amsd_00994

Title: A message stick in a private collection, first acquired by the explorer Lawrence Allen Wells in Western Australia or South Australia

Item type: message stick in a private collection

Institution/Holder file: Richard Davies

Media copyright: Richard Davies

Notes: Richard Davies to Piers Kelly 28 November 2017: "Lawrence Allen Wells was my great grandfather. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/wells-lawrence-allen-9043 I have shown pictures to University researchers in WA and they think that the stick came from the Mullewa/Geralton area, but it is guesswork. The stick may have come from from any of the WA areas he explored, and dates.... who knows. I found the stick amongst my father's effects while he was very ill and close to death. I asked him about it but he couldn't even remember that he had it. I have bull roarers and boomerangs that Wells left to my dad. He had been given them by various Aboriginal people- probably in WA, though he did explore in SA until he was 73. My wife and I have lived and worked with Aboriginal people for over 40 years in the NT. When I showed the stick to some of the Tennant Creek men they did not respond much. They would have told me had they any knowledge of such an object. We likewise have been given a plethora of artefacts from the Tennant Creek/Barkly Tableland region. I have tried looking on the WWW for images of similar things but only found much cruder message sticks and so that is why I contacted you. Thank you for responding to my email. best wishes" Piers Kelly replied: "Hi Richard, How very interesting. I would say your great grandfather's message stick is plausibly from WA. It looks like others that I've seen from Western Australia at the Ethnologisches Museum in Berlin and at the National Museum of Australia. In a quick search of the database I've found this polished sandalwood style as far north Roebourne and as far south as Rottnest Island. You will notice that this one (on the far right) from the British Museum is very similar and it's from the Murchison district: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=505450&partId=1&searchText=message+stick&images=true&page=1 I can give you access to the message sticks database-in-progress if you like, but it still needs a lot of tidying up. Just let me know and I'll generate log-in details. Would it be possible for me to include your artefact in the database too? It's certainly a fine piece of work, and other experts might have more to say about it than me. All the best, Piers P.S. Do you remember which university researchers you contacted in WA? I would be keen to know if anybody else is working in the area of message sticks. "

Media Files:

Data Entry: Piers Kelly