| Coordinates WGS84 | 13°21'S, 141°44'E -13.36, 141.73 |
RHH1918P25F16
Title: Sketch of a message stick by Hamlyn-Harris (1918)
Description: Sketch of message stick on p.26, Fig.16, of "On messages and "Message Sticks" employed among the Queensland Aborigines" by R. Hamlyn-Harris
Message: This message stick was sent by a native of Aurukun to a native of Weipa, consenting to his sister marrying the latter when when he had built his humpy, and asking for payment in the form of a cloth from the woman and a pair of trousers and a singlet from the man The wood used is possibly a variety of Hibiscus, and is crudely prepared showing haste in the making. There are altogether three rows of notches cut [26] at irregular intervals. Although the natives who used this stick have been under the influence of civilisation, it is nevertheless a concrete instance of a definite message. (p.27)
Creator of Object: Sender: "a native of Aurukun" Recipient: "a native of Weipa" (p. 26)
Date Created: 1918
Notes on date created: terminus ante quem
Item type: image of a message stick (artefact missing)
Subtype: traditional
State/Territory: QLD
Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Linngithigh Austlang: Y26 - Linngithigh Glottolog: leni1238
Linguistic area 2: Chirila: Alngith Austlang: Y32 - Alngith Glottolog: alng1239
Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick is associated with Cape York Peninsula. Aurukun is ambiguous since many different groups would have been there, however it sits on traditional Linngithigh country. Someone who was a "native of Weipa" in early twentieth century would likely be Alngith
Semantic domains: sd_item_cloth, sd_item_singlet, sd_item_trousers, sd_marriage, sd_request_item
Dimension 1: 109mm Dimension 2: 14mm
Materials: wood
Sources:
Coordinates: 13°21'26.301600"S,141°43'41.199600"E (-13.357306, 141.728111)
Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Aurukun
URL source 1: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/47577#page/51/mode/1up
Media Files:
Data Entry: Julia Bespamyatnykh