HMSS 0452 Jo Flood Collection

ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collections

HMSS 0452 Jo Flood Papers

Scope and Contents Note
Call NumberHMSS 0452
CollectionJo Flood Papers
Date Range1963-1992
Quantity0.7 m (4 manuscript boxes)
Access Conditionsopen
Copying Conditionswith attribution
Related Collections 

Josephine (Jo) Flood was born Josephine Scarr in Yorkshire, England in 1938. She attended Girton College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics in 1959. She came to Canberra in 1963 and took a position at the Australian National University lecturing in classical archaeology, but in 1964 began lecturing in Australian archaeology. In that year she married Philip Flood, an Australian diplomat; they subsequently had three children - Adrian, Nadine and Michael.

While at ANU Jo was awarded a Master of Arts in 1968 and a doctorate (PhD) in 1973. For her PhD, later published as The Moth Hunters, she carried out the first archaeological investigation of Aboriginal sites in the Australian Alps.

Jo was appointed Senior Conservation Officer with the Australian Heritage Commission (AHC) in 1978. She was made Assistant Director of the Commission from 1979 to 1991, heading the Aboriginal Environment Section in 1984. Over 2000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander archaeological sites were added to the Register of the National Estate while she was at the Commission, and she was involved in the World Heritage Listing of Kakadu National Park, the Tasmanian South West Wilderness Area and the Willandra Lakes Region of NSW. She also undertook field work on rock art and archaeology in the Laura region of Cape York and with the Wardaman people in the Northern Territory.

In the course of other investigations Jo discovered Cloggs Cave near Buchan, Victoria. Her excavations proved it to be a significant site, with important evidence of stone tools dating back through the last thousand years. Using a theoretical approach involving the use of recent ethnographic information, Jo has reinterpreted Indigenous archaeological evidence on the basis that the “stone-age, foraging, semi-nomadic way of life” has continued throughout history with only minor changes.

Already the author of several articles and books, Jo retired in 1991 to devote herself to research and writing, through the Centre for Archaeological Research at ANU. Her published books include:

The Original Australians was a finalist in the Prime Minister’s Prize for Australian History in 2007. Jo also received the Centenary Medal in 2001 “for service to Australian society and the humanities in prehistory and archaeology”. She was made a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1980 and a member of the Emeritus Faculty of the Australian National University in 2012.

While at Girton Jo joined the Cambridge University roof-climbing group - possibly its only female member.  Her ambition was to scale unclimbed peaks in the Himalayas, which she did in 1961 and 1962 as a member of two women’s Himalayan mountaineering expeditions. Four Miles High is the account of the expeditions.

This collection consists of documents relating to ACT and nearby NSW sites, including unpublished reports and notes for heritage registrations, maps, photographs, notes, newscuttings etc, and a collection of 35mm colour slides recording sites, artefacts and archaeological investigations in the ACT, NSW and Victoria.

Box List

Box Number

Description

Quantity

Date Range

1

35mm transparencies (slides) – Aboriginal sites and artefacts, archaeological investigations – ACT, NSW and Victoria (VIC) including the following locations:

  1. ACT:
    1. Coronet Peak
    2. Birragai
    3. Tidbinbilla
    4. Gibraltar Falls
    5. Latham
    6. Rendezvous Creek
    7. Mt Namadgi
    8. Smokers Gap
    9. Theodore
    10. Sutton
    11. Wanniassa
    12. Reid
    13. Duntroon Dairy, Campbell
    14. Vanity's Crossing
    15. Cotter River
    16. Mt Gingera
    17. Nursery Swamp
    18. Molonglo River
    19. Pialligo
    20. Red Hill
    21. Lanyon Homestead
    22. Yankee Hat, Gudgenby, Namadgi National Park
  2. NSW:
    1. Narrangullen
    2. Jindabyne
    3. Cooma
    4. Mt Townsend
    5. London Bridge, Burra
    6. Bass Point
    7. Durras North
    8. Sassafras
    9. Murramarang
    10. Bigga
    11. Wombeyan Caves
    12. Sentry Box Hill, Yaouk
    13. Caddigat Homestead
    14. Fernhill Tree Gully, Lake George
    15. Smith Creek, Hawkesbury River
    16. Jervis Bay
    17. Curracurrang Creek
    18. Blue Lake
    19. Mt Kosciuszko
    20. Mt Twynam
    21. Albina Hut
    22. Rawsons Hut
  3. VIC:
    1. Clydebank
    2. Cloggs Cave, Buchan
    3. Lake Condah
    4. Macarthur
    5. Port Fairy
    6. Ramahyuck, Lake Wellington
    7. Howqua
    8. Lake Tyers
    9. Mt William
    10. Mt Buller
    11. Mt Buffalo
    12. Limestone Creek

