This book was funded by a four-year Australian Research Council Discovery Project, titled Aboriginal Visual Histories, which explored the role of the camera in mediating colonial exchange and incorporated Indigenous perspectives through collaboration with descendants. We thank several researchers for the Aboriginal Visual Histories project between 2008 and 2011, especially Tom Gara for research in South Australia and Sue Stanton for the Northern Territory. Their careful archival research helps form the basis for further work presented here as introductory histories. As co-Chief Investigator, Lynette Russell was a supportive colleague throughout the project. We also thank Rhonda Black of Aboriginal Studies Press for her encouragement and patience. Sari Braithwaite and Megan McKeough obtained image permissions. Many colleagues and friends have provided advice and encouragement throughout the project and we are grateful to them all.
We are grateful to the many institutions and individuals who generously gave us permission to reproduce their photographs, also acknowledged within each separate chapter. We thank the Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts; the Thomson family and the Museum of Victoria; Bill Nicholson and the Wurundjeri Tribe Land Cultural Heritage Council Inc.; Loraine Padgham, Angela Tenbuuren and the Taungurong; the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery; the Trustees of the British Museum; Ronald Briggs and the Mitchell Library at the State Library of New South Wales; the National Library of Australia; Christopher Morton and the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford; Les Simon of the Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council; Tharawal Land Council; Jude McBean and the Grafton Regional Gallery; the Northern Territory Library; Sarah Morgan; Zena Cumpston; Isobel Crombie, Jennie Moloney and Maggie Finch at the National Gallery of Australia; La Trobe Picture Collection at the State Library of Victoria; Gary Murray for the Yung Balug and Dhudhuroa clans; the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation; Michael Treloar; Doris Yuke Collection; John Oxley Library of the State Library of Queensland; Paul Costigan; Queensland Art Gallery; University of Queensland Anthropology Museum; Queensland Museum; South Australian Museum; Ellen and Tom Trevorrow; Walter Richards; Cynthia Hutchison and the Ngaut Ngaut Mannum Aboriginal Community Association; Ayers House Collection, Adelaide; Jamie Carstairs and Hannah Lowery of the Special Collections, University of Bristol Library; Jackie Johnston and the Mill Cottage Museum Collection, Port Lincoln; State Library of South Australia; State Library of Western Australia; Berndt Museum; Northern Territory Library; National Archives of Australia; Ara Irititja; Royal Geographical Society of South Australia; the Elders of Billiluna Pastoral Company; Jill Braithwaite; and Ian Conway.