Guide to Archives Relating to Borroloola
S.S.Waihou, McArthur River
[Greenwood Gillstrom Collection, photo apparently taken between 1901-1904]
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY, NTRS 1854
Photographs of the Northern Territory 1860 - 1982
photo number 1400
The town of Borroloola, 50 kilometres from the mouth of the McArthur River in the Gulf of Carpentaria, was proclaimed on September 10 1885. Borroloola is situated in the traditional lands of the Yanyuwa, Mara, Karawa and Kurandji people. An understanding of the town’s geographical location will perhaps demonstrate the remote nature of the town – it is situated 1 000 kms south east from Darwin on the Northern Territory side of the Queensland border.
Borroloola is a small town with a colourful past. The often wild and eccentric nature of the town and its inhabitants has been romanticised by popular authors such as Ernestine Hill, Douglas Lockwood, Bill Harney and Ted Egan. The Yanyuwa people divide the contact history of the region into the following six sections – macassan time, "wild times", police times, welfare times, land right times and tourist times. (Richard Baker, Land is Life, 1999).
Borroloola 's population is now approximately 700 people with the majority of these being Aboriginal. Although it remains a service centre for surrounding pastoral properties, the town's main industries are now tourism and mining.
The series of records listed here may not all be immediately available on open public access. NT Archives staff can advise further in this regard.
The listing is divided into three categories:
- Personal archives including personal papers, photographs and oral history interviews
- Non-government organisations
- NT Government and Local Government organisations
Personal Archives
The personal records are listed according to the surname of the person who created or deposited the records with the NT Archives. The series listed in this category predominantly comprise personal papers and photographs.
The oral history records are listed against the name of the person who has been interviewed. The interviews are in the format of tapes, cds and transcripts.
BAIRD, Evelyn
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 154
BIRT, Gordon R.
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 13
NTRS 270 Personal records, autobiography and photographs featuring police life and work throughout the NT 1929-1980
NTRS 1518 Photographic copyprints of Darwin, Katherine and Timber Creek
BLITNER, Gerry
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 17, TS 160
BOWIE, Sydney
NTRS 575 Photographic copyprints of NT Advisory Council and Police Cadetsc.1918-1966
BRIDGLAND, Raymond Reece
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 164
CAIN, William Henry (Bill)
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 170
DAMASO, Babe
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 185
DARCY, George (Wagga)
NTRS 219 Oral history interview TP 602
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 644
DAVIES, J E
NTRS 234 CP 779-790 Photographic copyprints of Alexandria Station and Borroloola 1928
NTRS 1426 Photographic copyprints of Brunette Downs and other stations in the NT 1916-1930
NTRS 1463 Personal photographs of pastoralism and scenes in NT, Nth Queensland and Mt Isa
ELDER, Peter
NTRS 1884 Photographs relating to the first Borroloola Land Claim Hearings by Aboriginal Land Commissioner Justice Toohey 1977
NTRS 1885 Diary relating to the first Borroloola Land Claim Hearings by Aboriginal Land Commissioner Justice Toohey 1977-1978
FRANCIS, John
NTRS 1424 Personal photographs of Borroloola n.d.
GARTON, Len
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 535
HARMANIS, Helene
NTRS 226 Oral history interviews TS 63, TS 414
HARMANIS, Louis
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 62
HARNEY, Bill (Senior)
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 235 ("Harney's War" interview on ABC)
HEATHCOCK, Ruth
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 240
JOHNSON, Joyce
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 69
MAHONY, Kathleen Mary
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 446 (1-2)
McKINNON, Inspector William (Bill)
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 789
MUIR, Hilda
NTRS 226 Oral history interviews TS 290,TS 794
OLIVER, Vena
NTRS 1267 Oral history interview TS 9008
PROBIN, Arnold
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 743
PROBIN, Betty
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 742
SCHULTZ, Carl E.
NTRS 234 CP 618-621 & CP 958-985 Photographic copyprints
NTRS 341 Photographs, papers and diary of experiences c.1925-1942
SHEEHAN, Helen
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 482
SWEENEY, Gordon
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 337
TEECE, Kate
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 652
TRENCHARD, Peter
NTRS 226 Oral history interview TS 717
WAUCHOPE, Alan James
NTRS 702 Photographs of Vic Hall, Alex Bethune and Cordulla Ebaterinja c.1940s
YOUNG, Mayse
NTRS 1434 Photographic copyprints featuring aviation, Aborigines, Darwin and other Top End locations
Non Government Organisations
The record series within this category are listed under the name of the organisation which created or collected the records. Non-government organisations are categorised as non-personal and non-government.
Series entries include the control number (eg NTRS or F), the series title and the date range of records in the series.
Access to records in this category may be subject to conditions applied by the donor.
McARTHUR RIVER INSTITUTE
F 454
1) Minute book 1894,
2) Accession register n.d.,
3) Minute book 1898-1935
F 455
1) Accounts books 1902-1936,
2) Record of loans
F 456
1) Accession register and index n.d.,
2) Record of loans 1927
F 457 Record of loans 1935-1936
F 527 The Times Atlas c.1898
Northern Territory Government and Local Government Organisations
The record series within this category are listed under the title of the NT Government or Local Government Organisation which created the records. In some cases, where the records spanned the control of several organisations, the series will be listed under the title of the transferring organisation. In such cases a list of predecessor organisations is included.
Researchers are advised that access to all records within this category is restricted for 30 years from the year of creation. Some records may remain restricted beyond this period where there are legislative requirements or ongoing privacy issues.
Series entries include the control number (NTRS or F), the series title and the date range of the series.
Please note that there are also records relevant to Borroloola and surrounding area in various general government departmental records eg mining, lands and the Inwards Correspondence to the Government Resident (1870 –1911).
LOCAL COURT - ANTHONY LAGOON
F 531 Case files of Courts of Summary Jurisdiction (Police Magistrate's Courts) received for filing at Anthony Lagoon Local Court from Anthony Lagoon, Borroloola, Lake Nash, Newcastle Waters and Rankine River - annual single number series 1931-1943
F 533 Case files of Court of Summary Jurisdiction (Police Court) received for filing at Anthony Lagoon Local Court from Police Station, Borroloola 1939-1940
POLICE STATION - BORROLOOLA (Commonwealth)
F 265 Inquest book 1889-1930
F 266
1) Register of applications for mineral licences 1888-1903
2) Registered mining tenements (other than mining leases) 1908-1921
3) Record of applications received for mining leases 1910-1922
F 267 Minute book for Courts of Summary Jurisdiction held at Borroloola 1925-1948
F 268 Police journals 1899-1948
F 269 Register of prisoners 1886-1936
F 270 Portion of charge book 1931-1941
F 271 Register of reported felonies 1886-1934
F 272 Summons book 1886-1934
F 273
1) Information book 1908-1933
2) Register of applications for licences 1918
F 274 Register of cattle slaughtered 1886-1930
F 275 Outwards letter book 1886-1921
F 276
1) Prisoners property book 1886-1932
2) Stock returns 1937-1939
F 1321 Charge books 1967-1977
F 1322 Radio log books 1969-1978
POLICE STATION - BORROLOOLA - MINING WARDEN (South Australia and Commonwealth
F 1396 Certificate of application for mining tenements 1888-1890
F 1397 Book of miners' rights 1889-1891
F 1398 Certificate of transfer of mining claims 1890
F 1399 Certificates of registration for suspension of work of claims 1890
F 1400 Certificate of amalgamation c.1912
F 1401 Certificates of amalgamation of leases 1912
F 1402 Certificates of water rights 1912
F 1403 Book of miners' rights 1926-1937