View either Box 1 Slide List MS Excel or Box 1 Slide List PDF for details about each slide.

397 colour transparencies (slides)

1963-1987

2

Erika Block, Birrigai Aboriginal rockshelter conservation management plan

1 folder

15 June 1988

2

Jo Flood, Birrigai: a Pleistocene site in the south-eastern highlands, working draft. Includes photocopy of article, originals of most of the photographs, additional photographs, additional pages of figures and captions, proposal document, Canberra Archaeological Society Birrigai Archaeology Program  project notes

1 file

1983-1986

2

Sites and artefacts, ACT. Includes:

  • Photocopy: David Bulbeck and Philip Boot. Stromlo Forest Cultural Resource Survey and Conservation Plan, final report, 25 June 1990
  • Photocopy: Peter J Kuskie. An Archaeological Investigation of two Quarries and an Open Scatter at Gungahlin, ACT. A report to ACT Public Works. February 1992
  • Photocopy: Access Archaeology Pty Ltd. Gungahlin Arterial Roads (Clarrie Hermes Drive) Archaeological Survey. Report to Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation. May 1992
  • Table: Aboriginal sites in the Australian Capital Territory
  • Field notes on artefacts found in the ACT

1 folder

1990-1992

2

Sentry Box stone arrangement, ACT:

  • Field notes and 4 black and white photographs by Reg Alder, taken 2 October 1983
  • 8 black and white photographs, undated

1 folder

1981-1983

2

Coronet Peak site, stone arrangement: field notes, strip of 16 black and white contact prints

1 envelope

Undated

2

Namadgi National Park, ACT, including:

  • Field notes on stone arrangement and bogong shelters, 1982
  • Correspondence and 5 black and white photographs by Reg Alder, 1981
  • Graeme Ward. Notes on the Naas Valley sites investigated by the Canberra Archaeological Society   (draft)
  • Graeme Ward. Naas Valley archaeological research 1982-1983; an initial report to the Canberra Archaeological Society. May 1983
  • Namadgi National Park map and guide. 1989

1 folder

1981-1989

2

Lanyon canoe tree, ACT:  maps, annotated

1 folder

Undated

2

Gibraltar Falls sites, ACT:

  • P Hiscock and S Feary. An archaeological investigation of the   Gibraltar Falls recreation area; a report to the Australian Heritage Commission, ACT. June 1984
  • Field notes and report on the grinding grooves
  • 7 black and white photographs, five with captions

1 folder

1984

2

Nursery Swamp, ACT:

  • Field notes 1982
  • Katharine Sale. The analysis of pigments from Nursery Swamp II and Red Hill. September 1989

1 folder

1982, 1989

2

Theodore, Tuggeranong, grinding grooves: report

1 folder

Undated

2

Ochre quarry, Red Hill, Gungahlin:

  • Field notes, reports and maps 1982-1983
  • 4 black and white photographs, captioned
  • Dan Witter. A report on the analysis of stone artefacts from two sites in the ACT. June 1984 –   includes Red Hill and Naas River sites

