 1954–60 (87/18)

Aboriginal employment – printed regulations and reports, 1945–51 (119/11)

 

Dalgety Ltd

Correspondence between London Office and WA Branch, 1899 (N8/90)

 

Elder, Smith and Company

Mt Eba Station ledgers, 1879–1900 (8/212/2–7)

 

Fletcher Bros

Ularunda Station, Queensland: labour contracts, 1929–38 (14/3/3) and wages, 1928–32 (14/4/17)

 

 

 




McKillop & Sons Pty Ltd

Buddha Station, Narromine, wages and rations, 1871–78 (Z376/17)

 

Peel River Land and Mineral Company

Correspondence from United Graziers Association on employment of Aborigines, 1922 (115/50)

 

 

PERSONAL PAPERS

 

J E Coleman collection

Aborigines, 1971–74 (P119/3)

 

Keith Hancock collection

Aborigines – letters, notes, printed material,

1890–1969 (P96/11)

 

Michael Hess collection

Documentary material of 1946 Pilbara pastoral workers strike, 1946–50 (Z522)

 

Geoff McDonald collection

Aborigines – World Council of Churches (N94/837–844)

Aboriginal Land Rights (N94/868–887)

Aboriginals – leaflets, 1976–84 (N94/930, P94/54/1)

Aborigines, 1968–85 (N94/1416–1428)

Publications – Aboriginals, 1950–84 (N94/503–521, N94/1551)

 

J Normington Rawling collection

Pamphlets, 1915–39 (N57/1292–1304)

 

Dr John Playford collection

Council for Advancement of Aborigines – circulars (P14/13/20)

Aborigines – news cuttings, 1968–72 (P124/536)

Aboriginals, 1968 (P128/150)

 

Tom Wright collection

Aborigines, 1964–65 (P120/983)

Pamphlets re Aboriginals, 1933–67 (Z267/1–2)

Press cuttings re Aboriginals, 1946–76 (Z267/6)

Personal file on Aborigines, 1940–55 (Z267/8)

 

 

SERIALS

 

Australian Abo Call, Nos 1–6, Aborigines Progressive Association, 1938 (S1149)

 

Aboriginal Affairs Information Paper, 1962–66 (S6)

 

Smoke Signals, Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, 1960–67 (S404)