Friday Talk: Researching the Dennis Gray Collection at the Berndt Museum of Anthropology

Friday 27 November, 1.00pm-2.00pm

Join anthropologist Professor Dennis Gray as he introduces the Dennis Gray Collection at the Berndt Museum and discusses his current work on it.

The Dennis Gray Collection provides a story of the 'Carnarvon Reserve Mob': the people, their social interactions, residential patterns, religious beliefs and practices, and their struggle for better living conditions and education for their children. The collection is largely based on work undertaken between 1975 and 1978, when Gray was an anthropologist with the (then) Western Australian Department of Public Health and completed research for an MA thesis entitled 'Identity among the Carnarvon Reserve Mob'.

The collection includes a copy of Gray’s MA thesis; journal articles; book chapters; a conference paper; and two reports arising from or related to the thesis. It also features a genealogical chart that includes 286 people identified as members of the Reserve Mob who – along with their social activities and relationships – were the subjects of the thesis; photographic images; fieldnotes; audio tapes and transcripts; and a number of artefacts. 

Please note: in keeping with the University's guidelines, space is limited for this event and registration is required. Hand sanitiser will be available at the door and we ask that visitors observe social distancing. If you are feeling unwell, please cancel your booking on Eventbrite or notify our staff at [email protected].

Image: Opening night, Out of the Boxes and Into the Desert, Berndt Museum of Anthropology, 2019. Photograph by Ilkka K Photography.