The Maze of Treasures

The collections that CHL works with is as diverse as itself, from cultural artefacts to obsidian and pollen spores.

The Australasian Pollen and Spore Collection, originating from 1966, is the largest collection of modern pollen and spores from the Australasian and Pacific region, amounting to over 15,000 specimens. The Collection is used as a comparative tool by researchers worldwide, playing a major role in attracting funding for several research projects in fields such as paleo-environmental research, respiratory health and allergens, and the geographical origin of honey.

The Archaeology and Natural History (ANH) Department at CHL also houses approximately 850 specimens of seeds and nuts, hundreds of mammal, bird, reptile, fish and invertebrate (shellfish) specimens, and samples of charcoal and obsidian. Many of these collections are now in the process of being digitised to make them accessible to all online.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Manuscripts Bureau collection is the most extensive collection of non-government primary documentation on the Pacific Islands available to researchers. It copies archives, manuscripts and rare printed material relating to the Pacific Islands. The aim of the Bureau is to help with long-term preservation of the documentary heritage of the Pacific Islands and to make it widely accessible.

The College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) is custodian of 11 collections, representing a veritable bouquet of art, cultural heritage objects and scientific reference material such as sediment core samples, obsidian, mollusc shells, dried plants, seeds, pollen spores and faunal remains from areas as close as Canberra and as distant as Comoros.

This material has been accumulated over several decades through the research and fieldwork activities of generations of researchers. Some items have been acquired as gifts from generous donors. The collections are valuable primary resources of cultural, historical, political and spiritual or scientific significance.

One of the compelling aspects of a cultural heritage collection is, of course, the snippets of history and stories behind the material. Take for instance, the oldest artefacts in the collection—a pair of rootstock clubs, fly swat, walrus tusk, and painted bark cloth from Fiji. They were gifted to the College by Keva Butler, the daughter of Sir William Allardyce (1861–1930), a British civil servant in the Colonial Office in Fiji between 1879 and 1904, including a stint as Acting Governor. Allardyce, by all accounts, acquired a significant personal collection, which, on his departure from Fiji, he deposited with the Suva Town Board. It formed the foundation collection of the National Museum established to preserve examples of Fijian craftsmanship and material culture.

The artefacts gifted to CAP provide a valuable record of traditional specialized skills at risk of dying out. The tusk, in particular, is a rare survivor. Walruses are not found in the waters around Fiji and would have been brought there by a trader. It is strung on a short length of plaited coconut fibre, in imitation of the polished tooth of the sperm whale or tabua, a precious object venerated in Fijian (I Taukei) custom.

Speaking of historic, many would have heard of Murrinhpatha man and artist Nym Bandak (c.1904-1981). But how many people are aware that one of his paintings Body Designs for Ceremony – Murrinh-patha people, is prominently displayed in the H.C. Coombs building?

Nym Bandak’s early life coincided with the unrest caused by colonial activity in northern Australia, following the founding of the port of Darwin in 1869. Pastoralists were establishing cattle stations, mining activity was underway and agricultural enterprises were starting up. To halt the drift of Aboriginal people away from their traditional lands and offer sanctuary from violent frontier conflicts, a Roman Catholic mission station was established at Port Keats (now Wadeye) on Nym Bandak’s country in 1935. The mission promoted Christianity and discouraged Murrinh-Patha ceremonial practices. However, W. E. H. Stanner, an ANU anthropologist and founder of AIATSIS associated with the establishment of the mission, befriended Nym Bandak, and encouraged him to share his knowledge of Murrinh-Patha kinship, cultural values and belief systems. Prompted by Stanner, Bandak recorded various aspects of Murrinh-Patha life in paint. In 1959, Stanner requested a visual record all the major designs of body decoration in the main ceremonies, which led Bandak to produce a series of paintings. These distinctive works were amongst the earliest Aboriginal art to be widely exhibited in Australia and tour the world.

And taking pride of place at the entrance to the Oceania Regional Room in the H.C. Coombs building, is one of the most vibrant works —Hawaiian artist Carol Pao’s Pasifika, painted in 2012. Measuring 6.1 metres x 2.4 metres, the masterpiece depicts what is essentially a ‘mud-map’ representing the island continent Australia and the 48 island groups of the Pacific, stretching all the way to Rapa Nui in the east, and Hawaii in the north. The network of lines between the islands emphasises the connections that have linked the islands together through generations of engagement. Swirling bands of colour in the background allude to the winds that drive the currents, oceans and wind currents of the region.

Carl Pao was Artist in Residence at CAP in 2012, linked to Emerita Professor Margaret Jolly’s ARC Laureate Fellowship project.

Fashioning the Future with History

The vision for the future is to share the stories of the many diverse cultures and people, which is central to what CAP and CHL represent in their research, teaching and community. It is about presenting a tangible connection to the University's past—a window to explore and understand world-class research, teaching, design and innovation.

The objective is also for the collections to be reimagined and actively built upon by researchers, students and First Nations and Asia-Pacific communities to allow for complex, multidisciplinary research and teaching. And it is equally critical as an enabler for ANU to connect to, and engage with, rich networks of researchers, alumni, donors, museums, galleries and communities around the world.

It is no surprise that the corridors and spaces of ANU are dotted with timeless treasures of the past. What will be fascinating to see unfolding over the next few years is how all this heritage fashions a vibrant future to bring so much history to life.