AMus_E013388

Title: A message stick from Queensland reproduced by W.E. Roth (1897) and M. Frank (1940)

Description: Sketch of two facets of one message stick (fig. 336 A) on plate XVIII of “Ethnological studies” by W. E. Roth Sketch of message stick (fig. 1) on p. 345 in Maria Frank's "Botenstäbe in Australien" Message stick from the Australian Museum AMus spreadsheet Oct 2022: "E013388 23 Mar 1905 message stick COMMUNICATION & MEDIA Australia Queensland Made at Gunpowder Creek, Queensland [ref LC] Purchase Roth, Dr Walter Edmund" EMu "Kalkadoon trib e(History in Eth. Studies. Firgs. Bull. 8 pl. f3 Eth Studies Pl XVIII f 336a text sect. 235 & 6 Maker: A Kalkadoon boy from gunpoweder creek (Eth. Stud. p 138) [PK: this is the one that looks like a wishbone] Listed as Lost by 1996 in EMu

Message: "Fig. 336. Made by a Kalkadoon. Obv. and Rev. similar. Coloured with a black band.

Fig. 336a. Sent by a Kalkadoon boy from Gunpowder Creek to his gin (in the service of Mr. E. McDonnell) at Normanton, 1894. Note the unusual bifurcate shape. Message not known."

Creator of Object: Sender: "a Kalkadoon boy from Gunpowder Creek to his gin (in the service of Mr. E. McDonnell)" (p. 138)

Date Created: 1894

Notes on date created: terminus ante quem

Item type: image of a message stick (artefact missing)

Subtype: traditional_context

State/Territory: QLD

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Kalkatungu Austlang: G13 - Kalkatungu / Kalkadoon Glottolog: kalk1246

Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick is associated with Normanton, Queensland

Cultural region: Channel Country

Materials: wood

Sources:

Frank, Maria. 1940. "Botenstäbe in Australien."

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

Zeitschrift für Ethnologie 72 (4/6): 328-352.

Source types: museum collection

Date collected: Date registered 23/03/1905

object identifier: E013388

Collector: Walter Edmund Roth

Coordinates: 19°18'37.900800"S,139°49'55.200000"E  (-19.310528, 139.832)

Notes on coordinates: Coordinates for approximate location along the Gunpowder Creek, Queensland, per Google maps - I chose to use this location as in the description of the item it is mentioned that the origin of the stick is Gunpowder Creek. Note that the item is listed under the "Linguistics Notes" filed as Normanton, Queensland. The coordinates for Normanton, Queensland are 17°40'27.0"S 141°04'26.3"E.

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

URL source 2: https://archive.org/stream/cu31924029890328#page/n161

Notes: REGISTER

Date: 23 March 1905

Name or Description: Message or letter stick, Kalkadoon

Locality: (History in Eth. Studies)

How Acquired: Purch.

Name of Donor or Seller: Dr. W. E. Roth Figs. Bull. 8, Pl1 F3

Estimated or Market Value: S.21

Destination: neg. v.2343

Remarks:

OTHER NOTES

PK: Possibly mentioned in Roth 1897

03.03.2026 PK: Previously WER1897PXVIIIF336A

03.03.2026 PK: EMu indicates "First noted missing 3/4/96"

Roth Bulletin 8 (1905):

¬Fig. 3.— Round and bifid, evidently a small natural fork worked up: light-coloured wood. The butt and proximal portions of the legs bear transvers lenticular notches; on the former there are four series, one obverse, on reverse, and one at each side; on the latter are one obverse, one reverse, and one on the other side of each only; the legs are terminated distally by button-shaped feet. Length 5 ¼ inch.

Kalkadun Tribe (See “Ethnological Studies,” 1897, pl. 18, f. 336A.)

Media Files:

Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Julia Bespamyatnykh, Nitzan Rotman