Coordinates WGS8418°32'S, 146°17'E
-18.54, 146.29

amsd_00037

Title: Sketch of a message stick from Queensland by Hamlyn-Harris (1918)

Description: Sketch of message stick on p.28, Fig.19, of "On messages and "Message Sticks" employed among the Queensland Aborigines" by R. Hamlyn-Harris: "This stick, though in the main round, has practically four sides and is raddled with a dark-red ochre. The two rows of notches number 24 and 25 respectively, and a groove (track) runs along one of these rows; for the rest zigzag lines and crosses are typical. Message unknown"

Date Created: 1918

Notes on date created: terminus ante quem

Item type: image of a message stick (artefact missing)

State/Territory: QLD

Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick is associated with Herbert River, Queensland

Dimension 1: 89mm Dimension 2: 9mm

Materials: pine wood

Techniques: raddled with a dark-red ochre

Sources:

  • Hamlyn Harris, R. 1918. “On messages and ‘message sticks’ employed among the Queensland Aborigines.”
  • Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 6:13-36.
  • Collector: Donor: J. Gaggin

    Coordinates: 18°32'11.400000"S,146°17'20.799600"E  (-18.5365, 146.289111)

    Notes on coordinates: Random coordinates along the Herbert River, Queensland, per Google maps

    URL source 1: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/47577#page/51/mode/1up

    Media Files:

    Data Entry: Julia Bespamyatnykh, Nitzan Rotman