Historical Expedition Timeline since 1831
1831 to 1900
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Moreton Bay (Brisbane)
William Holmes. Shot and killed while collecting birds for the museum
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Expeditions to the interior
Thomas Mitchell, surveyor. Donation of scientific specimens in first donation register
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Torres Strait
C.M. Lewis. Donations: Mer arrows only surviving objects after Garden Palace fire
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Antarctic (Erebus)
James Clarke Ross. Donation of scientific specimens, including the egg of an albatross
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North West Australian Expedition
Augustus Charles Gregory. Donation of geological specimens
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Novara Expedition
Ludwig Leichhardt. Imperial Austrian Museum expedition resulted in specimen exchanges and correspondence with G.F. Angus.
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New Guinea
Alexander Morton. Collect valuable addition to types of New Guinea fauna
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Wellington Caves
Robert Etheridge. Explore caves and rivers - discover and collect fossil bones
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Lord Howe Island.
Robert Etheridge & Thomas Whitelegge. Museums’ first scientific survey of Lord Howe Island
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Funafuti (Tuvalu)
Charles Hedley. Collect scientific and cultural specimens with Royal Society Expedition.
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Coast of New South Wales
Edgar Waite & Henry Barnes. Collect scientific specimens from H.M.C.S Thetis.
1901 - 1950
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Torres Strait
Allan McCulloch and Charles Hedley. Collect both natural history and ethnology specimens
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Lord Howe Island
Charles Hedley, Henry Barnes, Clarke, and Allan McCulloch. Diorama expedition.
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Recherche Group
A. F. Basset-Hull, (honorary ornithologist), Henry Grant & J. H. Wright. Collect scientific specimens
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Great Barrier Reef
Frank McNeill, Tom Iredale, Gilbert Whitely, A.A. Livingstone, Boardman. Royal Geographical Society – specimens and field notes
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Harts Ranges, Northern Territory
Thomas Hodge-Smith. Collect mineralogical, petrological, zoological and ethnographical specimens
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Simpson Desert
Harold Fletcher. Madigan Expedition to study the flora and fauna
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Papua New Guinea
Ellis Troughton. Investigate scrub typhus during war service
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Eastern coast of Australia
Elizabeth Pope. She and Isobel Bennett set out to investigate life in the intertidal zone from the Sydney area south; with Prof. William Dakin they extended the investigation north to Brisbane. This research formed the basis for their book, Australian Seashores.
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Timor Sea
Gilbert Whitley. Fishery survey carried out by the C.S.I.R.O. on FRV Stanley Fowler
1950s
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North-West Australia (11,000km trip)
Harold Fletcher, Allen Keast, Norman Camps, Roy Mackay. Australian Museum Scientific Expedition to collect scientific specimens
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Papua New Guinea
Ellis Troughton & Norman Camps. Collect scientific specimens
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Far west New South Wales
Oliver Chalmers, Harold Fletcher, Fred McCarthy, Roy Mackay. Study aboriginal engravings and paintings at Mootwingee, and the minerals and fossils around Broken Hill
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Canowindra
Harold Fletcher & K. Mayfield. Study and collect fossil slabs from the Devonian Period turned up during road work
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New Guinea
Donald McMichael. Complete the period of collecting land molluscs in the island financed by a grant from Yale University and Bernice P. Bishop Museum
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New Caledonia
John Evans. Collect insects and study the biological environment. This visit was financed by a grant from the Science and Industry Endowment Fund, which is administered by the C.S.I.R.O.
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Port Hedland and environs.
Fred McCarthy. Study rock-engravings - financed by a grant from the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research in New York.
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Lord Howe Island
John Evans. Successful search for an insect of exceptional interest
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Coral reefs and islands of the Coral Sea off the Great Barrier Reef
Donald McMichael. Collect scientific specimens from the Royal Australian Navy ship the H.M.A.S. Gascoyne.
