Third medical relief expedition, 1920

In 1920 Herbert and Nell Basedow travelled to Marree in north-eastern South Australia to prepare for the third and final medical relief expedition.

The expedition's purpose was to inspect the health of Aboriginal people on pastoral stations between Marree and Charlotte Waters, just over the border in the Northern Territory, and as far as Alice Springs, Hermannsburg and Arltunga. The party was away from May to September. Joining the expedition en route were 17-year-old Frank Feast, who worked as a general assistant, and Arrerika, who looked after the camels.

Aboriginal man Arrerika watering expedition camels, central Australia 1920. Three camels in the image centre drink from a waterhole. Arrerika stands to the right watching them, dressed in trousers, boots, shirt, hat and a cotton scarf around his neck. In the foreground the edge of the waterhole is deeply eroded. In the background are low trees and scrub leading to the horizon. - click to view larger image — Arrerika watering the expedition camels

Arrernte man with badly united fracture on his left leg, Henbury station, Northern Territory 1920. He sits on the ground facing the right of the image. His right leg is tucked up under him; his left leg is extended and bent at the knee. The fracture is just above the ankle. Improper healing has left his lower leg with a permanent backward bend. His left foot rests flat on the ground as though he were standing up. - click to view larger image — Arrernte man with badly united fracture

An elderly Aboriginal man, Henbury station, Northern Territory. He sits on his haunches on the bare, fine soiled ground, facing the low sun beyond the right of the image. He wears a close fitting cap made from emu feathers and human hair string. A customary wooden shield as at his left side while a digging stick lies at his right side. The out of focus background has some scattered boulders leading to the horizon which slopes from right to left. - click to view larger image — Kai Kai, a Western Arrernte man

Aboriginal women and children leaving Hermannsburg church, Northern Territory 1920. The church is to the right of the image, behind two trees. The people leave in a large stream, mostly walking right to left across the image. They all wear European cothing. Two other buildings can be seen in the left background. The bare ground in the image foreground is dimpled, possibly from many footsteps and horse hooves. - click to view larger image — Women and children leaving church

Frank Feast driving an expedition wagon through flooded country, central Australia 1920. The wagon, travelling left to right, is pulled by four camels. It has a cover and open sides; the front of the cover is turned up. Large shallow sheets of water lay on the ground. The wagon is being driven through one of them. In the background is the dead flat horizon, at about two thirds of the way up the image. The wagon and camels straddle the horizon line. - click to view larger image — Frank Feast driving the expedition caravan through flooded country

Expedition camp, with Aboriginal man Arrerika, Nell Basedow and Frank Feast, central Australia 1920. A tree is in the centre of the image. A tent is pitched to the left of the tree and a wagon is parked next to the tent. The people in the image are around a campfire to the right of the tree. Two sit while one stands. Two camels stand off to the far left of the image. In the foreground are circular tracks that appear to go around the tree. - click to view larger image — Expedition camp, with Arrerika (left), Nell Basedow and Frank Feast

Nell Basedow standing at mound springs, Dalhousie, South Australia 1920. Mrs Basedow stands to the left of a long low earth mound that is about two thirds of her height. Its surface has fine grooves cut into it by erosion. Other mounds are in the background. In the far distance is a low gently undulating range of hills. A few scrub bushes about mid-leg high are in the foreground. - click to view larger image — Nell Basedow at mound springs

Alice Springs, Northern Territory 1920. The photo has been taken from a low hill near the town. Trees in the middle distance obscure some buildings. Individual buildings can be seen in the left and right middle distance. Beyond the trees and houses is a low range of hills. In the far background is a larger range that runs across the entire image. Cloudy white spots on the image suggest some sort of damage or ageing in the photographic emulsion. - click to view larger image — Alice Springs

Third medical relief expedition, 1920 5:08

Frank Feast's recollections and photos of the third medical relief expedition, 1920. Read the transcript

The expeditioners travelled in a hooded van drawn by four camels. Along the way, Basedow visited places of scientific and general interest, taking photographs with a glass plate camera and two film-based cameras.

Basedow examined more than 850 Aboriginal people on this expedition, and once again found that those living in settled districts were less healthy than those living away from European influence.

Map outlining the third medical relief expedition, 1920, Northern Territory and South Australia. The expedition routes are shown as white lines against a dull yellow background. Locations such as Marree, Oodnadatta, Charlotte Waters and Alice Springs are shown. The borders of the Northern Territory, South Australia and the south west corner of Queensland are indicated. To the left is a small map of Australia showing the main map area covered.

Map outlining the third medical relief expedition route in 1920 in north-eastern South Australia

Read more on the 1920 May expedition