| Coordinates WGS84 | 17°53'S, 138°34'E -17.88, 138.57 |
QM_QE35
Title: A message stick from Turn-Off Lagoon in the Queensland Museum Kurilpa
Description: Sketch of message stick on p. 25, Fig.13, of "On messages and "Message Sticks" employed among the Queensland Aborigines" by R. Hamlyn-Harris: "This pine stick has an unusual design and is highly suggestive of white influence. The three figures on the obverse side almost suggest a flag design with six dots, but this must not be taken too seriously, since the writer is totally unaware of the motive in design." (p. 25) Sketch of message stick (fig. 31) on p. 345 in Maria Frank's "Botenstäbe in Australien"
Message: Mr. E. P. Smith informs me that the stick was sent from a brother to his sister telling her that he had found the police. Although the arrow here is undoubtedly intended to portray the arm of the law," it should not be entirely overlooked that there was a time when a similar mark resembling the arrow was in use and had other significance (probably phallic from what I have been told)." (Hamlyn-Harris, p. 25) "The second stick (Fig. 31) comes from the Turn-off Lagoon at Burketown in Queensland. According to a report by E. P. Smith (42, p. 25) the arrows represent an "arm of the law",meaning, a police officer." (Frank p.342)
Creator of Object: Sender: "brother" Recipient: "sister" (p. 25)
Date Created: 1918
Notes on date created: terminus ante quem
Item type: message stick in a collection
Subtype: traditional
State/Territory: QLD
Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Yukulta Austlang: G34 - Yukulta / Ganggalidda Glottolog: gang1267
Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick is associated with Turn-off Lagoon, via Burketown The linguistic area of Turn-off Lagoon is Yukulta
Semantic domains: sd_acculturation, sd_person_brother, sd_person_police, sd_person_sister
Dimension 1: 125mm Dimension 2: 20mm
Materials: pine wood
Sources:
Institution/Holder file: Queensland Museum Kurilpa object identifier: QE34
Collector: a Protector of Aboriginals, Mr. E. P. Smith (p. 25)
Coordinates: 17°52'59.998800"S,138°34'0.001200"E (-17.883333, 138.566667)
Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Turn Off Lagoon
URL source 1: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/47577#page/57/mode/1up
Notes: QM REGISTER
Date: Aug. 23, 1911
Registration no: 11/34
Name or Description: Message stick
Locality: Turn-off Lagoon via Burketown Police Stn
From Whom Acquired: E. P. Smith (Protector)
References to Papers: See letter 11/4/88
Destination:
Remarks: From brother to sister telling her he has found the police
OTHER NOTES:
03.03.2026 PK: QM correspondence:
"Turn off Lagoon,
Police Station.
2nd August 1911
To
The Director
Queensland Museum
Brisbane.
Dear Sir,
I am sending to you 2 two bundles of Aboriginals things. Vize 18 stone knives, 2 feather mosquito or fly beater, 4 boomerangs 1 cooleman, 5 head bands, 2 arm rings, 4 throat bands, 2 opposoms and 1 head tasil, 1 but made out of Bagging , 2 feather armlets2 musician sticks, 4 letter sticks, 2 stone tomahawk, 2 grass neck laces, 1 red bean neck lace, 2 hair they make things out of it carry there cooliman. 4 pencile sketches drawn by an Abriginal, one Cooliman. It is made out of a cork wood tree. 29 stone and wooden spears, 5 woomeras to be used in throughing spear, one bundle of fire sticks. Hope these articles will reach you safely. Should you require any further collections kindly let me know. Myself and the matron will try and procure some for you.
I have the honour to be
Sir,
Yours obedient servant,
E. P. Smith,
PK: Hamlyn identifies the "arrow here" as representing the "arm of the law", but it is not clear what he is referring to or whether this is his own speculation or that of Smith. The two repeated chevrons on the obverse, however, are a plausible representation of police lapels. See, for example, Pitjantjatjara word walkatjara (‘person with a design on their body’) referring to both a ‘policeman’ and ‘tyre tread’).
03.03.2026 PK: QM correspondence:
"Turn off Lagoon,
Police Station.
2nd August 1911
To
The Director
Queensland Museum
Brisbane.
Dear Sir,
I am sending to you 2 two bundles of Aboriginals things. Vize 18 stone knives, 2 feather mosquito or fly beater, 4 boomerangs 1 cooleman, 5 head bands, 2 arm rings, 4 throat bands, 2 opposoms and 1 head tasil, 1 but made out of Bagging , 2 feather armlets 2 musician sticks, 4 letter sticks, 2 stone tomahawk, 2 grass neck laces, 1 red bean neck lace, 2 hair they make things out of it carry there cooliman. 4 pencile sketches drawn by an Abriginal, one Cooliman. It is made out of a cork wood tree. 29 stone and wooden spears, 5 woomeras to be used in throwing spear, one bundle of fire sticks. Hope these articles will reach you safely. Should you require any further collections kindly let me know. Myself and the matron will try and procure some for you.
I have the honour to be
Sir,
Yours obedient servant,
E. P. Smith,
04.02.2026 PK: Previously RHH1918P25F13
Media Files:
Data Entry: Julia Bespamyatnykh, Piers Kelly