BM_Oc1950_03_2

Title: A message stick from Western Australia held in the British Museum

Description: British Museum catalogue: Message stick made of wood with designs of lines and opposed triangles formed by punctured dots.

Date Created: 1903

Notes on date created: terminus ante quem

Item type: message stick in a collection

State/Territory: WA

Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is associated with Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Acquisition notes, Comment in register: "From the dispersed collection of an old ex-jailor of the one-time Native Prison settlement on Rottnest Island, about 15 miles off the coast from Freemantle."

Dimension 1: 163mm Dimension 2: 10mm

Materials: wood

Source types: museum collection

Date collected: Acquisition date 1950

Institution/Holder file: The British Museum object identifier: Oc1950,03.2

Collector: Donated by: William Allnutt Curator's comments: "Rottnest Island was used as a 'native prison' and forced labour camp for Aboriginal men from 1838 until 1903." Acquisition notes: "Comment in register: "From the dispersed collection of an old ex-jailor of the one-time Native Prison Settlement on Rottnest Island, about 15 miles off the coast from Freemantle."

Coordinates: 32°12.499200"S,115°30'56.001600"E  (-32.003472, 115.515556)

Media copyright: The British Museum

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Rottnest Island, Western Australia

URL institution: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3642630&partId=1&searchText=message+stick&page=1

IRN: EOC145078

Notes: Additional IDs: Oc1950,03.1-2 (Previous group record). 30.11.23 NR: checked against BM online catalogue.

Media Files:

Data Entry: Julia Bespamyatnykh, Nitzan Rotman

Related Entries: BM_Oc1950_03_1