P005374 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2013-05-01 human Tom Hyde and Helen Cohn updated 2026-05-21 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P005374b.htm person Berndt Ronald Murray AM FASSA AACR2 14 July 1916 2 May 1990 Place of Birth Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Place of Death Wembley, Western Australia, Australia Social anthropologist Ronald Berndt joined the Anthropological Society of South Australia in 1938 and became honorary assistant ethnologist at the South Australian Museum. He studied anthropology at the University of Sydney under Adolphus Peter Elkin. During 1946-1951, Ronald and his colleague and wife Catherine began studying the Aboriginal people in Arnhem Land. The Berndt's were awarded the Royal Society of New South Wales' Edgeworth David medal for their efforts. Ronald completed his PhD as the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1955. He founded the Anthropological Society of Western Australia in 1958 and the journal Anthropological forum in 1963. Berndt was the inaugural Professor of Anthropology at the University of Western Australia from 1963 to 1981. Of the 31 books he wrote or edited, 15 were in collaboration with his wife. The Berndt Museum of Anthropology at the University of Western Australia, founded in 1976, houses the couple's collection of indigenous art. 1943 1943 Education - Diploma of Anthropology, University of Sydney 1948 1982 Award - Fellow, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 1950 1950 Award - Edgeworth David Medal (jointly with Catherine Berndt), Royal Society of New South Wales 1951 1951 Education - Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Sydney 1954 1954 Education - Master of Arts (MA), University of Sydney 1955 1955 Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), London School of Economics and Political Science 1956 1959 Career position - Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, University of Western Australia 1958 1958 Career position - Founder, Anthropological Society of Western Australia 1958 1958 Award - Wellcome Medal, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 1959 1963 Career position - Reader in Anthropology, University of Western Australia 1962 1962 Career position - Member, Social Science Council of Australia 1962 1964 Career position - Inaugural President, Australian Branch, Association of Social Anthropologists of the Commonwealth 1962 1990 Award - Fellow, Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (FASSA) 1963 1981 Career position - Inaugural Professor of Anthropology, University of Western Australia 1964 1990 Career position - Foundation Member, Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies 1972 1973 Career position - President, Royal Society of Western Australia 1979 1979 Award - Medal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 1981 1990 Career position - Emeritus Professor, University of Western Australia 1982 1990 Award - Fellow, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science 1982 1990 Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 1983 1983 Award - Silver Jubilee Medal, Anthropological Society of Western Australia 1987 1987 Award - DLitt honoris causa, University of Western Australia 26 Jan 1987 26 Jan 1987 Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - in recognition of service to anthropology, particularly in relation to the Aboriginal society and culture Edgeworth David Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales (1948 - )

Awarded the Medal 1950

 Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (1964 - 1990)

Foundation Member 1964 - 1990

 The University of Western Australia (1911 - )

Inaugural Professor of Anthropology 1963 - 1981

 Royal Society of Western Australia (1914 - )

President 1972 - 1973

 Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) (1930 - )

Fellow 1982 - 1990

 Medal of the Royal Society of Western Australia (1924 - )

Awarded the Medal 1979

 Berndt, Catherine Helen (1918 - 1994)

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Berndt, Ronald M (19160714-19900502)

