Person

McBryde, Isabel (1934 - )

Born
16 July 1934
Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
Occupation
Archaeologist

Summary

Isabel McBryde is an archaeologist who pioneered the combining of archaeological and ethnographical research, and whose doctoral thesis was the first awarded in Australia based on archaeological fieldwork. On being appointed to the Department of Prehistory and Ancient History at the University of New South Wales in 1960 she established Australia's first formal training course in archaeology. Much of her research has centred on the archaeology and prehistory of New South Wales. She has published prolifically, her books including A petrological analysis of ground edge artefacts from northern New South Wales (1972) with Ray Binns, and Aboriginal prehistory of New South Wales (1974). McBryde has been active in professional organisations, notably the Australian Institute of Aboriginal (and Torres Strait Islander) Studies and the Australian Archaeological Association. She has also been heavily involved cultural heritage advisory committees, particularly concerning the protection of heritage sites and artefacts.

Details

Chronology

1959
Education - Diploma in Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cambridge
1960 - 1973
Career position - Lecturer in Prehistory and Ancient History (later Associate Professor), University of New England
1964 - 1990
Career position - Foundation Member, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Studies
1966
Education - PhD, University of New England
1966 - 1976
Career position - Member, Prehistory Committee, Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies
1970 - 1980
Career position - Member, Aboriginal Relics Advisory Committee, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
1973 - 2005
Career position - Foundation Member, Australian Archaeological Association
1974 - 1975
Career position - Secretary, Australian Archaeological Association
1974 - 1975
Career position - Senior Lecturer, Department of Prehistory and Anthropology, Australian National University
1975 - 1986
Career position - Reader in Prehistory, Australian National University
1976 -
Career position - Member, Editorial Board, Aboriginal History
1979 -
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of the Humanities
1979 - 1985
Career position - Review Editor, Aboriginal History
1980 -
Career position - Member, Technical Advisory Committee, Australian Heritage Commission
1980 - 2007
Career position - Fellow, Society of Antiquaries, London
1981 - 1983
Career position - Member of Council, Australian Academy of the Humanities
1981 - 1985
Career position - Member, Aboriginal Sites Committee, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
1982
Career position - Vice-President, Australian Academy of the Humanities
1982 - 1988
Career position - Commissioner, Australian Heritage Commission
1985 - 1993
Career position - Member, Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area Consultative Committee New South Wales
1986 - 1989
Career position - Member, Encyclopaedia Britannica Australian Advisory Committee
1986 - 1994
Career position - Professor of Prehistory, Australian National University
1990
Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to education, particularly in the field of Australian prehistory
1991 - 1998
Career position - Member, Aboriginal Education Consultative Committee, Australian National University
1993 - 1996
Career position - Member, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Interim Advisory Committee (New South Wales)
1994
Life event - Retired
1994 - 1998
Career position - Member, Technical and Scientific advisory Committee, Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area
1995 -
Career position - Professor Emerita, Australian National University
1995 - 1996
Career position - Member, Research Advisory Committee, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
1995 - 2001
Career position - Honorary Visiting Fellow, School of Social Sciences, Australian National University
1995 - 2004
Career position - Honorary Visiting Fellow, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
1996 - 1997
Career position - Member, Executive Committee for Australia, ICOMOS
1996 - 2001
Career position - Member, Board of Management, Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park
1997 - 1999
Career position - Member, National Cultural Heritage Forum
2001
Award - Centenary Medal for service to cultural heritage and a distinguished archaeologist
2003
Award - Rhys Jones Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Australian Archaeology, Australian Archaeological Association
2005 -
Award - Life Member, Australian Archaeological Association
2007 -
Career position - Board Member, Institute for Professional Practice in Heritage and the Arts, Australian National University

Related Corporate Bodies

Published resources

Books

  • Griffiths, Billy, Deep time dreaming: uncovering ancient Australia (Carlton, Vic.: Black Inc., 2018), 376 pp. Details
  • Marcus, Julie, First in their field: women and Australian anthropology (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1989), 205 pp. Details

Book Sections

  • Golson, Jack, 'The personality of New England: Isabel McBryde and the dimensions of her regional archaeology' in Many exchanges: archaeology, history, community and the work of Isabel McBryde, Macfarlane, Ingereth with Mountain, Mary-Jane and Paton, Robert, eds (Canberra: Aboriginal History Inc., 2005), pp. 13-34. Details
  • McBryde, Isabel, 'Mathews, Robert Hamilton (1841-1918), surveyor and anthropologist' in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Douglas Pike, ed., vol. 5 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1974), pp. 225-226. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A050256b.htm. Details
  • Mulvaney, John, 'Isabel McBryde: from regional research to national reconciliation and global heritage' in Many exchanges: archaeology, history, community and the work of Isabel McBryde, Macfarlane, Ingereth with Mountain, Mary-Jane and Paton, Robert, eds (Canberra: Aboriginal History Inc, 2005), pp. 3-12. Details
  • Read, Peter, 'Many exchanges, many ripples: the work of Isabel McBryde' in Many exchanges: archaeology, history, community and the work of Isabel McBryde, Macfarlane, Ingereth with Mountain, Mary-Jane and Paton, Robert, eds (Canberra: Abiroginal History Inc., 2005), pp. 138-41. Details
  • Sullivan, S., 'Out of the box: Isabel McBryde's radical contribution to the shaping of Australian archaeological practice' in Many exchanges: archaeology, history, community and the work of Isabel McBryde, Macfarlane, Ingereth with Mountain, Mary-Jane and Paton, Robert, eds (Canberra: Aboriginal History Inc., 2005), pp. 83-94. Details

Edited Books

  • Macfarlane, Ingereth; with Mountain, Mary-Jane; and Paton, Robert eds, Many exchanges: archaeology, history, community and the work of Isabel McBryde (Canberra: Aboriginal History Inc, 2005), 412 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • Bowdler, Sandra and Clune, Genevieve, 'That shadowy band: the role of women in the development of Australian archaeology', Australian Archaeology, 50 (2000), 276-35. Details
  • McBryde, Isabel, 'Frederick David McCarthy, 13 August 1905-18 November 1997: Obituary', Australian Aboriginal Studies, 1 (1998), 51-55. Details

Resources

See also

  • Who's who in Australia 2012 (Melbourne: Crown Content Pty Ltd, 2012), 2430 pp. Details
  • Allen, Harry, 'The first university positions in prehistoric archaeology in New Zealand and Australia', Bulletin of the history of archaeology, 29 (1:2) (2019), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5334/bha-606. Details
  • Lampert, R. J., 'Trends in Australian prehistoric research', Antiquity, 49 (195) (1975), 197-206. Details

Helen Cohn

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"... the rengitj, as a visible mark or imprint on the land, is characterised as a place of origin, the repository of all names, as well as a kind of mapped visual expression of the connection between people and places which is to be carried out in the temporal sequence of the journey." Fanca Tamisari (1998) 'Body, Vision and Movement: In the footprints of the ancestors'. Oceania 68(4) p260