Guide to the Papers of Robert Hamilton Mathews

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MS 8006, MS Acc09.011

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator
Robert Hamilton Mathews
Title
Papers of Robert Hamilton Mathews
Date Range
1866-1984
Collection Number
MS 8006, MS Acc09.011
Extent
5.28 metres (33 boxes + 1 small folio box + 1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Special Collections (Manuscripts)

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The main collection of papers at MS 8006 consist almost entirely of material relating to Mathews' anthropological research on the customs, social life and languages of the Australian Aborigines.

The papers fall into two main categories: first, original manuscript material; and second, a collection of reprints of articles on Australian Aborigines by Mathews, many of which contain manuscript annotations and inserts.

The first category, which accounts for just over half of the total shelf metres, includes diaries, correspondence, notebooks, working notes, drafts, photographs and some personal documents. Also included amongst this material is some biographical and bibliographical data on Mathews that was assembled by the anthropologist A.P. Elkin during the 1940s. At that time Elkin was planning to write a biography of Mathews and, for this purpose, had custody of the Mathews Papers for some years. During this time Elkin arranged the papers to suit his own purposes and interfiled with them some of his own material. According to Janet Mathews, Elkin did not return to the family all of the Mathews Papers that had been lent to him.

Aside from the correspondence, the most significant component of the papers is a collection of over thirty notebooks on aspects of Aboriginal anthropology. Some of these notebooks appear to have been compiled in the field.

Further papers, mostly relating to Mathews family history, were added in 2009.

Conditions Governing Access

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property permission required for Indigenous material, permission from relevant communities required.

Please contact the Library via Ask a Librarian for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

Due to the cultural sensitivities contained within this material, the National Library of Australia does not have permission to authorise any copies or reproductions of this collection at this stage.

Once the Library has consulted and worked with the appropriate Indigenous community / communities to review the material and ensure that culturally appropriate access and use procedures are in place, some copies of this material may be authorised.

Please contact the Library via Ask a Librarian for more information.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Robert Hamilton Mathews, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file number]'.

Provenance

The R.H Mathews Papers were presented to the National Library by Mathew's granddaughter-in-law, Janet Mathews, in 1987.

Further papers were added by the Mathews family in 2009.

The Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW (Sydney), also holds some R.H Mathews Papers.

Arrangement

When processing the papers, National Library staff decided to maintain the arrangement that Elkin had devised. Beyond that, the papers have been organised by Library staff into eight series based on form of material.

The component of the papers to which Elkin paid most attention is the correspondence, which consists of over 500 letters. Mathews corresponded with a large number of people interested in Aboriginal anthropology, including Reverence John Mathew, Carl Strehlow, Daisy Bates and Charles Winnecke. Elkin organised the letters Mathews received into groupings corresponding with the geographic region discussed in the letters. For example, letters discussing Aboriginal tribes in Victoria are filed together. Elkin itemised the correspondents for each region. An alphabetical index of correspondents' names can be found in the attached Appendices (see the Related documentation section).tab)

Cultural Sensitivity Advisory Notice

Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other First Nations people are advised that this collection may contain names, recordings and images of deceased people and other content that may be culturally sensitive. Please also be aware that you may see certain words or descriptions within these works which reflect the author's attitude, or that of the period in which the works were created, and may now be considered inaccurate, inappropriate or offensive.

Collection Retrieval Advice

Please note: each consignment in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there are multiple Box 1's). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.

Biographical Note

Robert Hamilton Mathews was born in 1841 at Narellan, New South Wales. After Qualifying as a licensed surveyor in 1870, he spent twenty years surveying northern New South Wales and was based initially in the New England region and, later, in Singleton. In 1889 he moved to Parramatta where he acted as deputy coroner and wrote Handbook to magisterial inquiries and coroners' inquests, which was issued in several editions. During the time he spent surveying in northern New South Wales he developed an interest in traditional Aboriginal life and customs, an interest which he pursued with vigour after his retirement from surveying in the early 1890s. For the next twenty years he researched and wrote on the social life, customs and languages of various Aboriginal tribes from all Australia. During this time he travelled widely, interviewing informants and conducting field research, and he corresponded extensively with a large number of amateur anthropologists. Between 1890 and 1910 he published over 150 articles on the Australian Aborigines in Australian and overseas anthropological and scientific journals. He had planned to produce a single large scale work on the Australian Aborigines, but this was not completed when he died at Parramatta in 1918. R.H Mathews as the father of the ornithologist Gregory Mathews.

