Orchardist to Ethnographer

Timeline

  • 1930
    Born (April 7) Robert Edwards Adelaide, South Australia
  • 1943
    Began attending meetings of the Royal Society of South Australia and developing interests in history, archaeology, and rare books at age 13.
  • 1945
    Left Thebarton Technical High School (age 15) to work with his family on their Marion market garden.
  • 1952
    Married Catherine Allison Raeburn Alexander (Kath) at St Mary's on the Sturt, Marion (July 12).
  • 1954-55
    Published his first paper, a historical pamphlet on St Mary’s On-the-Sturt Church.
  • 1957
    Leased Orange Grove market garden; found Aboriginal stone tools (Kartan type) along the Sturt River, inspiring his research interests.
  • 1961
    Embarked on a 3-year survey of aboriginal rock engravings in north-east South Australia with mentor, Charles Mountford.
  • 1963
    Published with Charles Mountford: Rock engravings of Panaramitee Station, North-eastern South Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of SA, vol. 86.
  • 1964
    Published a paper describing: A former Aboriginal Camp-site on the Sturt River at Marion. Mankind, Vol. 6, No. 4.  
  • 1965
    Before taking up the job as curator of the South Australian Museum embarked on six months of fieldwork across Arnhem Land and Central Australia with John Mulvaney.
  • ‍1962–1965
    Worked as Marketing Director for the Apple and Pear Board.
  • 1965
    Appointed Curator of Anthropology at the South Australian Museum, succeeding Norman B. Tindale.

Heartfelt Tributes

Bob's legacy continues to inspire us all.

"Bob has been a wonderful friend, confidant and mentor. I have had the great luck and pleasure of working with him on a range of projects for over four decades."

Dick Richards
A tribute to Bob Edwards, National Museum of Australia, March 2011.

"Bob had his own sense of time, I think. Nothing seemed hurried. His constant and infectious optimism had it that, despite the forces of darkness, we were making good progress, and life was still a worthwhile adventure. And that's the way I'd like to remember him."

Philip Jones
Curator of Anthropology, South Australian Museum