Aldo Massola was an Italian

Italian people

The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...

-Australian anthropologist, a curator

Curator

A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...

 at the National Museum of Victoria in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 from 1954 to 1964, who overcame scandal in his personal life to author a number of influential books about Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

's indigenous Koori

Koori

The Koori are the indigenous Australians that traditionally occupied modern day New South Wales and Victoria....

population.

Though his work has been superseded and updated, he remains important because of his pioneering studies in the field. His published books include: Bunjil's Cave: Myths, Legends and Superstitions of the Aborigines of South-East Australia (1968); Journey to Aboriginal Victoria (1970); Aboriginal Mission Stations in Victoria (1970) and The Aborigines of south-eastern Australia As They Were (1971).