The Narrinyeri:

TAPLIN (Rev. George).

The Narrinyeri:

WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHIC FRONTISPIECE

An Account of the Tribes of South Australian Aborigines inhabiting the country around Lake Alexandrina, Albert and Coorong…First edition. Albumen print frontispiece showing five Aboriginal portraits. 8vo. Original limp red cloth, spine rubbed, some minor spotting throughout. iv, 107pp. Adelaide, 1874.

£1,500.00

Scarce. The Narrinyeri were a loose confederacy of eighteen tribes based around the Murray lakes. Taplin’s mission to them began in 1859 as the Aboriginal Friends Association’s first missionary-teacher. He quickly learned the language, preached in it and translated bible tracts into it. “He published invaluable anthropological studies which were much superior to contemporary work on South Australian Aboriginals. His papers on philology and ethnology were acclaimed in Australia and abroad” (ADNB).

Taplin later led the first official ethnographical survey of South Australia. This work includes a chapter on language and vocabulary. The frontispiece composite photograph is by Townsend Duryea.

Ferguson 16706; Holden, 106.

Stock No.

212586

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The Narrinyeri:

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