(See: Australian Dictionary of Biography, volume 5)

Item Descriptions

Class MS 8006. Original consignments

Series 1. Diaries 1879-1913

Diary, 1879-90 (contains one or two line entries for each day) (File 1) - Box 1 (MS 8006)
Diaries, 1893-1908, 1911-13 (File 2) - Box 1 (MS 8006)

Series 2. Correspondence, 1893-1918

An alphabetical index of correspondents is available in PDF form (refer to the Appendices attachment in the Related Documentation section).

Correspondence re Aboriginal tribes in South Australia, 1898-1900 (File 1) - Box 1 (MS 8006)
Western Australia, 1899-1906 (File 2) - Box 1 (MS 8006)
Western Australia - Kimberley Region, 1899-1907 (File 3) - Box 1A (MS 8006)
Northern Territory, 1893-1908 (File 4) - Box 1A (MS 8006)
Queensland, 1898-1912 (File 5-6) - Box 1A (MS 8006)
New South Wales, 1894-1908 (File 7) - Box 2 (MS 8006)
New South Wales - Central West and North West, 1895-1908 (File 8) - Box 2 (MS 8006)
Victoria, 1898-1902 (File 9) - Box 2 (MS 8006)
Letters from Daisy Bates, 1905-11 (File 10) - Box 2 (MS 8006)
Letters from John Mathew, 1895-1909 (File 11) - Box 2 (MS 8006)
Letters re Aboriginal carvings, paintings and ceremonial stones in Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, 1894-1914 (File 12) - Box 2 (MS 8006)
General and personal correspondence, 1893-1918 (File 13) - Box 2 (MS 8006)

Series 3. Notebooks, 1872-1910

Surveyor's notebook, New South Wales, 1872-1873 (Item 1 - Item 1) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Surveyor's notebook, New South Wales, 1872-73
Pocket notebook. RH Mathews, Surveyor. Hassall St. Parramatta (Item 1 - Item 2) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Pocket notebook. RH Mathews, Surveyor. Hassall St. Parramatta
Field Book No. 1. Rock paintings and carvings by Aboriginals (Item 2 - No. 1) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Field Book No. 1. Rock paintings and carvings by Aboriginals
Field book 'No. 2'. Possibly part of title, "Man and Woman, Bobbin Rock" (Item 2 - No. 2) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Field book 'No 2'. Possibly part of title, "Man and Woman, Bobbin Rock
Notebook marked 'No. 3 Caves' (Item 3 - No. 3) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Notebook marked 'No 3 Caves'
Field Book No. 5. Rock pictures of the Aborigines (Item 3 - No. 5) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Field Book No 5. Rock pictures of the aborigines
Aboriginal languages of Victoria. Notebooks marked '1'. Includes Yarra, Kurnai, Wimmera, and other languages (Item 4 - vol 1) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Aboriginal languages of Victoria. Notebooks marked "1". Includes Yarra, Kurnai, Wimmera, and other languages
Aboriginal languages of Victoria. Notebook marked '6. Languages NSW Victoria' (Item 4 - vol 2) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Aboriginal languages of Victoria. Notebook marked '6. Languages NSW Victoria'
Thurga and Jirringan languages. Notebook marked '2'. Includes Jirringagn, Kamilaroi, Kogai, Anewn, Kumbainggerum and other languages (Item 5 - no 2) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Thurga and Jirringan languages. Notebook marked '2'. Includes Jirringagn, Kamilaroi, Kogai, Anewn, Kumbainggerum and other languages
Notebook marked '5. Thurga and Jirringan Languages' (Item 5 - no 5) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Notebook marked '5. Thurga and Jirringan Languages'
Thurawal and Kamilaroi languages. Notebook marked '3'. Largely about Kamilaroi language (Item 6 - no 3) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Thurawal and Kamilaroi languages. Notebook marked '3'. Largely about Kamilaroi language
Thurawal and Kamilaroi languages. Notebook marked '4. darling River and Cobar notes. Thurawal Lang' (Item 6 - no 4) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Thurawal and Kamilaroi languages. Notebook marked '4. darling River and Cobar notes. Thurawal Lang'
Darkinoong and Wiradjuri (Item 7 - no 7) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Darkinoong and Wiradjuri
Languages, initiation ceremonies, organisation, etc (Item 7 - Criterion Hotel) - Box 3 (MS 8006)
Languages, initiation ceremonies, organisation, etc
The Burbang of the Wiradjuri tribes of the Murrumbidgee (Item 8 - Book 1) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
The Burbang of the Wiradjuri tribes of the Murrumbidgee
The Bora of the Gooringai tribes (Item 8 - Book 3) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
The Bora of the Gooringai tribes
Gundibloui bora (Item 8 - Book 2) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
Gundibloui bora
Bora of the Kamilaroi tribes (Item 9 - Book 4) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
The Murrawin ceremony of the Upper Macleay River tribes (Item 9 - Murrawin) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
Initiation ceremonies of the Bellingen River tribe (Item 10 - Bellingen R) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
The Tooara, Queensland (Item 10 - Tooara) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
The Bunan Ceremony of Initiation No 2 (Item 11 - No 2) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
No. 1. Initiation Ceremonies of the Gundagai tribe, a Section of the Wiradthuri Community (Item 11 - No 1) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
Initiation ceremonies - general (Item 11 - Initiation general) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
No. 5. The Bora held at Gundabloui (Item 11 - No 5) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
The Intiation Ceremonies of the Lachan River Tribes - Wiradthuri Community. RH Mathews (Item 12 - Lachlan River) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
Kamilaroi Bora. Book No. 1 (Item 12 - Book 1) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
Initiation Ceremonies of the New England Tribes. RH Mathews (Item 12 - New England) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
No 4. Note Book of Aboriginal Initiation Ceremonies of Wiradthuri Tribe. RH Mathews (Item 12 - No 4) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
No 2. Initiation ceremonies of the Upper Murrumbidgee Tribes. Wiradthuri Community (Item 13 - No 2) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
The Bunan Ceremony of Initiation No 1 (Item 13 - No 1) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
Myths and Traditions of the Australian Aboriginals (Item 13 - Myths) - Box 4 (MS 8006)

