Francis James Gillen

Francis James Gillen ( born October 28, 1855 in Little Para, South Australia, † June 5, 1912 ) was an early Australian anthropologist and ethnologist.

1867 Gillen began his career in public service as a postman in Clare. In 1871 he was transferred to Adelaide where the telegraph service was one of his tasks. In 1875 he was involved in the construction of the "Australian Overland Telegraph Line" and was appointed in 1892 to the post and telegraph station master of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

During his time in the territory he had to do with the Australian Aborigines and 1894 was host of the " Horn Scientific Expedition to Central Australia ." He joined the Horn expedition and met Walter Baldwin Spencer, they wrote together The Native Tribes of Central Australia (1899 ). 1900 Gillen was elected President of the Anthropological Section, held in Melbourne on the meeting of the " Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science" and enjoyed the experience. In Alice Springs, he was appointed as Sub -Protector of Aborigines. At Spencer's regret, he was transferred in 1899 from Alice Springs to Moonta, but in 1901 he was awarded by the Government of South Australia permission Spencer to join an expedition that led to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Their journey led to publication of The Northern Tribes of Central Australia ( 1904).

Gillen remained in Moonta until July 1908, when he was postmaster of Port Pirie. This year, Spencer hoped to travel with him to Western Australia, but Gillen's health deteriorated and it was impossible. In 1911 he became physically weaker and he died on June 5, 1912. His wife, nee Miss Besley from Mount Gambier, three daughters and two sons survived him. A brother, Peter Paul Gillen, who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of South Australia for many years, died in front of him.

Also on Spencers published in 1927 The Arunta Gillen was named as co-author.

Works

  • With Baldwin Spencer: The northern tribes of Central Australia, London 1904
  • With Baldwin Spencer: Across Australia, London, Macmillan 1912
  • With Baldwin Spencer: The Arunta: a Study of a Stone Age People, 2 vols, London, Macmillan 1927
  • Gillen 's diary: the camp jottings of FJ Gillen on the Spencer and Gillen Expedition across Australia, 1901-1902, Adelaide, Libraries Board of South Australia 1968
  • FJ Gillen 's first diary in 1875: Adelaide to Alice Springs; March to June, Kent Town, Wakefield Press 1994
Horn-Expedition Mount Gambier, South Australia Australian Dictionary of Biography Integrated Authority File
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