Frederick McCarthy

Frederick David McCarthy (13 August 1905 – 18 November 1997) was an Australian anthropologist and archaeologist. He worked at the Australian Museum in Sydney and was Foundation Principal of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, with interests covering Australian archaeology, museology and Aboriginal rock art.

Life and career 'Fred' McCarthy was born on 13 August 1905, in Crystal Street in Petersham, to Jane (née Fyfe) and tram driver Charles Henry McCarthy, an English-Scottish immigrant couple. He was one of four children and had an identical twin sibling. Shortly after his birth, his family relocated to Leichhardt, where he received his education within the local area. He completed his studies at Annandale Junior Technical School. During his youth, he displayed a strong interest in rowing, swimming, and bushwalking.

In 1920, at the age of 14, he started work at the Australian Museum as a library clerk; his neighbour, Lucas, worked at the Museum as a carpenter and told him about the position. In 1930, he moved to a position in the Department of Birds and Reptiles. His interest in anthropology grew, leading him and a colleague to conduct an excavation at Burrill Lake on the south coast of the state in 1930. This excavation served as the basis for his first published paper, which appeared in the Australian Museum Magazine the following year. Progressing in his career, he was promoted to the role of scientific cadet in 1932 and was assigned to assist William Walford Thorpe, the curator of anthropology. Following Thorpe's passing in September, Elsie Bramell assumed the position of scientific assistant in February 1933, briefly holding seniority over McCarthy until he was promoted to the same level the next year.

Within 12 years of starting at the museum he rose to be Curator of Ethnology, (He was first appointed as assistant to W.W.) Thorpe, who was untrained and never catalogued anything. Thorpe died within a few months and McCarthy assumed the senior role, with a huge backlog of neglected artifacts requiring his taxonomic attention.

Recognition of his achievements in both anthropology and archaeology led to an invitation in 1948 to participate in the 1948 American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land. His work with Margaret McArthur at Oenpelli (present-day Gunbalanya) was to lead to a groundbreaking study on time factors in aboriginal women's quest for food.

Publications McCarthy's output of papers was extensive. He published some 300 articles and books between 1933 and 1988. Books include: F. D. McCarthy, Australian Aboriginal Decorative Art, (1938) F. D. McCarthy, Elsie McCarthy, H.V.V. Noone The Stone Implements of Australia (1946): a standard text for aboriginal stone tools for many decades. F. D. McCarthy, Australian Aboriginal Rock Art. (1958)

At his death, he left, unpublished a 900-page manuscript entitled Artists of the sandstone, an ethnographical study of contact with whites in Sydney in 1788.

Awards He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Australian National University.