1 folder

1982-1984

2

Yankee Hat art site and Rendezvous Creek, Gudgenby Nature Reserve: Guide notes including brochure for Yankee Hat walking track 1991, correspondence, large aerial photograph, folded

1 folder

Circa 1991

2

Axe grinding grooves, Latham, ACT: 4 black and white photographs, locality map, field notes

1 folder

1982

2

P Bindon and G Pike. Survey of prehistoric and some historic sites of the Gungahlin District, ACT, Conservation Memorandum no 6, Conservation and Agriculture Section, Department of the Capital Territory [photocopy]

1 booklet

1978

2

R Kari Bara, Aboriginal sites and relics located along the proposed 330 / 132 kV transmission line from Canberra to Royalla; the appendix of a report funded by and prepared for the NSW Electricity Commission. Field work conducted during November-December 1979, report submitted February 1980, photographs on file

1 booklet

February 1980

2

P Hiscock and S Feary. An archaeological investigation of the Gibraltar Falls recreation area; a report to the Australian Heritage Commission, ACT. October 1984 (bound)

1 book

October 1984

3

Research notes on Aboriginal people, lifestyle, sites and artefacts in the ACT and Jervis Bay, NSW

Includes generally: maps; articles; correspondence; land surveys; lists of artefacts; blanket lists; newscuttings; notes for ANZAAS 1984 tour of archaeological sites; press releases; newsletters; fact sheets and brochures; Aboriginal vocabularies

Includes specifically:

  • Vegetation map of the Australian Capital Territory. Field work by Lindsay Pryor. 1938 (copy)
  • G A M Henderson and D L Strusz. Rocks and fossils around Canberra. 1982
  • T A McLean. Angus McMillan, Gippsland explorer 1810-1865. 1970

2 files

 

3

Aboriginal Australia. Wallet of 9 booklets produced by ATSIC 1989-1992

1 wallet

1989-1992

3

Jim Stockton. An archaeological survey of the proposed Corin Forest winter sports facility; a report to W & G Promotions Pty Ltd. 10 November 1982

1 folder

1982

3

J M Flood. Prehistory of the ACT; Ethnography of the Canberra region

1 folder

1971

3

W P Bluett. The Aborigines of the Canberra district at the arrival of the white man. Paper read to the Canberra and District Historical Society, 29 May 1954

1 folder

1954

3

A P Kershaw and K M Strickland. The development of alpine vegetation on the Australian mainland. Ca 1989

1 folder

Circa 1989

3

Canberra training trip, Marilyn Truscott and Ruth Miller, Australian Heritage Commission – 9 black and white photographs by Elizabeth Clinch, 16 May 1986

1 folder

1986

3

Canberra Archaeological Society – photographs and data

  

4

ACT scarred trees. Includes:

  • Nominations for sixteen Aboriginal scarred trees (plus location maps). Annotated “please retain for Council meeting”
  • Contact sheet and negatives of 25 black and white photographs by J Flood, 1991
  • 13 black and white prints of trees 4, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
  • List of locations of trees visited

1 folder

1991

4

Canberra Archaeological Society archives – NSW sites. Includes:

  • Walkington. Untitled report on the Monaro Tablelands. Circa 1987
  • Margrit Koettig, Archaeological survey for Aboriginal sites from Collector to the ACT border (Federal Highway number 3). November 1981 [includes original colour photographs]

1 folder

1981, Circa 1987

4

Bigga art site, NSW: field notes, maps

1 folder

Undated

4

Narrangullen stone arrangement, also called Brindabella stone arrangement, near Wee Jasper, NSW. Includes:

  • Correspondence from Peter Bindon, Western Australian Museum
  • Site maps and 3 black and white photographs
  • Narrangullen plans (Peter D’Arcy)

1 folder

Circa 1981

4

Adaminaby area, NSW, sites information: photocopies of correspondence and site notes from C Griffiths, Ranger, Kosciusko District to S Sullivan, Senior Archaeologist / Historian

1 envelope

October 1979