Aboriginal missions and post-contact maritime archaeology: A South Australian synthesis

The post-contact maritime archaeological research of Aboriginal missions has hitherto been an un-developed area of study. This paper argues that research in this area is now required to investigate the 'hidden histories' of Indigenous peoples in relation to the lacustrine, riverine and coastal waterways of the late 19th and early 20th century Australian land and waterscape. As such this paper presents a synthesis of information on this topic including an analysis of available literature and historical sources to better understand Indigenous peoples' activities in the post-contact maritime land and waterscape. Ultimately, it is also argued that the maritime archaeology of Aboriginal missions has the potential to contribute knowledge about cross-cultural exchange and cultural continuity . This study is timely because many maritime mission sites are deteriorating and their associated intangible heritage is in need of preservation