RHM1897P292F12

Title: Sketches of a message stick from Queensland by R.H.Mathews (1897, 1898)

Description: Note that it is likely the wrong numbers are assigned to Mathews' sketches and he has mixed up fig 7 and fig 12. Here is the description of fig 7: "Figure 7.--This is a message stick or token sent by a man of the Clark River tribe to one of the blacks at the Basalt river, Queensland. The messenger who brought it said it was a re- minder to the Bluff Downs natives to bring plenty of handkerchiefs and other fancy things when they next visited the first- mentioned tribe. The length of the stick is five inches and three-eighths and its diameter half an inch. It is simply a round piece of wood, without any paint upon it, marked all over in a somewhat similar manner to figure 12." Compare Fig 12: "Figure 12.-The message-stick here represented is n round piece of wood, a little over half a n inch in diameter and six inches long, and is painted red. It wm sent by one of the blacks on the Clark river, Queensland, to a black fellow known m “ Billy,” residing at Bluff Downs station,on the Basalt river, asking him and his people to come to the Ann Branch, as a big corroboree was coming off. The localities mentioned are in the North Kennedy district, Queensland."

Message: It was sent [...] asking him and his people to come to the Ana Branch, as a big corroboree was coming off. (Mathews 1897, p. 297) "I have shown the marking on one-third of the circumference, the remainder being marked in the same way." (Mathews 1897, p. 297)

Creator of Object: Sender: "one of the blacks on the Clark river, Queensland, to a black fellow known as 'Billy', residing at Bluff Downs station,on the Basalt river" (Mathews 1897, p297; 1898) Recipient: "a black fellow known as "Billy," residing at Bluff Downs station" (Mathews 1897, p. 297; 1898) Sender: "one of the blacks on the Clarke River" Recipient: "a blackfellow known as "Billy", residing at Bluff Downs station, on the Basalt River"

Date Created: 1897

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: Gudjal Austlang: E60 - Gudjal Glottolog: gudj1237

Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick is associated with the Clark river, Queensland, North Kennedy district, sent to Bluff Downs station, on the Basalt river, North Kennedy district, Queensland (Mathews 1897, p. 297) Inferred from geography (PK)

Semantic domains: sd_ceremony, sd_place, sd_request_invitation_ceremony

Sources:

American Anthropologist 10 (9):288-298.

Mathews, R. H. 1898. "Message sticks."

Mathews, Robert Hamilton. 1897. “Message-sticks used by the Aborigines of Australia “

Scientific American Supplement 46:19195-1915.

Collector: I obtained the message-sticks and all the details respecting them from Mr James E. Miller, a police trooper stationed at Goodooga township. He has been traveling through that district in the discharge of his official duties for some years past and is well acquainted with the numerous aboriginal population, who still preserve their ancient customs. (Mathews 1897, p.292)

Coordinates: 19°26'29.670000"S,144°38'53.728800"E  (-19.441575, 144.648258)

Notes on coordinates: Chirila coordinates for Gudjal

URL institution: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52785381/view?partId=nla.obj-92735275#page/n6/mode/1up

Media Files:

Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Piers Kelly