A. P. Elkin
Encyclopedia
Adolphus Peter "A. P." Elkin CMG
(27 March 1891 – 9 July 1979) was an Anglican
clergyman, an influential Australia
n anthropologist
during the mid twentieth century and a proponent of the assimilation of Indigenous Australians
.
, New South Wales
; his father was an English
Jew and his mother was a seamstress of German ancestry
. His parents were divorced in 1901, his mother died the next year and he was then brought up by his maternal grandparents as an Anglican. He went to school at Singleton
and Maitland East
Boys' High School. After finishing school he work at banks in country New South Wales, but then won a theological scholarship to St Paul's College
, University of Sydney
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
in 1915. From 1916 to 1919 he worked in the Anglican diocese of Newcastle
and he then became a teacher at St John's Theological College, Armidale
, under Ernest Henry Burgmann
.
Elkin became interested in Australian Aboriginal culture
and although no anthropology
was taught in Australia at the time, his master's
thesis—which he completed successfully in 1922—was on this subject and he lectured on it at St John's. He married Sally Thompson in 1922. He was Anglican rector of Wollombi
from 1922 and 1925 and during this period he lectured for the University of Sydney in the Hunter Valley
on Aboriginal culture. In 1925, he resigned from his Anglican work and began studying anthropology at University College, London under Grafton Elliot Smith
, where he earned a PhD
in 1927. In 1927, foundation professor of anthropology and Sydney University, Alfred Radcliffe-Brown
, gained Rockefeller
funding for him to work on Australian culture in the Kimberleys, Western Australia
. In 1928, he was appointed as Anglican rector of Morpeth
on the basis that he could continue with his anthropology. He also became co-editor of St John's Theological College's Morpeth Review. He also became editor of Oceania
from its founding in 1931 until his death. He visited many missions in Western Australia, including the Mount Margaret Mission, part of the Australian Aborigines Mission (later United Aborigines Mission) in 1930 on behalf of the Australian National Research Council. He became an activist for the amelioration of Australian aborigines, which he saw as best served by their assimilation
into European society.
, while also continuing his field research. He was president of the Association for the Protection of Native Races from 1933 to 1962. He was vice-president of the Aborigines Protection Board of New South Wales, (renamed Aborigines Welfare Board in 1940). He intervened successfully to prevent the execution of an Aboriginal, Tuckiar for murder, leading to the eventual quashing of the conviction by the High Court
in 1934.
After his retirement in 1966, Elkin was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
(CMG). In 1970 he received an honorary doctorate of letters from the University of Sydney. He died at a meeting at the University, survived by his wife and two sons.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(27 March 1891 – 9 July 1979) was an Anglican
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
clergyman, an influential Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n anthropologist
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
during the mid twentieth century and a proponent of the assimilation of Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
.
Early life
Elkin was born at West MaitlandMaitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
; his father was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Jew and his mother was a seamstress of German ancestry
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. His parents were divorced in 1901, his mother died the next year and he was then brought up by his maternal grandparents as an Anglican. He went to school at Singleton
Singleton, New South Wales
-Industry & Commerce:Major industries near Singleton include coal mining, energy generation, light industry, vineyards, horse breeding and cattle production. Dairying was once a mainstay in the area, but has declined....
and Maitland East
East Maitland, New South Wales
East Maitland is a suburb in the City of Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. It is on the New England Highway and it has two stations, Victoria Street station and East Maitland station , on CityRail's Hunter line.It is also home to a major commercial district called Greenhills, which includes...
Boys' High School. After finishing school he work at banks in country New South Wales, but then won a theological scholarship to St Paul's College
St. Paul's College, Sydney
St Paul's College in Sydney, Australia, is an Anglican residential college for men which is affiliated with the University of Sydney. Founded in 1856 by an 1854 act of the New South Wales Legislative Council, it is Australia's oldest university college...
, University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1915. From 1916 to 1919 he worked in the Anglican diocese of Newcastle
Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, Australia
The Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, Australia is located in the state of New South Wales and extends along the coast of New South Wales from Woy Woy to Laurieton and inland to Merriwa and Murrurundi. The cathedral church of the diocese is Christ Church Cathedral in Newcastle. The current Bishop of...
and he then became a teacher at St John's Theological College, Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
, under Ernest Henry Burgmann
Ernest Henry Burgmann
Ernest Henry Burgmann was a prominent Australian Anglican bishop and social activist. He served as the bishop of Goulburn from 1934, and Canberra and Goulburn from 1950 to 1960....
.
Elkin became interested in Australian Aboriginal culture
Australian Aboriginal culture
Aboriginal Australia comprises hundreds of tribal divisions and language groups, with a diverse range of cultural practices.-Practices and ceremonies:*A Bora is an initiation ceremony in which young boys become men....
and although no anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
was taught in Australia at the time, his master's
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
thesis—which he completed successfully in 1922—was on this subject and he lectured on it at St John's. He married Sally Thompson in 1922. He was Anglican rector of Wollombi
Wollombi, New South Wales
Wollombi is a small village in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is within the Cessnock City Council LGA, situated southwest of Cessnock and north of Sydney...
from 1922 and 1925 and during this period he lectured for the University of Sydney in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
on Aboriginal culture. In 1925, he resigned from his Anglican work and began studying anthropology at University College, London under Grafton Elliot Smith
Grafton Elliot Smith
Sir Grafton Elliot Smith, FRS FRCP was an Australian anatomist and a proponent of the hyperdiffusionist view of prehistory.-Professional career:Smith was born in Grafton, New South Wales...
, where he earned a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1927. In 1927, foundation professor of anthropology and Sydney University, Alfred Radcliffe-Brown
Alfred Radcliffe-Brown
Alfred Reginald Radcliffe-Brown was an English social anthropologist who developed the theory of Structural Functionalism.- Biography :...
, gained Rockefeller
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
funding for him to work on Australian culture in the Kimberleys, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. In 1928, he was appointed as Anglican rector of Morpeth
Morpeth, New South Wales
Morpeth is a suburb of the City of Maitland Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the southern banks of the Hunter River at the border between the City of Maitland and Port Stephens Council LGAs...
on the basis that he could continue with his anthropology. He also became co-editor of St John's Theological College's Morpeth Review. He also became editor of Oceania
Oceania (journal)
The Australian academic journal Oceania was founded in 1930. It publishes contributions in the field of social and cultural anthropology, and its primary regional orientation is to the peoples of Oceania, primarily comprising Australia, Melanesia, Polynesia, Micronesia and southeast Asia...
from its founding in 1931 until his death. He visited many missions in Western Australia, including the Mount Margaret Mission, part of the Australian Aborigines Mission (later United Aborigines Mission) in 1930 on behalf of the Australian National Research Council. He became an activist for the amelioration of Australian aborigines, which he saw as best served by their assimilation
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
into European society.
Professor of anthropology
Following Radcliffe-Brown's resignation from Sydney University Elkin was appointed lecturer-in-charge of the anthropology department in late 1932 and he was promoted to professor in December 1933. Until his retirement in 1956, he effectively dominated Australian anthropology, advised governments, trained administrators sent to Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, while also continuing his field research. He was president of the Association for the Protection of Native Races from 1933 to 1962. He was vice-president of the Aborigines Protection Board of New South Wales, (renamed Aborigines Welfare Board in 1940). He intervened successfully to prevent the execution of an Aboriginal, Tuckiar for murder, leading to the eventual quashing of the conviction by the High Court
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
in 1934.
After his retirement in 1966, Elkin was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(CMG). In 1970 he received an honorary doctorate of letters from the University of Sydney. He died at a meeting at the University, survived by his wife and two sons.