A Century at the Centre: Spencer, Gillen and The Native Tribes of Central Australia
In 1999 it was 100 years since the publication of the extremely influential Baldwin Spencer and Frank Gillen book, The Native Tribes of Central Australia, which remains an academic and popular classic. When originally published, it was heralded as a breakthrough in anthropological description, quickly becoming fodder for the development of social and psychological theories about both Aboriginal peoples and humans generally. Material from The Native Tribes of Central Australia was cited extensively by Freud, Frazer and Durheim (to name but a few).
In addition, the book became the primary reference point for popular conceptions of Aboriginality, being widely used by Australian writers as a source of inspiration and imagery. The book is still widely used as an academic and popular text and its authors have been the subject of much recent historical investigation.