African Research Institute

Under a major grant from the Australian Research Grants Council, Dr Dorward commenced a major research scheme to document the African artefacts in Australia. The aims of the project are to locate and identify African material culture in major public collections, with the intent of creating a national registry similar to that on Oceanic materials compiled over a decade ago with funding from UNESCO and subsequently published as Oceanic Cultural Property in Australia: A pilot survey of major public collections (Sydney: The Australian Museum, 1980) and Pacific Island and Australian Aboriginal Artifacts in Public Collections in the United States and Canada (UNESCO, 1985), compiled by Adrienne L. Kaeppler and Amy Ku'uleialoha Stillman.

During the year, the African collections in the Museum of Victoria, the Australia Museum in Sydney , the Macleay Museum of the University of Sydney, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart were photographed and an integrated computer data base constructed. The data files include detailed descriptions and acquisition information on each of over 6,000 item, catalogued by accession number. Artefacts can be computer cross referenced by category/ type, institution, indigenous culture, country of origin, acquisition details and institution. Artefacts were photographed with scales and accession number on 35 mm colour slides.

An opportunity was taken to make a preliminary survey of African artefacts in the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, while in New Zealand to attend the annual conference of the African Studies Association of Australia and the Pacific in Wellington.

Ken Vernon, Deputy Editor of the Johannesburg Saturday Star, gave a seminar on "The Current Situation in South Africa" at the Institute under the Department of Foreign Affairs Distinguished Visitors programme.

Ms Tendai Bare, Secretary of the Department of Regional and International Cooperation of the Government of Zimbabwe gave a seminar on "Women and Development in Zimbabwe".

Tim Du Plessis, Political Editor of the Afrikaans daily, Die Beeld, and Raymond Louw, Editor of South African Report, were luncheon guests of the Institute as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs Distinguished Visitors programme.

H.E. Mr Gordon Miller, Australian High Commission to Mauritius

Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert, leader of the South African Progressive Federal Party, visited the Institute as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs Distinguished Visitors programme.

Ms Tendai Bare, Secretary of the Department of Regional and International Cooperation of the Government of Zimbabwe

Tim Du Plessis, Political Editor of the Afrikaans daily, Die Beeld, and Raymond Louw, Editor of South African Report, were luncheon guests of the Institute as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs Distinguished Visitors programme.

HE, Mr Ross Burns, the Australian Ambassador to South Africa visited the Institute.

The Director and members of the Institute meet with the chairman of the Nigerian National Council on Inter-Governmental Relations, Professor J.I. Elaigwu, and Dr Babangida Aliyu, Director of Finance and Administration, and H.E., Sheree Krisna Baligadoo, High Commissioner for Mauritius.

The Director also attended a luncheon hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs for Mr Vernon Mwaanga, Foreign Minister of Zambia.

During the second semester Penny Andrews, Department of Legal Studies, served as Acting Director, while the Director, Dr Dorward, was on OSP.

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Dr David Dorward, Director
African Research Institute

e-mail < D.Dorward@latrobe.edu.au >