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Research Staff Dr. John Bradley

John Bradley

Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director
Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies (CAIS)

Room 211
Building 55 Clayton Campus

Tel: +61 3 990 54206
Fax: +61 3 990 20321

Email: John.Bradley@arts.monash.edu.au

Biography

I have been actively involved in issues associated with Indigenous Natural and Cultural Resource Management for 28 years. The majority of this research has been undertaken in the southwest Gulf of Carpentaria with particular emphasis on the marine and island environments of the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands, the country of the Yanyuwa people. My research has concentrated on knowledge systems and issues associated with how best to build ‘epistemological bridges’ and commensurable exchange between the science of the western tradition and Indigenous knowledge. Much of this work has dealt with the value of intangible heritage and how it can be utilised in regard to joint protection of both biological species and heritage sites. My most important contributions to this field has been in regard to ethno-biology, Indigenous language maintenance, land and sea rights and documenting Indigenous knowledge. I have successfully produced a number of publications in these fields. In 2004 and 2006 I was selected with three other Australian academics in the field of Natural and Cultural Resource Management to be on the Technical Advisory Group for the Indigenous Ecological Knowledge scoping study for the National Aboriginal and Islander Land and Sea Management Alliance at the Charles Darwin University. My work and commitment in this area is on going and involves undertaking consultancies in regards to land and sea and cultural management and has most recently involved the trialling of animation as an effective method of recording intangible heritage and as a teaching device within schools. This has involved working with the Yanyuwa people in the storyboarding of 400 kilometres of song lines and 30 other major texts with a view to animation. I speak two Indigenous languages, Yanyuwa and Kriol and can hear Garrwa. I am presently rewriting the Yanyuwa encyclopaedic dictionary. I have also undertaken research in other parts of northern Australia and in 2003 I was the National Australian Bank-Yachad Australian Research Fellow, where I undertook research with the Ethiopian Community of Israel. I am also a member of a UNESCO panel that is concerned with the future of Indigenous Knowledge in the 21st century.

Qualifications

Professional Activities

Member - Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

Background

Research Interests

Publications

Bradley, J.  (in press). When a stone tool is a dingo: Country and relatedness in Australian Aboriginal notions of landscape. In B. David and J. Thomas (eds), Handbook of Landscape Archaeology, Left Coast Press, Walnut Creek.

Bradley, J. in press “Singing through the sea”: Song, Sea and Emotion in Sylvie Shae and Andrew Francis (eds) Deep Blue: Reflections on Nature, Religion and Water Equinox Publishing, London.

Bradley, J. and E. Mackinlay 2007 Singing the Land, Singing the Family: Song, Place and Spirituality in Fiona Richards (ed) The Soundscape of Australia: Music, Place and Spirituality. Ashgate Publishing Ltd. United Kingdom pp 75-92

Bradley, J. 2006 ‘Same Time Poison, Same Time Good Tucker': The Cycad Palm in the South West Gulf of Carpentaria in Leigh Dale and Margaret Henderson (eds) Terra Incognita: New Essays in Australian Studies. JAS Australia’s Public Intellectual Forum. No. 86.

Bradley, J. and Devlin-Glass, F. 2006 Western Maps/Yanyuwa Meaning: an Interview with John Bradley in The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, University of Queensland, pp 90-101.

Bradley, John J. 'Same Time Poison, Same Time Good Tucker': The Cycad Palm in the South West Gulf of Carpentaria [online]. Journal of Australian Studies; Issue 86; 2006;[121]-133. Availability:<http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn= 170919652564634;res= E-LIBRARY> ISSN: 1444-3058. [cited 13 Jun 07].

Bradley, J. 2005 The Social, Economic and Historical Construction of Cycad Palms among the Yanyuwa in Bruno David, Ian McNiven and Bryce Barker (eds) The Social Archaeology of Indigenous Societies: Essays on Aboriginal History in Honour of Harry Lourandos Aboriginal Studies Press.

Bradley, J and Kearny, A. 2005 Landscape with Shadows of once Living People: Kundawira and the Challenge for Archaeology to Understand in Bruno David, Ian McNiven and Bryce Barker (eds) The Social Archaeology of Indigenous Societies: Essays on Aboriginal History in Honour of Harry Lourandos Aboriginal Studies Press.

Bradley, J. and Seton, K. 2005 “Under the Act” Land Claims, Colonial Authority and Indigenous Representation. B. Hocking (ed) Unfinished Constitutional Business. Aboriginal Studies Press.

Bradley, J. and Tamisari, F. 2005 Place and Event in A.Minelli, G.Ortalli, G.Sanga (eds) Animal Names Instituto Veneto Di Scienze Lettere Ed Arti, Plazzo Loredan,Campo Santo Stefano, Venice.

Bradley, J. 2005 Book Review, “Waves of Memory by Nonie Sharp in Australian Historical Studies, University of Melbourne.

Books

Bradley,J., Yanyuwa families and Nona Cameron 2003 “Forget About Flinders” An Indigenous Atlas of the Southwest Gulf of Carpentaria. J.M McGregor Ltd Queensland (Limited Edition)

Bradley, J. 1988 Yanyuwa Country: The Yanyuwa people of Borroloola tell the history of their land. Greenhouse Publication, Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria

Monographs

Bradley, J., Holmes, M., Norman, D., Isaac, A., Miller, J. and Ninganga, I. 2006 Yumbulyumbulmantha ki-awarawu (All kinds of things from Country) Yanyuwa Ethnobiological Classification, Ngulaig. Monograph series of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit University of Queensland

Bradley, J. and Mackinlay, E. 2000 Songs from a plastic water rat: An Introduction to the musical traditions of the Yanyuwa community of the South West Gulf of Carpentaria. N.T. Ngulaig Journal, University of Queensland.