Series 4. Working notes

Notes on Aboriginal phallic rites; division of tribes/blood relationships; and notes on the Thurawal and South Coast tribes (File 1) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
Notes on Aboriginal languages (File 2) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
Largely unsorted working notes, maps and rough drafts on various aspects of Aboriginal anthropology, mostly undated, c. 1890-1910 (File 3) - Box 4 (MS 8006)
Largely unsorted working notes, maps and rough drafts on various aspects of Aboriginal anthropology, mostly undated, c. 1890-1910 (File 7) - Box 5 (MS 8006)

Series 5. Drafts

Drafts of, and extracts from, Aboriginal tribes of New South Wales and Victoria (File 1-2) - Box 6 (MS 8006)
Drafts of papers on Aboriginal languages (File 3) - Box 6 (MS 8006)
Drafts on initiation ceremonies, etc (File 4-5) - Box 6 (MS 8006)
Drafts on tribe formation and social organisation (File 6) - Box 6 (MS 8006)
Drafts on tribe formation and social organisation (File 9) - Box 7 (MS 8006)
Drafts on myths and folklore (File 10) - Box 7 (MS 8006)
Drafts on Aboriginal rock art (File 11) - Box 7 (MS 8006)
Miscellaneous drafts re Australian Aboriginal anthropology (File 12-14) - Box 7 (MS 8006)

Series 6. Photographs

Series 7. Miscellaneous papers, 1870-1946

Papers re Mathews' work as a magistrate, 1887-1902 (File 1) - Box 8 (MS 8006)
Appointments, certificates, licenses, etc. re Mathews' work as a surveyor and magistrate, 1870-1904 (File 2) - Box 8 (MS 8006)
Holograph draft of "The Aboriginal Tribes of New South Wales" by ALP Cameron (File 3) - Box 8 (MS 8006)
Biographical/genealogical material on Mathews assembled by A. P Elkin - includes research notes; correspondence, 1942-46; and original Mathews Family documents (File 4) - Box 8 (MS 8006)
Bibliographical material on Mathews assembled by A. P Elkin (File 5) - Box 8 (MS 8006)
Maps: Blackheath and Medlow Bath, 1908 North Sydney and Mosman, c.1900 Copy of The Customs and traditions of the Aboriginal natives of North Western Australia by J. G Withnell, 1901 (File 6) - Box 8 (MS 8006)

Series 8. Publications and reprints, 1890-1910

Unsorted collection of reprints and issues of Australian and overseas journals containing Mathews' articles on anthropology, many of which contain manuscript annotations and insertions. Some of the reprints are collected into leather bound volumes.

