RHM1897P292F7

Title: Sketches of a message stick from Queensland reproduced 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: The messenger who brought it said it was a reminder to the Bluff Downs natives to bring plenty of handkerchiefs and other fancy things when they next visited the first mentioned tribe. (Mathews 1897, p. 295; 1898)

Creator of Object: Sender: "a man of the Clark River tribe" Recipient: "one of the blacks at the Basalt river, Queensland" (p.295)

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: Yambina Austlang: E51 - Yambina

Linguistic area 2: Chirila: Biri Austlang: E56 - Biri^ Glottolog: biri1256

Notes on linguistic areas: For the origin point the best guess for "Clark River tribe" is Yambina, since this is at the beginning of the Clark River [now Burdekin River] basin. It is very uncertain however, and we would need better evidence for what RH Mathews considered to be the Clark River tribe. It was sent to the "Bluff Downs natives" on the Basalt river (Mathews 1897, p.295). Bluff Downs Station is within the Biri language area.

Cultural region: Queensland

Semantic domains: sd_item_handkerchief, sd_item_luxury, sd_reminder, sd_request_item

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°40'56.701200"S,145°32'22.498800"E  (-19.682417, 145.539583)

Notes on coordinates: This is the absolute location for Bluff Downs Station (destination of message stick)

URL institution: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52785381

Notes: PK: This is possibly AMus_E032200 but need to check both sides of the object in the museum

Media Files:

Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Piers Kelly