UQAM7676

Title: A message stick from Yirrkala at the University of Queensland Anthropology Museum

Description: Message stick. Physical Description: The object is rectangular in shape, however the ends are slightly curved, with one more so than the other. There are five vertical etchings at the more curved end, 8 left of the middle and 8 at the other end. There is a small burnt hole towards an edge. It is a medium hardwood of a light brown colour.

Message: UQAM's website: "Notes by Audrey Fielding: 'Piece of wood with human hair through a hole in it : - a man has his mother's brother's daughter promised to him. When girl is ready to marry her father sends message stick with daughter's hair to indicate this.'"

Item type: message stick in a collection

Subtype: traditional

State/Territory: NT

Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is Yirrkala Mission, East Arnhem region, Northern Territory, Australia

Cultural region: TopEnd_arnhem_east

Dimension 1: 135mm Dimension 2: 20mm

Materials: hair, wood

Source types: museum collection

Date collected: Unknown

Institution/Holder file: The University of Queensland Anthropology Museum object identifier: 7676

Collector: Collected by: Miss Audrey Fielding Sourced by: Miss Fleming

Coordinates: 12°15'10.101600"S,136°53'10.701600"E  (-12.252806, 136.886306)

Media copyright: The University of Queensland Anthropology Museum

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Yirrkala Mission, NT, per Google maps

URL institution: https://catalogue.anthropologymuseum.uq.edu.au/?record=ecatalogue.7676

Notes: UQ Anthropology Museum website: "Notes by Audrey Fielding: 'Piece of wood with human hair through a hole in it : - a man has his mother's brother's daughter promised to him. When girl is ready to marry her father sends message stick with daughter's hair to indicate this.'" 21.3.25 NR: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/entity/yirrkala-mission-2/ - "The Methodist Overseas Mission established the Yirrkala Mission in north east Arnhem Land on the east coast of the Gove Peninsula in 1935. Aboriginal people from 13 different clans in the surrounding area came to Yirrkala."

Data Entry: Nitzan Rotman