An item list of the contents of this series is available in PDF form - refer to the attached Appendices (under the Related Documentation section).

A list of published works by R.H. Mathews is also available in PDF form (refer to the attached Appendices in the Related Documentation section).

Box Locations for Series 8

Subseries 1: Items 1-124 - Box 9

Subseries 1: Items 125-233 - Box 10

Subseries 1: Items 234-386 - Box 11

Subseries 1: Items 387-530 - Box 12

Subseries 1: Items 531-535 - Box 13

Subseries 2: Items 536-545 - Box 13

Subseries 3: Items 546-569 - Box 13

Subseries 4: Items 570-589 - Box 14

Subseries 5: Volumes 1-5 - Box 15

Subseries 1. Publications and articles by Mathews - Box 9 - 13 (MS 8006)
Subseries 2. Miscellaneous papers, mainly handwritten - Box 13 (MS 8006)
Subseries 3. Publications by others - Box 13 (MS 8006)
Subseries 4. Journals - Box 14 (MS 8006)
Subseries 5. Bound volumes of Mathews' publications - Box 15 (MS 8006)

Class MS Acc09.011. Consignment added 2009

Series. Family history folders (W W Mathews files)

William W Mathews - Kings School (File) - Box 1 (MS Acc09.011)
Mathews Millfield (File) - Box 1 (MS Acc09.011)
Untitled - family history (red binder) - William Salt Archaeological Society (transcripts etc). (File) - Box 1 (MS Acc09.011)
Correspondence - some genealogical (burgundy binder) - family history transcriptions (File) - Box 1 (MS Acc09.011)
Untitled - genealogical notes - grey binder - Dictionary of National Biography - family history transcriptions (File) - Box 1 (MS Acc09.011)

Series. Photographs

Album - Wagga Christmas, 1897 (File) - Box 2 (MS Acc09.011)
Album - Family portraits - mainly CDV - binder with clip (File) - Box 2 (MS Acc09.011)
Small Album - binder with gold embossed flower - Family portraits - CDV - unidentified (File) - Box 2 (MS Acc09.011)
Album - presentation volume in lined case - family portraits (File) - Box 3 (MS Acc09.011)

Series. Family history papers

Volume - Wills & Admons in Standaff Probate Registry - 1600-1825 [263] - family history transcriptions (File) - Box 4 (MS Acc09.011)
Diplomas and Awards (File) - Box 4 (MS Acc09.011)
Photographic portraits (File) - Box 4 (MS Acc09.011)
Legal papers - Mathews family - will etc. (File) - Box 5 (MS Acc09.011)
Genealogical Papers (File) - Box 6 (MS Acc09.011)
Parish Plans (File) - Box 6 (MS Acc09.011)
Folder - includes photographs H B Mathews - biographical information (File) - Box 8 (MS Acc09.011)
Brass presentation plate - "Presented to Miss G Mathews" (Red Cross Society) (File)
Frank Mathews ? / Gregory Mathews / H B Mathews (File) - Box 8 (MS Acc09.011)
Francis Mathews - certificates (File) - Box 8 (MS Acc09.011)
Black and white photographs in orange box (File) - Box 9 (MS Acc09.011)
Bundle of photographic portraits (File) - Box 9 (MS Acc09.011)
R H Mathews books (File) - Box 9 (MS Acc09.011)
F M Mathews (File) - Box 9 (MS Acc09.011)
Family history papers - folder including notes on the Mathews (by father David Mathew of Cardiff) - copy made by F M Mathews, 1933 (File) - Box 9 (MS Acc09.011)
Book - R H Mathews (File) - Box 10 (MS Acc09.011)
Naming of Mathews Building (photograph) - Dr F M Mathews (photographs of) and copy of his speech at the opening (File) - Box 10 (MS Acc09.011)
W W Mathews bibliographies (File) - Box 10 (MS Acc09.011)
Family history papers (Burkes Peerage) (File) - Box 10 (MS Acc09.011)
Notebook 1903, Janet Mathews map, 1903 (File) - Box 11 (MS Acc09.011)
Later family history papers (File) - Box 11 (MS Acc09.011)
"The spirit of life" by Janet Mathews (File) - Box 11 (MS Acc09.011)
Elenor Smith (green folder) (File) - Box 11 (MS Acc09.011)

