QM_QE36

Title: Photograph of a message stick from Turn Off Lagoon by Hamlyn-Harris (1918)

Description: Sketch of message stick on p.25, Fig.14, of "On messages and "Message Sticks" employed among the Queensland Aborigines" by R. Hamlyn-Harris: "A four-sided pine message stick."

Message: The ochred stick contains irregularly zigzag lines on the reverse, and the period of six moons is shown by six straight lines on the side, unfortunately not visible in the illustration. The stick, which is of recent make, is an invitation from one clan to another to visit a corroboree in six months' (moons) time. (p. 26) "Inviting another to a corroborree the little one come in 6 moons" [PK: there are two objects, probably 36.1 and 36. I suspecet that this is the "little one" that means come in 6 moons.

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 [now Corinda, West of Doomadgee], via Burketown Benedict Scambary in "My country, mine country" (2013) notes that "Turn Off Lagoon has been returned to Waanyi People" (p.98)

Semantic domains: sd_request_invitation_ceremony, sd_time_moon

Dimension 1: 92mm Dimension 2: 11mm Dimension 3: 8mm

Materials: pine wood

Sources:

Hamlyn Harris, R. 1918. “On messages and ‘message sticks’ employed among the Queensland Aborigines.”

Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 6:13-36.

Institution/Holder file: Queensland Museum Kurilpa object identifier: QM36

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: 11/36

No. of Specimens: 2

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: Inviting another to a corroborree the little one come in 6 moons

OTHER NOTES:

05.02.2026 PK: Previously RHH1918P25F14

Media Files:

Data Entry: Julia Bespamyatnykh