1960s
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Cape York Peninsula in Queensland
Basil Marlow, Courtney Smithers, Hal Cogger. Study the wildlife in the area after the ‘wet’ season
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Noumea, New Caledonia
Elizabeth Pope (while on long service leave). Collect a wide variety of marine organisms
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Mulga Downs formation at Mount Grenfell
Harold Fletcher. Found fish remains of Upper Devonian age
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Cobar-Louth area in western New South Wales
Fred McCarthy with two members of the Exhibition Department and the Visual Aids Officer. Record and photograph 31 caves of paintings and excavate three floor deposits
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Swain Reefs
Donald McMichael, John Yaldwyn, Gilbert Whitley, Hal Cogger. Scientific collection expedition financed by David Jones.
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Central Australia
Oliver Chalmers. Australian-American Meteorite Expedition with Dr Brian Mason & Dr Ed Henderson
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Aurukun on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula
Fred McCarthy. Record Aboriginal totemic dances and collect ethnographic specimens for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.
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Auckland Islands, New Zealand
John Yaldwyn. Combined Dominion Museum (New Zealand) - D.S.I.R. Auckland Islands Expedition to collect scientific specimens
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Papua New Guinea
Hal Cogger & David McAlpine. Collect scientific specimens
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Carnarvon Ranges, Mt Moffat & Blackall
Fred McCarthy & Howard Hughes. Study and film rock engravings and paintings
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Inshore areas of the East African coast
Frank Talbot. Collect and observe scientific specimens on the International Indian Ocean Expedition
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Sepia Valley in Papua New Guinea
D. Miles & M. Cameron. Collect ethnographic samples
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Coral Sea
Donald McMichael & John Yaldwin. Collect scientific specimens with the help of the Hydrographic Office of the RAN
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Karkar Island, New Guinea
Hal Cogger. Study the composition, distribution & ecology of reptiles.
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Port Essington in Arnhem Land
Hal Cogger. Collect reptiles with David Lindner for a faunal study of the Coburg Peninsula
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Little Papanui & Kailoura N.Z
Elizabeth Pope. Examine and collect intertidal fauna
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Sir Edward Pellew Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria
Hal Cogger. Carry out a faunal survey in cooperation with and financed by the C.S.I.R.O.
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Western Highlands of New Guinea
J. P. White. Research present day material culture in order to interpret past societies
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Cobar-Louth-Wilcannia area
Alex Ritchie. Recover the largest quantity of well-preserved Devonian vertebrates ever found in eastern Australia
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Northern Victoria
D. R. Moore. Ethnographic investigation for Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies
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New Guinea
Hal Cogger and Gilbert Whitley. Study the comparative biochemistry of vertebrate proteins as part of the National Science Foundation/ University California "Alpha Helix" expedition.
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Lord Howe Island
Courtney Smithers and John Disney. Study and collect insects and birds
1970s
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Madang, the Trobriands and Port Moresby in PNG
Winston Ponder. Collect molluscan specimens - joint Museums expedition
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Cape York, Queensland
Alex Ritchie. Extract a lower jaw of Phascolonus, the giant extinct wombat, from the roof of the cave near Chillagoe
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Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica
Alex Ritchie. Collect Devonian fish as part of the Victoria University’s (Wellington NZ) Antarctic expedition
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Lord Howe Island
Dave McAlpine, Pat Hutchings, John Disney, Mike Gray, Phil Colman. Assist with the fauna survey being made for the Lord Howe Island Board.
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New Caledonia
John Paxton and Phil Colman. Collect scientific specimens in the vicinity of Noumea, from the ORSTOM (Office de la recherche scientifique et technique outre-mer) vessel Coriolis, and from H.M.A.S. Kimbla between New Caledonia and the New Hebrides.
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Far western NSW, northeast South Australia and southwest QLD
Hal Cogger, John Paxton, Des Griffin, W. McReaddie (Honorary Associate). Collect scientific specimens and to further current studies of desert herpetofaunas. Professor A. G. Kluge (University of Michigan) accompanied the expedition.