Trove

 'Berndt, Ronald Murray', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Berndt, Ronald Murray Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation 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 Resource: Academy Fellows Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Academy Fellows 2025 Journal Article: Professor A. P. Elkin: an appreciation Berndt, Ronald M. Professor A. P. Elkin: an appreciation 1956 Mankind 5 3 89-101 Journal Article: Practical anthropology in Aboriginal Australia: some personal comments Berndt, Ronald Practical anthropology in Aboriginal Australia: some personal comments 1983 Anthropological forum 5 2 161-75 Edited Book: Aboriginal man in Australia: essays in honour of Emeritus Prof. A. P. Elkin Berndt, Ronald M.; and Berndt, Catherine H. Aboriginal man in Australia: essays in honour of Emeritus Prof. A. P. Elkin Sydney Angus & Robertson 1965 Journal Article: Adolphus Peter Elkin, 1891-1979 Berndt, Ronald M.; and Berndt, Catherine H. Adolphus Peter Elkin, 1891-1979 1979 Archaeology and Physical Anthropology in Oceania 14 3 161-7 Journal Article: T. G. H. Strehlow 1908 - 1978 Berndt, Ronald M. T. G. H. Strehlow 1908 - 1978 1979 Aboriginal history 3 1 84-8 Journal Article: T. G. H. Strehlow, 1908 - 1878 Berndt, Ronald M. T. G. H. Strehlow, 1908 - 1878 1979 Oceania 49 3 230-3 Edited Book: Australian Aboriginal art Berndt, Ronald M. Australian Aboriginal art Sydney Ure Smith 1964 Book: Man, land & myth in North Australia: the Gunwinggu People Berndt, Ronald M.; and Berndt, Catherine H. Man, land & myth in North Australia: the Gunwinggu People North Sydney Ure Smith 1980 Book: The world of the first Australians: an introduction to the traditional life of the Australian Aborigines Berndt, Ronald M.; and Berndt, Catherine H. The world of the first Australians: an introduction to the traditional life of the Australian Aborigines Sydney Ure Smith 1964 Journal Article: The Mountford volume on Arnhem Land art, myth and symbolism: a critical review Berndt, Ronald M. The Mountford volume on Arnhem Land art, myth and symbolism: a critical review 1958 Mankind 5 6 249-61 Journal Article: "He has not followed the usual sequence": Ronald M. Berndt's secrets Gray, Geoffrey "He has not followed the usual sequence": Ronald M. Berndt's secrets 2015 Journal of historical biography 16 61-92 Book Section: "I Did Not Set Out to Make a Collection": the Ronald and Catherine Berndt Collection at the Berndt Museum of Anthropology Stanton, John "I Did Not Set Out to Make a Collection": the Ronald and Catherine Berndt Collection at the Berndt Museum of Anthropology Carlton Melbourne University Press 2008 The Makers and Making of Indigenous Australian Museum Collections Peterson, Nicolas, Allen, Lindy and Hamby, Louise 511-31 Journal Article: Re-reading Ronald Berndt: Exploring the Depths of his Yolngu Ethnography Morphy, Howard Re-reading Ronald Berndt: Exploring the Depths of his Yolngu Ethnography 2009 Anthropological Forum 19 1 73-97 Book Section: The end of an era: Ronald Berndt and the German ethnographic tradition Peterson, Nicolas The end of an era: Ronald Berndt and the German ethnographic tradition Canberra Australian National University Press 2017 German ethnography in Australia Peterson, Nicolas and Kenny, Anna 453-77 Journal Article: "Anthropology and sociology were of no value ... in war time": Ronald and Catherine Berndt and war-time security, 1939 - 1945 Gray, Geoffrey "Anthropology and sociology were of no value ... in war time": Ronald and Catherine Berndt and war-time security, 1939 - 1945 2019 Anthropological Forum 29 2 116-33 Journal Article: "You are... my anthropological children": AP Elkin, Ronald Berndt and Catherine Berndt, 1940 - 1956 Gray, Geoffrey "You are... my anthropological children": AP Elkin, Ronald Berndt and Catherine Berndt, 1940 - 1956 2005 Aboriginal History 29 77-106 Journal Article: Ronald and Catherine Berndt: an appreciation Sutton, Peter Ronald and Catherine Berndt: an appreciation 2001 Anthropological forum 11 121-4 Journal Article: Royal Society Medallists, 1979 Anon Royal Society Medallists, 1979 1980 Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 63 1 29-31 Journal Article: The Berndts' mid-century Arnhem Land bark painting exhibition: its legacies Speck, Catherine The Berndts' mid-century Arnhem Land bark painting exhibition: its legacies 2023 Australian historical studies 54 4 625-43 Journal Article: Australian Aboriginal anthropology at the crossroads: finding a successor to A. P. Elkin, 1955 Gray, Geoffrey and Munro, Doug Australian Aboriginal anthropology at the crossroads: finding a successor to A. P. Elkin, 1955 2011 Australian journal of anthropology 22 3 351-69 Book Section: Berndt, Ronald Murray (1916-1990), social anthropologist Tonkinson, Robert Berndt, Ronald Murray (1916-1990), social anthropologist Melbourne Melbourne University Press 2007 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 17: 1981 - 1990 A-K Diane Langmore 91-92 Journal Article: Ronald and Catherine Berndt's fieldwork drawings: material sites of ethnographic encounter Rudhuan, Siti Sarah Ronald and Catherine Berndt's fieldwork drawings: material sites of ethnographic encounter 2022 Anthropological forum 32 2 138-57 Journal Article: Two people - one life: collecting and the marrige of Ronald M. and Catherine H. Berndt Brittlebank, Kate Two people - one life: collecting and the marrige of Ronald M. and Catherine H. Berndt 2008 Australian historical studies 39 1 3-18 Resource Section: Berndt, Catherine, Helen (1918 - 1994), anthropologist and writer Toussaint, Sandy Berndt, Catherine, Helen (1918 - 1994), anthropologist and writer Canberra National Centre of Biography, Australian National University 2021 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 19: 1991 - 1995 A-Z