Australian Visual Histories

This project, led by Professor Jane Lydon, researches, digitises and shares Indigenous photographic archives with descendants in Aboriginal communities across Australia, providing a major Indigenous heritage resource. Aboriginal communities involved in this project have welcomed the research, which aims to re-connect families and communities in the wake of assimilation.

Through international collaborations with European institutions, the UWA-based Berndt Museum and a national network of Aboriginal communities, this project contributes to a shift towards decolonising Australian and international museum policies.

Partner investigators report that the project strengthens their relations with Indigenous communities and that it provides a model for repatriation that informs subsequent projects across the globe. Meanwhile, interest in their collections has significantly increased.

For more information about this project, visit the Returning Photos website or watch the video Calling the Shots: Aboriginal Photographies about the book which was edited by Professor Lyndon.

We welcome contact from Aboriginal communities, cultural institutions and organisations that would like to collaborate in this research. Contact project lead, Professor Jane Lydon, using the details below.

Partners that we collaborate with include: 

• Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge
• Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford
• Musée du quai Branly (France)
• Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen (Netherlands)
• Berndt Museum