AMSD - Message Stick CPM1956P472F67

Coordinates WGS84

12°15'S, 136°54'E
-12.25, 136.89

CPM1956P472F67_AF

Title: A message stick from Yirrkala reproduced in Mountford's "Art, myth and symbolism" (1956)

Description: A message stick from Yirrkala by an unidentified creator

Date Created: 1948

Notes on date created: terminus ante quem. American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land.

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

State/Territory: NT

Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is Yirrkala

Sources:

Charles P Mountford, 'Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 1, Art, Myth and Symbolism' (Carlton: Melbourne University Press, 1956).

Source types: book

Date collected: 1948

Collector: Charles P Mountford and AASEAL

Place collected: Yirrkala

Coordinates: 12°15'10.000800"S,136°53'30.001200"E (-12.252778, 136.891667)

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Yirrkala, Northern Territory, per Google maps.

Notes: Mountford wrote that "Whilst at Yirrkalla and Oenpelli I had to fly to Darwin several times on expedition matters. Each time I went one or more aborigines have me message sticks to deliver to their friends at Darwin. My procedure (after I had made a record of the message stick either by a sketch or a rubbing) was to write the meanings of the various symbols on a sheet of paper, wrap the paper round the message stick and enclose it in an envelope, on the outside of which I wrote the name of the recipient as a guide to my memory. When I delivered the message stick, which I did on all but two occasions, I was able to explain to the recipient the significance of the marks on the message stick by referring to my notes." p. 467. This stick was one of three "included to indicate additional designs employed on the message sticks of that locality." p. 471 Figure designed by Jean Truran

Media Files:

Data Entry: Alexandra Roginski, Nitzan Rotman