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Cape York and the Prince of Wales Islands
David Moore. Excavate sites funded by a major grant from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies
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Lord Howe Island
John Disney. Survey the biology of the Lord Howe Island Woodhen. During these trips John Disney was assisted by other staff from the Australian Museum, staff from the National Parks and Wildlife Service of New South Wales and CSIRO Division of Wildlife
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Jemalong Range, west of Forbes, New South Wales
Alex Ritchie. Joint field project with a Platoon of the Australian Army to excavate the site and collect rock bearing Upper Devonian fish fossils. The 5th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment provided 21 men led by Captain E. A. Windsor-Clive for this unusual adventure training exercise.
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Huon Peninsula area of north west New Guinea
Jim Specht. Archaeological reconnaissance and collecting trip. A grant from the Ian Potter foundation enabled a research assistant to accompany him.
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Alligator Rivers region, Northern Territory
Hal Cogger. Continue a herpetofaunal survey in conjunction with the CSIRO Division of Wildlife Research.
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Guadalcanal and Malaita Islands - Solomon Islands
Phil Coleman. Collect marine molluscs using the facilities of the research vessel El Torito, owned by Dr W. Starck (Research Associate).
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Kendrew Island, Dampier Archipelago
Frank Rowe. Joint field trip to monitor populations of the Crown of Thorns with members of the staff of the Western Australian Museum and collected echinoderms for the Australian Museum.
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Papua New Guinea - West New Britain
Jim Specht, Lin Sutherland. Study and collect Lapita pottery.
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Islands in the Torres Strait region
Hal Cogger, E Cameron. Study the distribution and relationships of the fauna of the area funded by an ARGC grant.
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Indonesia
John Paxton. Study luminescent fishes on the Alpha Helix Expedition of Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
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Across Australia
Lin Sutherland & Oliver Chalmers. Collect minerals and meteorites with Dr Brian Mason
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Lizard Island
Diane Brown. Collect corals and crustaceans from the reef, as well as from the mangrove and freshwater habitats on the island.
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Papua New Guinea
Lynne Hosking. Collect pots with Ms Margaret Tuckson
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Malakula, Vanuatu
Kirk Huffman. Collect objects (122) and document non-missionised traditional areas in the interior of Malakula.
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McDonald River
David Moore. Carry out an extensive excavation in a large rock shelter.
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Papua New Guinea
Jim Specht. Archaeological exploration of the history of settlement in West New Britain. Follow up expeditions in 1981 -1982 & 1987 -1988.
1980 to the present day.
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Flinders Ranges
Ron Lampert. Study early aboriginal settlement
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Kimberley and central desert regions of WA
Ron Lampert. Carry out field studies of contemporary material culture
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Western Desert and Papunya
Kate Khan. Study and collect cultural objects
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Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Lissant Bolton with D Lipset, K Barlow. Carry out the Sepik Documentation Project
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Yuendumu, Papunya and associated outstations
Kate Kahn, Ron Lampert. Collect artefacts and paintings
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Port Jackson
Val Attenbrow. Carry out the long-term Port Jackson Archaeological Project
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Malakula and Pentecost, Vanuatu
Yvonne Carrillo-Huffman. Collect objects (23) and document grade taking rituals of south Malakula and Pentecost, at the invitation of communities from south Vanuatu.
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Vanuatu
Yvonne Carrillo-Huffman. In collaboration with the Vanuatu Cultural Centre and Community Representatives from the Umponielongi Cultural Association, document Erromango revival project; also collect related objects (28)
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Lake Sentani and Jayapura, West Papua
Yvonne Carrillo-Huffman. In collaboration with staff from the Abepura National Museum and Malo artists from Sentani, collect and document contemporary Lake Sentani, Jayapura Malo paintings.
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Papua New Guinea
Yvonne Carrillo-Huffman. In collaboration with Goroka University, JK McCarthy museum (Goroka), PNG Agencies and PNG Highlands Community Representatives, collect and document Waghi, Jiwaka Province, Western Highlands & Central Province cultural material for the Rituals of Seduction: Birds of Paradise exhibition project; (65 objects)
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New Zealand
Dion Peita. Collect and document contemporary baskets with Maori artist Lisa Ward.
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Bali, Indonesia
Stan Florek. Collect Kamasan paintings with Siobhan Campbell (PhD fieldwork).
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New Zealand
Dion Peita. Study and collect Maori contemporary baskets.