AMus_E013379

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: «Come to the meeting» From: A once-known Maiawali man To: Many participants 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

Cultural region: Channel Country

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:

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).

Roth, Walter Edmund. 1897. Ethnological studies among the north-west-central Queensland Aborigines. Brisbane: Edmund Gregory.

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 institution: http://collections.australianmuseum.net.au/amweb/pages/am/Display.php?irn=5582&QueryPage=%2Famweb%2Fpages%2Fam%2FQuery.php&highlight_term=message+stick

URL source 1: https://archive.org/stream/cu31924029890328#page/n257

URL source 2: https://archive.org/stream/cu31924029890328#page/n159

Notes: REGISTER

Date: 23 March 1905

Name or Description: Message or letter stick (Miorli tribe)

Locality: Boulia 1895

How Acquired: Purch.

Name of Donor or Seller: Dr. W. E. Roth Figs. Bull 8. Pl3 F7

Estimated or Market Value: S. 12

Destination: Figs. Eth. Studies. Pl XVIII Fig 332, see text sections 235-6

Remarks:

OTHER NOTES

09.07.2024 PK: Merged with WER1897PXVIIIF332. Brisbane Telegraph URL is: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article180628845

Roth Bulletin 8 (1905):

Fig. 7.—Oblong, compressed, narrow, bi-convex, ends pointed; light wood, with blackened surface. Obverse—With oblique transverse deep notches becoming further apart towards the bottom of the stick, where they are crossed by a few notches in a a contrary direction. Length, 6 ½ in.; breadth, 7/8-in.

Miorli Tribe, Boulia. (See “Ethnological Studies,” 1897, pl. 18, f. 332)

Media Files:

Data Entry: Julia Bespamyatnykh, Piers Kelly, Nitzan Rotman