P001944 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn updated 2026-03-31 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P001944b.htm person Tindale Norman Barnett AO AACR2 12 October 1900 19 November 1993 Place of Birth Perth, Western Australia, Australia Place of Death Palo Alto, California, United States of America Entomologist Anthropologist Norman Tindale was best known as an anthropologist but was also a pioneering Australian archaeologist, expert on the Pleistocene geology of Australia, and a distinguished entomologist. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Aboriginal tribal groups and consistently refuted the notion that Aboriginal people, being nomadic, had no enduring relationship with the land. Tindale was among the first to challenge the orthodoxy that Aboriginal presence in Australia was relatively recent. His 1929 excavation with Herbert Hale of a rock shelter at Devon Downs on the Murray River demonstrated prolonged Aboriginal presence and their changing strategies for subsistence in response to environmental change. American physical anthropologist Joseph Birdsell was a long-time collaborator. Tindale bequeathed to the South Australian Museum his voluminous field diaries, genealogical records, drawings and maps, photographic materials, sound recordings and artefacts. His first interest, entomology, was pursued alongside his other professional activities. He published on the on taxonomy, biology and evolution of the more primitive Lepidoptera and Orthoptera, and earned an international reputation for his work on Hepialidae moths. The South Australian Museum also holds his insect collections. 1919 1928 Career position - Assistant Entomologist, South Australian Museum 1926 1926 Career position - Founding Member, Anthropological Society of South Australia 1928 1962 Career position - Curator of Anthropology, South Australian Museum 1933 1933 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Adelaide 1942 1946 Career position - Served with the Royal Australian Air Force deciphering Japanese military codes 1949 1949 Career position - President, Royal Society of South Australia 1952 1966 Career position - Honorary Librarian, Royal Society of South Australia 1956 1956 Award - Sir Joseph Verco Medal, Royal Society of South Australia 1958 Career position - Member, Committee on National Parks and Reserves, Australian Academy of Science 1958 1958 Career position - Visiting Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles 1965 1965 Life event - Retired 1965 1993 Career position - Honorary Research Associate, South Australian Museum 1966 1967 Career position - Visiting Professor of Anthropology, University of Colorado, U.S.A. 1967 1968 Career position - Visiting Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, U.S.A. 1968 1968 Award - Australian Natural History Medallion, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria 1970 1971 Career position - Visiting Professor of Anthropology, University of Colorado, U.S.A. 1980 1980 Award - John Lewis Gold Medal, Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch 1980 1980 Award - DSc honoris causa, Australian National University 1994 1994 Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) (posthumous) for service to anthropology, particularly through the study of traditional Aboriginal society Hale, Herbert Mathew (1895 - 1963) Birdsell, Joseph Bernard (Joe) (1908 - 1994) Board of Anthropological Research (1926 - 1974)

Tindale participated in nine expeditions 1928 - 1935

 Sir Joseph Verco Medal, Royal Society of South Australia (1928 - )

Awarded the Medal 1956

 South Australian Museum (1940 - )

Curator of Anthropology 1940 - 1962; Honorary Research Associate 1965 - 1993; the Museum holds Tindale's anthropological archives and entomological specimens

 South Australian Institute (1856 - 1940)

Assistant Entomologist 1919 - 1928; Curator of Anthropology 1928 - 1940

 Royal Society of South Australia (1880 - )

President 1949

 John Lewis Gold Medal, Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australia Branch (1947 - )

Awarded the Medal 1980

 Australian Natural History Medallion, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (1940 - )

Awarded the Medallion 1968

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Tindale, Norman B (1900-1993)

