NMA1985_0067_0202

Title: A message stick from Yirrkala held in the National Museum of Australia

Description: Pigmented flat oval wooden stick, truncated at both ends. The design is of an incised geometric design of lines and triangles.

Creator of Object: Unknown

Date Created: 1948

Notes on date created: terminus ante quem

Item type: message stick in a collection

Subtype: traditional_context

State/Territory: NT

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Dhangu Austlang: N192 - Dhangu Glottolog: dhan1270

Linguistic area 2: Chirila: Mengerr Austlang: N53 - Mengerrdji Glottolog: mang1382

Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is given as following: "Yirrkala, East Arnhem Land (Gove Peninsula?), Northern Territory, Australia; Gunbalanya (Oenpelli), Western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia." It is possible that this stick was sent from Yirrkala to Gunbalanya, or perhaps in the opposite direction.

Cultural region: TopEnd_arnhem_east

Dimension 1: 240mm Dimension 2: 45mm Dimension 3: 15mm

Materials: pigment, wood

Source types: museum collection

Institution/Holder file: The National Museum of Australia object identifier: 1985.0067.0202

Collector: American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land (AASEAL) collection

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

Media copyright: The National Museum of Australia

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Yirrkala (site of origin or destination)

URL institution: http://collectionsearch.nma.gov.au/ce/message%20stick?&object=15694

IRN: 15694

Media Files:

Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Piers Kelly