Clever Men: How worlds collided on the scientific expedition to Arnhem Land of 1948

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Martin Thomas

Clever Men

How worlds collided on the scientific expedition to Arnhem Land of 1948

Martin Thomas

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English

Allen & Unwin
01 June 2025

History; Australasian & Pacific history; Indigenous peoples

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'Here was I with the status of little more than a telephone mechanic, taking out the biggest scientific expedition in history'

In this way the legendary Charles Mountford immodestly described his biggest assignment: to lead an expedition of American and Australian scientists to Arnhem Land in northern Australia, investigating traditional Aboriginal life and the tropical environment. Backed by National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Australian government, it was also a display of the friendship between Australia and the US.

But the adventure turned out to be anything but friendly. In this compelling account, award-winning historian Martin Thomas tells how they set out with fanfare in 1948 and how quickly the expedition turned toxic. Thomas uncovers the secrets, scandals, and unlikely achievements. He also reveals how Indigenous communities, including the elders known as 'clever men', dealt with the intrusion of these foreign 'experts'.

Drawing on years of collaborative research with Arnhem Land communities, Clever Men is a poignant portrayal of colliding worlds. In this encounter between scientific hubris and the world's oldest surviving cultures, Thomas finds a story of global significance and profound long-term impacts.

'An epic saga of discovery, intrigue, obsession and pillage' - Margo Ngawa Neale

'Absolutely mesmerising' - Grace Karskens

'Depicted as an epic Shakespearean-like tragedy, Clever Men weaves complex strands in a compelling story of western interaction with Indigenous Australia.' - Peter Yu

'This galloping narrative of Arnhem Land draws on years of intense research by one of Australia's sharpest historians.' - Peter Read

'A deep dive into the fraught interface between the shallow, intrusive gaze and rapacious acquisitiveness of the expedition and the profound secret-sacred understanding of its Indigenous subjects' - Cassandra Pybus

By: Martin Thomas
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
Weight: 634g
ISBN: 9781761069321
ISBN 10: 1761069322
Pages: 496
Publication Date: 01 June 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Map Key Terms Abbreviations Prologue Introduction: The American Clever Man Act I: Before the Expedition 1 Monty 2 America 3 The Geographic 4 The Smithsonian Act II: The Expedition Musters 5 To the Territory 6 Darwin Act III: Groote Eylandt 7 The Strange World of Umbakumba 8 'Expedition First' 9 The Trepangers 10 The Diarists 11 To the Mission 12 The Broker 13 The Price of Collecting 14 Maritime Adventures Act IV: Yirrkala 15 The Dismissal 16 Laughing at the Expedition 17 Margaret McArthur and the Food Quest Act V: Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) 18 Travelling East 19 The Rush to Record 20 'If we don't see this film again, we won't be able to remember' 21 Shipping Out 22 The Spiritual Radio 23 The Homecoming Coda: The Last of the Big Expeditions Acknowledgments Endnotes Index

Martin Thomas is a unique voice among the history writers of Australia. A Professor of History at ANU and an award-winning researcher, essayist, oral historian, and filmmaker, his work is driven by a deep interest in the meaning of landscapes, the legacies of colonisation, and the drama of cross-cultural encounter. He directed and co-produced a documentary film Etched in Bone. His book The Many Worlds of R. H. Mathews won the National Biography Award.