Coordinates WGS84 | 23°15'S, 142°05'E -23.25, 142.08 |
Title: A Mayawali message stick summoning groups to a meeting, held in the Australian Museum
Description: AMus pdf: Message or letter stick [ref reg]; Oblong, one end rounded, one pointed. Affected by charring one side, showing incised markings- three crossed and one opposed cross, remainder of stick shows horizontal incisions. All incisions filled with resin [ref LC]; Condition: Complete. Resin chipped [ref LC]. Roth 1897: Sketch of message stick (fig. 332) on plate XVIII of “Ethnological studies” by W. E. Roth Brisbane Telegraph: Part of an illustration to a fictional series in the Brisbane Telegraph featuring the adventures of Captain Coldweather, Tom Barnacle, Mrs Noah and Bosun Bill. It is likely that this artefact is from the collection of WE Roth, who is cited. Two other artefacts in the same photograph can be positively traced to Roth's collection as illustrated in Roth's 'Ethnological studies among the north-west-central Queensland Aborigines' (1897). The images two artefacts have been merged with the records derived from Roth (1897).
Message: AMus pdf from 24.01.2023: "Function: "Sending message to Monkira, Davenport, Diamantina Gates, Springvale, Brighton Downs, Cork, Elderslie, Muckunda Creek, Pollygammon Creek, Niangiangi, Tooleybuck, Boulia, Herbert Downs, Glenormiston, Toko, Carlo, Mulligan River, Bedouri, Cluny, Karkori, etc. Two moons, river, drought, mosquitoes, flies, nardoo. Last 4 together represent meeting place" (Ethno. Stud. Roth pp.137-8) [ref LC];" Roth 1897: "He is sending a message to all these places, though far more are mentioned on the route than are indicated by the nicks; he "reads" it from below up. A = Monkira, Davenport, Diamantina Gates, Springvale, Brighton Downs, Cork, Elderslie, Muckunda Creek, Pollygammon Creek, Niangiangi, Tooleybuck, Boulia, Herbert Downs, Glenormiston, Toko, Carlo, Mulligan River, Bedouri, Cluny, Karkori, &c., &c. B = two moons, C = one moon, D = two moons, E = river, F= drought, G = mosquitoes, flies, H = nardoo. The last four together constitute a representation of the meeting place." (pp. 137-138)
Creator of Object: AMus pdf from 24.01.2023: "Makers: Miorli (group); Maker: Made by a Miorli (of Springvale- sthn. border of Boulia district (Ref. Roth Ethno. Stud. p.137) [ref LC];" Sender: Miorli
Date Created: 1895
Notes on date created: terminus ante quem
Item type: message stick in a collection
Subtype: traditional
State/Territory: QLD
Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Mayawali Austlang: L40 - Maiawali
Notes on linguistic areas: AMus pdf from 24.01.2023: "REGION: Channel Country; Boulia [ref reg]; Boulia, Queensland [ref LC]" Roth 1897: The message stick is associated with Miorli (of Springvale—southern border of Boulia District) Miorli is AUSTLANG L40: Maiawali
Semantic domains: sd_drought, sd_fly, sd_journey, sd_mosquito, sd_place, sd_place_meetingplace, sd_place_river, sd_time_moon
Dimension 1: 167mm Dimension 2: 25mm Dimension 3: 13mm
Sources:
Source types: museum collection
Date collected: Acquisition date: 1895 Accession date: 23 March 1905
Institution/Holder file: The Australian Museum object identifier: E013379
Collector: Purchased by: Roth, Dr Walter Edmund
Coordinates: 23°15'3.182400"S,142°04'43.201200"E (-23.250884, 142.078667)
Media copyright: The Australian Museum
Notes on coordinates: Chirila centroid coordinates for Mayawali
URL source 1: https://archive.org/stream/cu31924029890328#page/n257
URL source 2: https://archive.org/stream/cu31924029890328#page/n159
Notes: 09.07.2024 PK: Merged with WER1897PXVIIIF332. Brisbane Telegraph URL is: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article180628845
Media Files:
Data Entry: Julia Bespamyatnykh, Piers Kelly, Nitzan Rotman