CCWM_ET2015_7

Title: A message stick from the south coast of New South Wales in the Macleay Collection of the Chau Chak Wing Museum

Description: CCWM description: "Inscribed 'A. Thomas ?[month] 1929', incised cross-hatched pattern at one end"

Item type: message stick in a collection

Subtype: traditional_context

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Yuin Austlang: S67 - Yuin Glottolog: yuin1242

Notes on linguistic areas: Hypothesis based on comments from CCWM in Notes field below

Dimension 1: 112mm Dimension 2: 25mm Dimension 3: 4mm

Institution/Holder file: Chau Chak Wing Museum, Macleay Collections, Ethnography object identifier: ET2015.7

Collector: Donated by S[Sharon] Cranswick

Coordinates: 36°22'0.598800"S,150°03'46.800000"E  (-36.366833, 150.063)

Media copyright: Chau Chak Wing Museum

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Wallaga Lake

Notes: 07.12.23 EF at the CCWM wrote: "Hi Piers, thanks very much for your email. Unfortunately, much of our collection of message sticks is under restrictions in line with cultural permissions protocol. This is done for a variety of reasons, including when communities specify against publication of information relating to their objects. This is particularly true in regard to message sticks, which often have an affiliation to sensitive knowledge or communication. Below is a list of the message sticks in our collection, including all information I'm able to share. ETI.1249, ETI.1248, ET83.94 Donated by Professor A P Elkin 1976 ETP.1036, ETP.1037, ETP.1035 Donated by Macleay Family 1865-1892 ET91.1.6 Yuendumu Mission, Northern Territory Donated by Beth Dean and Victor Carell 1991 Identified as available for general viewing following community visit ET83.36, ET83.37 Transferred from the Department of Anthropology 1965-1979 ET89.2.7 Donated by Francis H Johnston through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program 1989 However, I have quite a bit of information pertaining to the two message sticks you specify from the Cranswick donation. Images of both are attached below: ET2015.6, ET2015.7 ET2015.6_01_CM.640x640.jpgET2015.7_01_CM.640x640.jpg Donated by S Cranswick 2014 All items that form part of the S Cranswick donation may have a South Coast, New South Wales association/relationship. At least some of the items are said to have an association with a man called Bredbatoura, "King of Wallaga Lake." The collection is said to have been given by Bredbatoura to a woman called Mary (Daisy) Miller, who then passed them on to the present owner/donor, Sharon Cranswick. The original gift to Mary (Daisy) Miller from Bredbatoura was said to have been "in recognition of her life-long work with members of his tribe on the South Coast of N.S. Wales" [ref. hand-written from donor]. Please let me know if this information if helpful for you, and if you have any follow-up questions." PK 11.12.23: From Wikipedia "Biamanga (died 1919), aka King Jack Mumbulla, also written Mumbler[80] and Mumbla, and also referred to as John Biamanga Mumbler,[81] elder and leader after whom Mumbulla Mountain and Biamanga National Park are named.[31][32] In 1912 white authorities declared him king of the Wallaga Lake tribe, and gave him a brass breast-plate. Biamanga was the son of an Aboriginal man with the surname Mumbler/Mumbla and Elizabeth Mumbla Turner, and married Rose Gunaal (Gunnal)[82]) Carpenter (1880–1971).[81] Biamanga took over the leadership of the Wallaga Lake clan from Umbarra (see below).[78]" PK 12.04.24 More details about Biamanga: https://web.archive.org/web/20240412175737/https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Yuin-5

Media Files:

Data Entry: Piers Kelly