Blogs

Rare and unique 19th century Japanese items in the AIATSIS Collection

There are several items of Japanese origin held in the AIATSIS Collection including two from the 19th century.

Reuniting a collection of Brinja community material

An extraordinary collection of drawings, sketches, maps and diagrams was uncovered in one of our vaults during a sorting process.

Aboriginal English

Over the years, many Indigenous people have been forced to speak Standard Australian English (AusE) at the expense of ancestral language, Kriol, or Aboriginal English (AbE).

IRX grantees at the Summit 

The 2021 AIATSIS Summit held on Kaurna Country was an opportunity for researchers, Prescribed Body Corporate’s and communities alike to share their experiences and knowledge with others. 

Vale Ian Dunlop

Ian Dunlop was commissioned by the AIAS (Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, the former name of AIATSIS) to create a range of original film material through its film unit which operated from 1962 to 1988.

Jon Altman collection grows

The Jon Altman manuscript collection is one of the most significant and extensive collections held at AIATSIS. Collections staff recently worked with Jon to transfer his third instalment of documents to AIATSIS.

The right to water

The importance of land to Indigenous people has long been recognised in reconciliation efforts, but the cultural, social, spiritual and economic significance of water has received somewhat less attention.

Ocean Guardian – Malu Yawa Garka

Ocean Guardian' (2017), a cast aluminium stingray by Brian Robinson, relays the creation story of the Great Barrier Reef ‘Gunya and the Sacred Fish story’ as told by Gimuy Walabura Yidinji elder Gudju Gudju (Seith) Fourmile in David Attenborough’s documentary Great Barrier Reef (2015). 

Indigenous languages in Australian parliaments

In 2016, Malcom Turnbull made history by being the first prime minister to speak an Australian Indigenous language in a parliamentary speech.

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