102 
The Need for an Ethnological Survey of 
Western Australia. 
BY W. D. CAMPBELL, 
A.K.C., F.G.S., A.M.I.C.E., L.S. 
(Read irlh January , iqio.) 
The following two papers on aboriginal subjects, are brought 
before the Society as illustrating the work that would be embraced 
by an Ethnological Survey of the State, which the writer submits 
should be undertaken now, either by the Government, or, failing 
that, by some scientific body or bodies assisted by a Government 
subsidy, if possible. 
It would constitute an extension of the work that has been 
begun under the direction of Mr. Malcolm A. C. Fraser, the 
Government Statistician, and by Mrs. Daisy M. Bates, in an 
historical linguistic direction. It would have for its object the 
delineation to scale by means of drawings and photographs of 
all rock carvings, paintings and drawings, and recording as 
much as possible of the characteristics, customs, and lore of the 
aboriginals. The opportunity still exists in the interior and 
northern portions of the State for the deciphering of the carvings, 
etc., during the lifetime of the aborigines, where their legendary 
lore is still intact and where their primitive life and customs are 
maintained. These conditions will cease to exist before long 
and also the very people themselves, as has been the case in 
most of the other portions of Australia, where the meaning of 
their carvings, etc., have only as yet been guessed at instead of 
their having been recorded before it was too late. This was the 
position when the writer carried out the delineation of the 
“Aboriginal Rock Carvings of Port Jackson and Broken Bay ” 
(see Memoir forming Ethnological Series No. i of the Geological 
Survey of New South Wales, 1899). 
(1) Description of some Rock Carvings at Port Hedland. 
The limestone ridge which extends along the south boundary 
of the townsite of Port Hedland has a width of about three chains 
and the higher part is not more than about five feet above the 
high-water of spring tides. The middle part has a hard bare 
limestone surface and has afforded a convenient place for the 
carving of outlines of various figures and objects by the aborigines. 
On the northern boundary of the townsite there is another ex- 
posure of limestone and the writer has been informed that there 
also are carvings. Mention was made of the carvings, in a paper 
by Dr. Cleland and Mr. Giles on this district (see Journal. No. 6, 
page 45, dated February 7th, 1909). It has two photographic 