Articles and Book Chapters

Bradley, J and Seton, K. 2004 “When you have no Law you are nothing” Cane Toads, Social Consequences and Management Issues. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology. 5:3 pp205-225

Bradley, J. 2004 Kidnapped Back Home in Hilda Muir, Very Big Journey: My life as I remember it. Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra pp.140-153

Bradley, J. and Mackinlay, E., 2003 Many Songs, Many Voices, Many Dialogues: Yanyuwa performance practices in a remote Aboriginal Community. Rural Society, Vol. 14. No2 pp228-243

Bradley, J. and Mackinlay, E., 2003 Of mermaids and Spirit Men: Complexities in Categorisation of Two Aboriginal Dance Performances at Borroloola. N.T The Asian Pacific Journal of Anthropology 4 (1) pp1-23

Bradley, J. 2001 Landscapes of the Mind, Landscapes of the Spirit. In R. Baker, J. Davies and E. Young (eds) Working on Country: Contemporary Indigenous Management on Australia’s Lands and Coastal Regions. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Pp.295-304

Bradley, J. 2000 Country of Our Spirit. Yanyuwa land and seascapes in Michael Crozier (ed) Gardens and landscapes, SAQ South Atlantic Quarterly. Duke University Press, Durham, North Carolina pp801-816-

Bradley, J. 2000 Lhukannguwarra. A claim to the intertidal zone from the Robinson River Mouth to Bing Bong Creek Mouth, Including the beds and banks of the McArthur River to King Ash Bay, Crooked River and Carrington Channel. Northern Land Council, Darwin. (note this volume is fully refereed by two senior academic anthropologists)

Bradley, J., Devlin-Glass, F. and Mackinlay, E., 1999 Diwurruwurru: Towards a New Kind of Two Way Class Room in The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education. University of Queensland, Vol 27, No.2 pp 24-26-A – 40%

Bradley, J.1998 “We always look north”. Yanyuwa Marine Tenure, in Nicholas Peterson and Bruce Rigsby (eds) Customary Marine Tenure. Oceania Monograph University of Sydney pp125-141 –A

Bradley, J. 1998 “Men Speak One Way, Women Another in Jenny Coats (ed) Language and Gender: A Reader. Roehampton Institute, Blackwells, London pp.26-35

Bradley, J. 1989 “What would a whitefella know…?” Western Science-Indigenous Science and Marine Science in Kennet, R. (ed) Marine Turtle Conservation and Management in Northern Australia. Proceedings of a workshop held at the Northern Territory University Darwin, 3-4 June 1997, Northern Territory University. Pp25-33

B Bradley,J., R.Harvey and D. Norman 1997 “Burning for the ancestors, burning for us” A case study from the southwest Gulf of Carpentaria in B. Mckaige, R. Willimas and W. Waggit (eds) Bushfire ’97 Proceedings. Australia Bushfire Conference 8-10 July 1997. CSIRO Tropical Ecosystems Research Centre, Darwin pp75-80

Bradley, J. 1997 “We don’t burn for fun”, Some views on Indigenous burning in Northern Australia, Greening News, Greening Australia NT. Newsletter May/June/July

Bradley, J. 1996 Discovering and Recovering Australia. Generation. Australian Jewish Life and Thought. Vol. 6 No.1&2.pp1-3

Bradley, J. 1995 “Fire: Emotion and Politics: A Yanyuwa Case Study. In D. Rose (ed) Country in Flames: Proceedings of the 1994 symposium on biodiversity and fire in North Australia. Biodiversity Unit, department of the Environment, Sports and Territories and the North Australia Research Unit, Canberra and Darwin. Pp25-33

Bradley, J. 1994 “Some Yanyuwa Songs” in Martin Duwell and R.M.W Dixon (eds) Little Eva at Moonlight Creek and other Aboriginal Song poems. Univeristy of Queensland Press, St. Lucia Queensland.pp 3-67

Bradley, J. 1992 Warnarrwarnarr-Barranyi (Borroloola 2) Land Claim. Anthropologists report on behalf of the claimants. Northern Land Council, Darwin (note this volume is fully refereed by two senior academic anthropologists)

Bradley, J. and J.Kirton and the Yanyuwa Community1992. Yanyuwa Wuka, language from Yanyuwa Country. A Yanyuwa Dictionary and Cultural Resource. Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

Bradley, J. 1991 Yanyuwa Bark Canoes. The Great Circle, Journal of the Australian Association for Maritime History. Vol 13, No2 pp85-92-A

Bradley, J. 1991 “Li-Maramaranja” The Yanyuwa Hunters of Marine Animals in the Sir Edward Pellew Group. N.T. Records of the South Australian Museum 25(2) Adelaide. S.A pp91-110

Bradley, J. 1988 Yanyuwa: “Men Speak One Way, Women Another”. Aboriginal Linguistics. 1. 126-134 pp56-64

Films and other media

2007 Manakurra: An animated song line. Monash University

2007 Australain Broadcasting Commission. Compass Program

1992 Ka-wayawayama (Aeroplane Dance) Film Australia Won award for the best Ethnographic film from the Royal Society of Anthropology London.

1988 Buwarrala Akarriya (Jounrey East) Marndaa Films.

Development of Indigenous Website: Diwurruwurru http://arts.deakin.edu.au/Diwurruwurru/

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