QM_QE981

Title: A message stick from Hull River in the Queensland Museum Kurilpa

Date Created: 1916-08-16

Item type: message stick in a collection

Notes on linguistic areas: QM spreadsheet: "Hull River (Palm Island)"

Institution/Holder file: Queensland Museum Kurilpa object identifier: QE981

Notes: QM REGISTER

Date: Sep. 5, 1916

Registration no: 16/981

Name or Description: Message stick ruddled

Locality: Hull River, N.Q.

From Whom Acquired: E. J. Banfield

How Acquired: Don. References to Papers:

Destination: [...]

Remarks:

OTHER NOTES:

QM correspondence: Banfield, E. J. 1916. "Letter from E. J. Banfield to R. Hamlyn Harris." Queensland Museum Archives. Historic correspondence: 1916, 16 August.

Brammo Bay, Dunk Island,

[515] August 16/16.

Dear Doctor,

At last I am able to send you some example of message sticks. They were made by an old Palm Island boy at present at the Settlement, and I am handing them to you exactly in the condition I received them, that is with all adherent taints of civilitsation—witness the string and the staples. I have known the maker for over 25 years as a shrewd fellow with no little wit of his own, great skill in the making of all sorts of weapons, and ready confession with regard to the disabilities of his race.

I asked him yesterday what the letters talked about, when he answered, as usual, that black boys were "in other kind", that the sticks could not talk like a whiteman's letters, but that boys made them to send "along another man". He smiled when I suggested that some boys might makes sticks that could talk, declaring "No that fella humbug. Carn make'm talk all asame white man." Those who contend that blacks can send intelligible messages by means of such graven sticks do not make allowance for the mental qualities of of the race, though it is absurd not to recognise the ingenuity and intelligence of their manual sign language, of which, personally, I invent such complicated and graphic designs in the game of "cat's cradle" ought to be able to transmit simple messages by pictorial representations. I am strongly of opinion that they cannot. With all good wishes.

Yours very truly and very hurriedly.

E. Banfield. 05.02.2026 PK: Inwards correspondence 1916_005.jpg: Progressive=216 Previous=171 Subsequent=515 Date of registration=January 19 Of Letter=April 11 From Whom= E. J. Banfield Dunk Is. Subject of Letter=Message sticks – giving information re.

Media Files:

Data Entry: Piers Kelly