AFM1983_2_75

Title: A message stick from the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Armidale Folk Museum

Description: AFM description: Wooden message stick with pointed ends, designs, complementary to the ends. The stick at one stage has been covered with red ochre. Pencilled on the back is 'Gulf of Carp dist' Original label read 'message sticks with carved symbols were used to carry messages for long distances' Perrot family, Sandilands family?

Notes on date created: Accessioned on 29.7.83

Dimension 1: 182mm Dimension 2: 41mm

Institution/Holder file: Armidale Folk Museum object identifier: 1983.2.75

Notes: From AFM documentation. Documented titled: "Re: Accession 1983.002" "In 1983 Museum Curator, Tania Konecny, completed a restrospective accessioning of the ethnographic objects in the Folk Museum. The objects were described (including in many cases a drawing of the object), measured and assigned a place of origin and numbered. The following objects were deaccessioned [...] Donors were attributed in a few instances. In these cases, although most had no original documentaiton, the attribution of donors through Konecny's research was accepted [...] 52 objects were identified as being from the estate of JB (John Bruce) Sandilands. The Sandilands estate was given in 1958 according to the Folk Museum Accession Register 1954-1975. These with four additional objects have been reaccessioned as 1958.009. In all renumbering, the 1983.0002 number has been retained as an other alternate number. it is important to also note that Konecny's retrospective accessioning included numbering the object! The donor attribution of the rest of 1983.002 was penciled in by Konecny as possibly being either from JB Sandlisands or AH Perrot. However the following Aboriginal and Islander artefacts were also given to the Armidale Museum from 1931-1950. As there was no listing or other documentation, the 1983.002 ethnographic objects may also have come from these donors or even other as yet undiscovered donors. These remain in 1983.002 with sources and acquisition dates recorded as unknown: " There are no Aboriginal items listed after this and no additional pages. Explaining the discrepancy with the accession number inscribed on the object and its official accession number, SR at AFM wrote "the object number is 1983.2.75, previously objects were numbered without the first number of the year of accessioning"

Media Files:

Data Entry: Piers Kelly

Related Entries: UNEMA1983_2_74, UNEMA1983_2_75