Trove

 'Tindale, Norman Barnett', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Tindale, Norman Barnett Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book: Bibliography of Australian entomology, 1775-1930: with biographical notes on authors and collectors Musgrave, A. Bibliography of Australian entomology, 1775-1930: with biographical notes on authors and collectors Sydney Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales 1932 Edited Book: Terrible hard biscuits: A reader in Aboriginal history Chapman, Valerie C; Read, Peter Terrible hard biscuits: A reader in Aboriginal history St Leonards, New South Wales Allen & Unwin 1996 Book Section: The "Idea behind the Artefact": Norman Tindale's Early Years as a Salvage Ethnographer Jones, Philip The "Idea behind the Artefact": Norman Tindale's Early Years as a Salvage Ethnographer Carlton Melbourne University Press 2008 Conference Paper: Archivists in Museums: Norman B. Tindale: His Life as an Archive Jones, Philip Archivists in Museums: Norman B. Tindale: His Life as an Archive Adelaide, SA Australian Society of Archivists 1998 Preparing for Tomorrow: Proceedings, Australian Society of Archivists Conference 198-206 Journal Article: "The Opening Chapter of the Romance of Excavation in Australia": Reflections on Norman Tindale's Archaeology Smith, M.A. "The Opening Chapter of the Romance of Excavation in Australia": Reflections on Norman Tindale's Archaeology 2000 Historical Records of Australian Science 13 2 151-160 Resource: Norman B Tindale Norman B Tindale South Australian Museum 2000 Resource: Guide to the Norman B. Tindale Archives Zilio, Francesca and edited by Dr Philip Jones Guide to the Norman B. Tindale Archives South Australian Museum 2000 Resource: Norman B Tindale 1900-1993 Nash, David Norman B Tindale 1900-1993 ANU 1999 Book Section: Milerum (1869?-1941), shearer and Aboriginal ethnologist Tindale, Norman B. Milerum (1869?-1941), shearer and Aboriginal ethnologist Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1986 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 10: 1891 - 1939 Lat-Ner Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle 498-499 Journal Article: Tasmanoid tribes in north Queensland : results of the Harvard-Adelaide Universities Anthropological Expedition, 1938 - 1939 Tindale, Norman B.; and Birdsell, Joseph B. Tasmanoid tribes in north Queensland : results of the Harvard-Adelaide Universities Anthropological Expedition, 1938 - 1939 1941 Records of the South Australian Museum 7 1 1-9 Book Section: Anthropology Tindale, N. B. Anthropology Adelaide Royal Society of South Australia 1986 Ideas and Endeavours - The Natural Sciences in South Australia C. R. Twidale; M. J. Tyler and M. Davies Journal Article: A South Australian Looks at the Beginnings of Archaeological Research in Australia Tindale, Norman B. A South Australian Looks at the Beginnings of Archaeological Research in Australia 1982 Aboriginal History 6 June/December 92-110 Journal Article: Notes on some human remains in the Lower Murray Valley, South Australia Hale, H. M.; and Tindale, N. B. Notes on some human remains in the Lower Murray Valley, South Australia 1933 Records of the South Australian Museum 4 2 145-218 Journal Article: The celestial lore of some Australian tribes Tindale, N. B. The celestial lore of some Australian tribes 1983 Archaeoastronomy 12/13 358-79 Book: Aboriginal tribes of Australia : their terrain, environmental controls, distribution, limits and proper names Tindale, Norman, B. Aboriginal tribes of Australia : their terrain, environmental controls, distribution, limits and proper names Canberra Australian National University Press 1974 Journal Article: Results of the Harvard-Adelaide Universities Anthropological Expedition, 1938 - 1939: distribution of Australian Aboriginal tribes - a field survey Tindale, Norman B. Results of the Harvard-Adelaide Universities Anthropological Expedition, 1938 - 1939: distribution of Australian Aboriginal tribes - a field survey 1940 Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 64 1 140-231 Journal Article: Aborigines of Princess Charlotte Bay, North Queensland, part 1(-2) Hale, H. M.; and Tindale, N. B. Aborigines of Princess Charlotte Bay, North Queensland, part 1(-2) 1933/4 Records of the South Australian Museum 5 1/2 64-172 Journal Article: Obituary for Norman Barnett ("Tinny") Tindale born Perth, October 12, 1900, died Palo Alto, California, November 19, 1993, aged 93 Jones, Philip Obituary for Norman Barnett ("Tinny") Tindale born Perth, October 12, 1900, died Palo Alto, California, November 19, 1993, aged 93 1994 Aboriginal History 18 1/2 5-8 Journal Article: Two remarkably parallel careers Mulvaney, D. J. Two remarkably parallel careers 1980 Australian Archaeology 10 96-101 Thesis: "The proper breadth of interest": Norman B. Tindale, the development of a fieldworker in Aboriginal Australia 1900 - 1936 Walter, Karen D. "The proper breadth of interest": Norman B. Tindale, the development of a fieldworker in Aboriginal Australia 1900 - 1936 Australian National University 1988 Journal Article: Artefacts and collectors in the tropics of north Queensland Erckenbrecht, Corrina, Fuary, Maureen, Greer, Shelley, Henry, Rosita, McGregor, Russel and Wood, Michael Artefacts and collectors in the tropics of north Queensland 2010 Australian Journal of Anthropology 21 350-66 Journal Article: Tindale's Antakirinja and the search for the "real Western Desert natives" Monaghan, Paul Tindale's Antakirinja and the search for the "real Western Desert natives" 2015 Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia 