Professor Elkin
p. 104 · Read in the full issue
Retires From Sydney Uni.
rE James Cook Medal, awarded sparingly for outstanding work in Science and human welfare by the Royal Society of NSW, was presented to Professor A. P. Elkin, in April. It was on the eve of his retirement from the Chair of Anthropology at the University of Sydney —a position he has graced since 1923.
Professor Elkin expects to spend, his retirement writing and camping] out in the bush studying the Aus tralian aboriginal. He also will make other field trips to Arnhem Land, and an early trip to Wabag, in the Highlands of New Guinea.
Professor Elkin has specialised ir \ the Australian aboriginal whom he j has regarded not only as a subject i of scientific study but as a real and likeable individual with one 01 the most highly organised social structures and spiritual philosophies in the world. A great deal of the changed attitude of white Aus tralians towards the oldest Aus tralians can be attributed to the Professor’s work in this field.
Adolphus Peter Elkin was born
in Maitland, NSW, 65 years ago, attended the University of Sydney but took his Doctorate in London where he observed that none of the important libraries had any
thing of scientific value about the Australian native. He has done his best to rectify this position with half a dozen books and innumerable papers.