LIFE IN THE WARRAMUNGA CAMP

We spent two months amongst the Warramunga and got to know them well and also to like them. We had previously known some of them for many years, which made our work amongst them much easier than it would otherwise have been. So far as physique was concerned, they were superior to either the Arunta or the Kaitish tribe. In respect of height there was a decided difference between the Warramunga and the Arunta nations in favour of the former. The average of fifteen men of the Warramunga was 173.8 cm., the tallest man measuring 180 cm. There were only three men under 170 cm. On the other hand the average height of twenty-six men of the Arunta nation was 166.8 cm. In the case of the women, the average height of thirteen Warramunga lubras was 162 cm. and that of the same number of the Arunta was 155.5 cm. Amongst the Arunta women only two measured over 160 cm., but of the Warramunga only four measured less.

This difference in size is difficult to account for, as the country of the Warramunga is no better than that of the Arunta. In fact the greater part of it is not so good, because, in the large area occupied by the Macdonnell Ranges in the Arunta country, there is very rarely any lack of food and water, whilst the greater part of the Warramunga country is very dry and more liable to drought, with its consequent scarcity of food supply.