Series. W W Mathews papers

W W Mathews - correspondence & school papers (File) - Box 6 (MS Acc09.011)
H B Mathews - King School (File) - Box 6 (MS Acc09.011)
Georgie Mathews, Gregory Mathews (File) - Box 6 (MS Acc09.011)
Bibliography of articles on the custom of its Australian aborigines - R H Mathews (File) - Box 6 (MS Acc09.011)
Scrapbook - Matilda Mathews (?) (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc09.011)
Miscellaneous papers - estate papers E C Mathews etc; Family history papers and photographs (File)
M R Mathews (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc09.011)
Photographs (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc09.011)
Diplomas (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc09.011)
Austie Correspondence from Papa (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc09.011)
W H Mathews correspondence (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc09.011)
R H Mathews (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc09.011)
Prospectus and loose papers (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc09.011)
Photographs (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc09.011)
R H Mathew - Audio tape (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc09.011)

Series. Janet Mathews papers

The Aboriginal spirit of life: this does not die / Janet Mathews, 1984 (File) - Box 11 (MS Acc09.011)
Bark and Barter: Aborigines and life and craft (red folder) (File) - Box 11 (MS Acc09.011)
The Aboriginal sprit of life (yellow folder) (File) - Box 11 (MS Acc09.011)
Hamilton Bartlett Mathews (File) - Box 11 (MS Acc09.011)
Selected photographs for The Aboriginal spirit of life (File) - Box 11 (MS Acc09.011)
Scrapbook - M Mathews, 1855 (File) - Box 12 (MS Acc09.011)
Report re - Welsh (File) - Box 12 (MS Acc09.011)
Janet Mathews concert (File) - Box 12 (MS Acc09.011)
Birmingham & Midland Institute (File) - Box 12 (MS Acc09.011)
Colour photographs - Janet Mathews, 1970 (File) - Box 12 (MS Acc09.011)
AIS - Field tape report sheets (File) - Box 12 (MS Acc09.011)
The emu of the plains - by Janet Mathews (File) - Box 12 (MS Acc09.011)
Blob (File) - Box 12 (MS Acc09.011)
Blob II (File) - Box 12 (MS Acc09.011)
Photographs of description of Murwwari weapons (File) - Box 12 (MS Acc09.011)
Fossils and families - Janet Mathews (File) - Box 13 (MS Acc09.011)
Foreword - "This is the fourth in a series" [draft] (File) - Box 13 (MS Acc09.011)

Series. R H Mathews papers

R H M Petty account books and notebook (File) - Box 13 (MS Acc09.011)
R H Mathews, Sep 1866 (File) - Box 13 (MS Acc09.011)
R H Mathews - surveyors notebook (File) - Box 13 (MS Acc09.011)
Business cards (File) - Box 13 (MS Acc09.011)
Bible and hymn book (File) - Box 13 (MS Acc09.011)
Photographic portraits (File) - Box 13 (MS Acc09.011)
Frank Mathews - notebook (File) - Box 14 (MS Acc09.011)
Letters - W W Mathews (File) - Box 14 (MS Acc09.011)
Kings notebook (File) - Box 14 (MS Acc09.011)
Photographs (File) - Box 14 (MS Acc09.011)
John Sands Directory (File) - Box 14 (MS Acc09.011)

Part 1 of 3 - see parts 2 and 3 in Folio Box 21.

Photographs (File) - Box 14 (MS Acc09.011)

Series. Family history notebooks and related papers

Compiled by William Washington Mathews (second-youngest son of R H Mathews).

Family history notebooks (File) - Box 15 (MS Acc09.011)
Family history notebooks (File) - Box 16 (MS Acc09.011)
Family history notebooks (File) - Box 17A (MS Acc09.011)
Family history notebooks (File) - Box 17B (MS Acc09.011)
Family history notebooks (File) - Box 18 (MS Acc09.011)
Family history notebooks (File) - Box 19 (MS Acc09.011)
Pedigree of the Mathews family (File) - Box 20 (MS Acc09.011)
Legal deeds and other material including correspondence and lockets (File) - Folio-Box 21 (MS Acc09.011)

Includes three lockets previously located in Box 13 but now rehoused in Box 21; also 1860s correspondence originally located in the John Sands box in Box 15 but now rehoused in Box 21 as Parts 2 and 3 of 3.


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