MACINTOSH_N04_DF_D00029673

Title: Message stick, from Kunmunya, Western Australia

Description: AIATSIS: [Assemblage of material culture objects, some hafted, consisting of lithics (stone tools), bones, shell and wooden artefacts] [On photograph] HR Balfour - with every good wish for Christmas + the coming year from H R Balfour 1960/1 - [written on documentation] - (1)''TUHLA." This would be mounted on a heavy stick with gum; when worn out, it would be reversed. From Woomera, South Australia. As far as is known, no other natives in the world mounted a sharp (unground) stone on to a heavy handle and used it as an adze. (2) Set of three worn out tuhlas from Woomera. (3) Set of three spear points. Worora tribe, 400 miles north of Broome,W.A. (4) Surgical knife, from Mulka, South Australia. (5) Set of two surgical knives. Mulka, South Australia. (6) Surgical knife from Darwin, North Australia. (7) Doctor's knife, from Broome, Western Australia. (8) Mounted knife, from Arunta tribe, Central Australia. (9) Set of three knives, from Woomera, South Australia. (10) Set of three Crescents, from Woomera, South Australia. Use unknown by natives. (11) Set of three Microlith knives. South coast of N.S.W. (12) Set of three Pirries for engraving. Woomera, South Australia. (13) Chalcedony hand chopper, from Roxby Downs, Woom´?¢era, South Australia. (14) Surgical knife, Arunta tribe, Central Australia. (15) Set of three Microlith points. South coast of N.S.W. Use unknown by natives. (16) Large spear point from Millingimbi, North Australia. (17) Message stick, from Kunmunya, Western Australia. (18) Bone knife. Holroyd River, Northern Territory. (19) Rock crystal knife. Lake Bolac, Victoria. (20) Mounted knife from Arunta, Central Australia. (21) Woman's knife ( wood), from Loritja tribe, Central Aus´?¢tralia. (22) Knife made from a bailer shell from Bentick Island. There was no stone on that island, and I have seen a movie film of the natives biting the shell. Since then, all the fresh water on the island was spoiled by sea waves, and the natives have been moved to Mornington Island, in the Gulf. (23) Mounted hammer stone from Aurukun, Queensland. No suitable stone there, so this was traded and mounted as a treasure. (24) Woman's knife, Arunta tribe, Central Australia. (25) Tool for grooving a spear to insert a glass or stone point. Mapocin, Northern Territory. (26) Large quartzite knife from Sir Baldwyn Spencer's collection. Central Australia. (27) Crude knife, from Kimberley district, Western Australia. (28) Smoking pipe made and carved by an aboriginal near Darwin. A copy of those used in the northern islands. All in the collection of H. R. BALFOUR.

State/Territory: WA

Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick is associated with Kunmunya, Western Australia

Coordinates: 17°21'21.898800"S,123°41'58.401600"E  (-17.356083, 123.699556)

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Mowanjum Community, Western Australia, per Google maps. Wikipedia: Mowanjum is a medium-sized Aboriginal community, located 10 km (6 mi) south east of Derby in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, within the Shire of Derby-West Kimberley. At the 2016 Australian census, Mowanjum had a population of 311. The settlement began after the establishment of a mission station by the Presbyterian Church in 1912, first called the Port George IV mission and later Kunmunya.

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Data Entry: Piers Kelly, Nitzan Rotman