SAM_A_60348

Title: A message stick from Northern Territory held in the South Australian Museum

Description: A message stick from Miljirina at Oenpelli sent to Jakinuramilja in Darwin; Wooden incised message stick 'Miljirina' from the South Australian Museum

Message: «Rry to convince my wives to come back to Gunbalanya and bring two bottles and bring two bottles of tobacco»

From: Miljirina at Gunbalanya

Sent: 1948

To: Jakinuramilja in Darwin

Subject: wives and tobacco

"Figure 67B is a message stick an aboriginal, Miljirina, at Oenpelli asked me to deliver to his friend, ]akinuramilja, in Darwin.

The line a is Miljirina, the sender of the stick, and the line b the recipient, Jakinuramilma; c is Tundara, one of Miljirina's wives, and d, another wife, called Marinja. The lines e and f each represent a bottle of tobacco. Miljirina wanted his friend, Jakinuramilja, to induce his two wives, Tundara and Marinja, to come back to him at Oenpelli; he also wanted two bottles of tobacco." p 473.

Creator of Object: Miljirina

Date Created: 1948

Notes on date created: Year of American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land

Item type: message stick in a collection

Subtype: traditional

State/Territory: NT

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Mengerr Austlang: N53 - Mengerrdji Glottolog: mang1382

Linguistic area 2: Chirila: Larrakia Austlang: N21 - Larrakia Glottolog: lara1258

Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is Oenpelli [Gunbalunya], Northern Territory, Australia;

Cultural region: TopEnd_arnhem_east

Term for 'message stick' (or related) in language: miltyirina ('Miljirina')

Source types: museum collection

Date collected: 1948; Date registered: 25. Feb 1970

Institution/Holder file: The South Australian Museum object identifier: A-60348

Collector: Purchased from: Mountford, Charles P.

Coordinates: 12°15'10.000800"S,136°53'30.001200"E  (-12.252778, 136.891667)

Media copyright: The South Australian Museum

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Yirrkala, per google maps

Notes: AR: SAM register: "'Arnhemland, Art, Myth and Symbolism', p 472 B, Coll CPM" 11.02.2026 PK: Previously CPM1956P472F67_B Mountford wrote that "Whilst at Yirrkalla and Oenpelli I had to fly to Darwin several times on expedition matters. Each time I went one or more aborigines have me message sticks to deliver to their friends at Darwin. My procedure (after I had made a record of the message stick either by a sketch or a rubbing) was to write the meanings of the various symbols on a sheet of paper, wrap the paper round the message stick and enclose it in an envelope, on the outside of which I wrote the name of the recipient as a guide to my memory. When I delivered the message stick, which I did on all but two occasions, I was able to explain to the recipient the significance of the marks on the message stick by referring to my notes." p. 467. This message stick is grouped in Fig67 with "secular message sticks, Yirrkalla", even though it seemingly came from Oenpelli. Figure designed by Jean Truran

Media Files:

Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Piers Kelly, Alexandra Roginski, Nitzan Rotman