Friedrich August Hagenauer (1829–1909), a missionary of the Moravian Church, played a crucial role in the establishment of mission stations throughout Australia since 1858. Various missionary societies, mainly German, were incorporated into the colonial administrative framework of the nation. The administration also commissioned these societies to provide medical treatment and education for the Indigenous population on the reservations. Thus, Moravian missionaries such as Hagenauer, who also served as “Secretary of the Board for the Protection of the Aborigines,” for the Australian government, played a role in shaping the country’s minority policies and legislation.
Hagenauer established a valuable ethnographic collection to document the culture of Indigenous communities. Starting in 1881, Hagenauer served as an agent of the Herrnhut museum in the mission area of Australia. Most of the consigned objects are from Victoria. They were collected or commissioned by Hagenauer himself. However, he also obtained objects during extensive travels to Pacific islands, utilizing long-established exchange relationships between various societies and islands. Consequently, tracing individual object provenance back to its origin becomes nearly impossible. In addition, Hagenauer maintained frequent communication with researchers, science patrons, and natural-goods traders. Through Hagenauer's international network, European museums obtained numerous natural history and ethnographic items.