This article examines the ethnological writing about the Wadi Wadi people undertaken by squatter Peter Beveridge in the 1850s and 1860s. In the north of the colony of Victoria, both Beveridge and the Wadi Wadi laid claim to the land upon which they lived. In this ambiguous space, lengthy and close relationships developed between Beveridge and Wadi Wadi people with information and experiences shared. Valuing the knowledge of Wadi Wadi people, Beveridge was able to adapt and challenge aspects of the British ethnological ideas through which he framed his analysis of Wadi Wadi life. The article explores specifically Beveridge's response to the 1841 Queries Respecting the Human Race. It appears that Beveridge purposefully ignored the questions on Physical Characters and recognised spiritual belief as an integral part of Wadi Wadi daily life.
The Archaeology of Australia's Deserts is a masterpiece. Mike Smith offers the output of a life of research dedicated to the Australian deserts in a contribution far beyond the limits suggested by the book's title. In this essay, I will review some aspects of the book, focusing on two issues that provide a wonderful basis for comparative archaeological research on the deserts of the world. But first some context is needed.I am an archaeologist from South America (Argentina) working in the Patagonian deserts and have an interest in the development of comparative approaches to the evolution of desert landscapes and peoples across the globe. A comparative thinker by nature, Smith stirred this field up by organising the '1st Southern Deserts Conference'(Fig. 1), which took place in Canberra in 2003 and produced two published compilations, true jewels of desert archaeology worldwide. 1 This interdisciplinary endeavour continues to this day and the '4th Southern Deserts Conference' will take place in
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