Prospecting for munition minerals in the Kimberley, 1916

In 1915 a South Australian mining syndicate commissioned Herbert Basedow to investigate a possible ore deposit in the Napier Ranges in the western Kimberley region.

For Basedow the trip presented an opportunity to explore a little-known area of Western Australia. The Australian Museum gave him £50 to extend his travels in the region. In return, Basedow would provide the museum with natural history and geological specimens and Aboriginal artefacts.

An Aboriginal man crawling along the ground wearing a tall headdress, Forrest River, Western Australia 1916. The man is on all fours. His arms and legs bear customary scarification. He wears a dark band of cloth around his waist. The headress sits on his head in a bowl style. It has a long vertical extension ending in some bird feathers. The headdress is coloured with a light material, which forms a spiral pattern going up to the top. - click to view larger image — Kolaia man wearing a headdress worn in a fire ceremony

Aboriginal husband and wife, Whistle and Nellie, standing in front of a wagon, Western Australia 1916. Whistle stands to the left, dressed in a shirt, trousers and hat. Nellie stands to the right, dressed in a pale skirt and jacket with three-quarter length sleeves. A donkey stands with its head between them. Behind is the wagon, heavily laden with provisions. - click to view larger image — Whistle and Nellie

Two men standing on a rocky outcrop, Narlarla, Napier Range, Western Australia 1916. The outcrop is about six metres high, with a rough surface and signs of significant erosion. The two men stand toward the left of the outcrop. They are hard to see in amongst the shadows of the outcrop's surface. A single young tree is in front of the outcrop, in the middle distance. - click to view larger image — Outcrop at Narlarla

A young Worora man paddling on a raft made from mangrove trees, George Water, Western Australia 1916. The raft is made up of eight tree sections tied together. The young man holds a paddle-like implement in one hand; he has his back to the camera. Partly submerged tree trunks are ahead to the left and right. The water's surface is lightly rippled. - click to view larger image — Worora youth on a mangrove tree raft (or ‘kaloa’)

Two men standing at the entrance to Wangalinnya Caves, Napier Range, Western Australia 1916. The cave entrance is made up of fantastic rock formations rising from the ground and hanging from the entrance roof. The formations hang in frond-like formations or appear to grow from the ground. The two men stand to the far right of the image. - click to view larger image — Mr Sherwin and Gilbert St John Sanders at the entrance to Wangalinnya Caves

Wide unpaved street, Derby, Western Australia 1916. On the right is a large tree close to the street's edge. Behind it are some buildings that may be homes. On the right side of the image a fence post stands near a building with verandah. A person stands on the verandah step, facing the camera. In the distance are more large trees and buildings nestling in amongst them. - click to view larger image — Main street of Derby

Waterlilies (Nymphaea nouchali) flowering in a swamp, Barker Gorge, Western Australia 1916. The flowers are held aloft on long stalks and appear to float above the swamp. Large lily pads lie on the water's surface. In the background is the swamp's edge. Rushes blend in with grass and small trees that are part of the scrub beyond the swamp. - click to view larger image — Waterlilies (Nymphaea nouchali)

Close up of Aboriginal rock paintings, Forrest River, Western Australia 1916. The paintings depict animals and customary ancestral markings. Some handprints can be seen at the top right hand corner of the group of images. The rock face is marked by strata separations. Some strata edges protude out from the rock face, forming overhangs which cast shadows. - click to view larger image — Rock paintings

Basedow reached Derby in March 1916, stopping on the way to photograph Aboriginal rock engravings at Port Hedland. From Napier Downs station he inspected the deposit but no minerals of value were found. From Derby he made journeys to Port George IV, and to the Forrest River Mission via Wyndham.

While in the Kimberley, Basedow used a glass negative camera and two film cameras. He took many photographs of Aboriginal peoples as well as the pastoral and mission stations where he stayed.

Map outlining the expedition in 1916. The stylised map shows the expedition routes between Wyndham and Derby in north west Western Australia. White lines show the overland and water routes taken to places such as Sunday Island, Forrest River and Kimberley Downs. A small map of Australia in the top left hand corner shows the main map area covered.

Map outlining the 1916 expedition route through the Napier Ranges and the Western Kimberley region in Western Australia

Prospecting for munition minerals in the Kimberley, 1916

Read more on the 1916 expedition