39 73-101 Book Section: Style and substance: McCarthy versus Mountford and the emergence of an archaeology of rock art 1948 - 1960 Clarke, Anne; Kay, Sally K.; Frederick, Ursula K.; and Johnston, Iain G. Style and substance: McCarthy versus Mountford and the emergence of an archaeology of rock art 1948 - 1960 Canberra ANU Press 2022 Histories of Australian rock art research Taçon, Paul C.; May, Sally K.; Frederick, Ursula K.; and McDonald, Jo 11-25 Journal Article: Norman Tindale's research legacy and the cultural heritage of indigenous Australians McCaul, Kim; and Roberts, Amy [editors] Norman Tindale's research legacy and the cultural heritage of indigenous Australians 2015 Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia, special edition 39 1-175 Thesis: The proper breadth of interest: Norman B. Tindale: the development of a fieldworker in Aboriginal Australia 1900-1936 Walter, Karen D. The proper breadth of interest: Norman B. Tindale: the development of a fieldworker in Aboriginal Australia 1900-1936 Australian National University 1988 Journal Article: Wing-commander Tindale RAAF 284483 Zilio, Francesca Wing-commander Tindale RAAF 284483 2015 Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia 39 147-75 Journal Article: Cartographic ethnogenesis: Tindale's invention of the Jadira tribe in the Pilbara region of Western Australia Burke, Paul Cartographic ethnogenesis: Tindale's invention of the Jadira tribe in the Pilbara region of Western Australia 2015 Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia 39 102-26 Journal Article: Norman Tindale and native title: his late appearance in the Jango case Sutton, Peter Norman Tindale and native title: his late appearance in the Jango case 2015 Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia 39 26-72 Journal Article: The legacy of Norman B. Tindale at Princess Charlotte Bay: Lamalama engagement with museum collections Rigsby, Bruce; Allen, Lindy; and Hafner, Diane The legacy of Norman B. Tindale at Princess Charlotte Bay: Lamalama engagement with museum collections 2015 Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia 39 26-72 Journal Article: Wing Commander Tindale RAAF284483 Zilio, F. Wing Commander Tindale RAAF284483 2015 Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia 39 147-75 Journal Article: Making the rainforest Aboriginal: Tindale and Birdsell's foray into deep time McGregor, Russell Making the rainforest Aboriginal: Tindale and Birdsell's foray into deep time 2016 Memoirs of the Queensland Museum - culture 10 9-21 Journal Article: Language group maps and contemporary identities: Tindale's legacy in the central Murray Riverine district O'Kane, Michael; and Hodgson, Katrina Language group maps and contemporary identities: Tindale's legacy in the central Murray Riverine district 2015 Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia 39 127-46 Book: Deep time dreaming: uncovering ancient Australia Griffiths, Billy Deep time dreaming: uncovering ancient Australia Carlton, Vic. Black Inc. 2018 Journal Article: Norman B. Tindale - 12 October 1900 - 19 November 1993 - an obituary Jones, Philip G. Norman B. Tindale - 12 October 1900 - 19 November 1993 - an obituary 1995 Records of the South Australian Museum 28 2 159-76 Journal Article: South Australian anthropological history: the Board for Anthropological Research and its early expeditions Jones, P. G. South Australian anthropological history: the Board for Anthropological Research and its early expeditions 1987 Records of the South Australian Museum 20 71-92 Journal Article: Walter Victor Macfarlane 1913-82 McIntyre, A. K. Walter Victor Macfarlane 1913-82 1985 Historical Records of Australian Science 6 2 247-265 Journal Article: Everything you've been told about the history of Australian archaeology is wrong Spriggs, Matthew Everything you've been told about the history of Australian archaeology is wrong 2020 Bulletin of the history of archaeology 30 1:3 1-16 Book: The moth hunters: Aboriginal prehistory of the Australian Alps Flood, Josephine M. The moth hunters: Aboriginal prehistory of the Australian Alps Canberra Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies 1980 Norman B. Tindale Archives South Australian Museum Archives Norman B. Tindale Archives AA338 1921 - 1991 Norman B. Tindale's collection documents his professional research as a South Australian Museum anthropologist and later as a visiting Professor at the University of California in Los Angeles and the University of Colorado during retirement. Tindale's expedition journals became the backbone of his documentation containing daily meticulous scientific observations. These observations served as a primary resource to document specimens and on Aboriginal tribal groups for his 1974 publication and map 'Aboriginal Tribes of Australia'. To the main series of expedition journals, Tindale added desk journals and volumes containing notes and compilations on various subjects. As supporting documentation to the journals, Tindale created and collected supplementary papers that including maps, drawings, Aboriginal vocabularies and genealogies, crayon drawings by Aboriginal people, anthropometric and sociological data cards, audiovisual material, photographs and artefacts. 100 m Artwork, Audio, Film, Objects, Photographs, Slides, Wax Cylinders, Maps, Negatives Norman Barnett Tindale - Records National Library of Australia Oral History Collection Norman Barnett Tindale - Records DeB 65 1930 - 1960 Oral history recording with Hazel de Berg 1960, c3 minutes, 1 page transcript [DeB 65]. 1 reel Audio