Aborigines of Victoria : With Notes Relating to the Habits of the Natives of Other Parts of Australia and Tasmania Compiled from Various Sources for the Government of Victoria

Smyth, Robert Brough

ISBN 10: 1108006574 / ISBN 13: 9781108006576

Published by Cambridge University Press, 2010

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 10620409-n

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Aborigines of Victoria : With Notes Relating to the Habits of the Natives of Other Parts of Australia and Tasmania Compiled from Various Sources for the Government of Victoria
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1108006574
• ISBN 13: 9781108006576
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Robert Brough Smyth (1830–1889) was a successful Melbourne-based mining engineer and civil servant who spent 16 years as Secretary of the Board for the Protection of the Aborigines. In this study of the society and customs of indigenous Australians in the Victoria region, first published in 1878, he combines his own observations with those of others who lived or worked closely with the Aboriginal population. The principal focus of volume 2 is language. Smyth discusses the similarities and differences between regional dialects, grammatical rules and the use of sign language, and the vocabularies of different regions. The nine essays by European settlers which form the appendices explore a variety of anthropological topics and shed light on the complex relationship that existed between the indigenous Australian population and the European immigrants. A final chapter outlines the customs and characteristics of the Aborigines of Tasmania.

Book Description

The second volume of this 1878 compilation focuses on Australian Aboriginal languages, comparing the dialects and vocabularies of different regions. The book also includes nine essays by European settlers on a range of anthropological topics, and a final chapter outlines the customs and characteristics of the Aborigines of Tasmania.