Ethnographic study of New Guinea owned by Oskar Speck, 1933
Subject or historical figure
Oskar Speck
(1907 - 1993)
Date1933
Object number00040165
NameBook
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 270 x 196 x 7 mm
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from John Ferguson
DescriptionThis ethnographic study of New Guinea, 1933 was owned by Oskar Speck. It is entitled "Neue Beitrage zur Ethnographie des Nor-Papua (Neuguinea)" and was written by P Joseph Schmidt, S.V.D.HistoryOskar Speck (1905 - 1995) was a 25 year old German adventurer who, in the 1930s, paddled his kayak SUNNSCHIEN (SUNSHINE) from Europe to Australia. He departed from Ulm in Germany on 18 June 1932, paddling down the Danube at the start of a 50,000km voyage to Australia. His voyage of seven years and four months saw him stopping at ports in Germany, Austria, Hungary, former Yugoslavia, former Macedonia, Greece, Cyprus, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran Jaya, Papua New Guinea and Australia (Saibai Island). He arrived on Saibai Island near Papua New Guinea in the Northern Torres Strait on 20 September 1939. Speck arrived with a swastika flying from the bow of his 5.3 metre German built Folbot kayak a few days after Australia declared war with Germany. This long distance voyage in a kayak is even more remarkable given that Speck was unable to swim and tied himself into his kayak.
As Speck was travelling on a German passport he was arrested as an enemy alien on his arrival on Thursday Island. Speck was detained at the Tatura internment camp in Victoria and after escaping and being recaptured he was sent to the Loveday Internment camps in South Australia for the duration of the war.SignificanceThis collection documents a significant feat of sportsmanship as well as a 1930s travel-adventure and what became a World War II internment and migration story.
