amsd_01890

Title: Two message sticks discovered wrapped in paperbark at Message Stick Cave, Riversleigh Station

Description: Michael Archer: "a bundle of artefacts wrapped in paperbark (Melaleuca species of tree) which was tied up with human hair string. The bundle contained two message sticks."

Date Created: 1987

Notes on date created: or 1986

Item type: positive text reference

Coordinates: 17°58'30.500400"S,139°13'25.600800"E  (-17.975139, 139.223778)

Notes on coordinates: MA: "in the limestone cliffs along the Gregory River in Boodjamulla National Park, Riversleigh Station, northwestern Queensland." PK: The coordinates here are for the approximate location of Gregory River and not the known location of the cave in the limestone cliffs

Notes: Correspondence with Michael Archer and Henk Godthelp in 2025. 13.06.2025: Dear Michael,

I am a researcher in anthropology at the University of New England. I'm just getting in touch because you mention a site, in a few of your papers, named Message Stick Cave.

Since my major research project is on message sticks, I'm very curious about this site and how it got its name.

Are you able to tell me more? Can you share where precisely this cave is to be found? All the best,

Piers

13.06.2025:

Hi Piers,

Message Stick Cave is a very small cave in the limestone cliffs along the Gregory River in Boodjamulla National Park, Riversleigh Station, northwestern Queensland. One of our palaeontological team members found in this cave a bundle of artefacts wrapped in paperbark (Melaleuca species of tree) which was tied up with human hair string. The bundle contained two message sticks. These were identified as such by Waanyi Nation elders and later repatriated by them to another site known only to them. The precise locality details for the cave cannot be revealed for security reasons.

Hope this helps!

Cheers

Mike

14.06.2025:

Hi all

I am not able to give anything but a ballpark date of 1986 or maybe 87. I left the bundle undisturbed and didn't see the contents, but one of the elders told me they were used when local tribes came together and didn't elaborate any further. He also didn't use a Waanyi word to describe the objects. I was told much later, in 2007 or so, that they were in a keeping place and were known to the current custodians. The topic came up in a discussion with Michael Slack and several of the male elders.

Cheers

Henk

[16.06.25]: Wonderful, thank you Michael and Henk!

Sorry to pester you with a follow-up question: When you described it as a "bundle of artefacts", does that mean there were other objects in the paperbark in addition to the message sticks? As it happens this represents only one of three known cases of message sticks discovered in situ in an archaeological context which is why I'm so keen to know.

Incidentally, the Waanyi term for message stick in Mary Laughren's unpublished dictionary is diwurrurru and she includes an example sentence:

Mudamudajibi yalu jibana. Windijbi nyulu nanangkanyi kundaanyi, diwurrurru-anyi. Windijbi nyulu manii. 'They wrapped (it) in paperbark. He gave (him) that piece of wood, that message stick to him. He handed it (to him).'

This would seem to indicate that wrapping message sticks in paperbark is a known Waanyi practice. There are other places where this happens too, especially in the Top End where paperbark is used to help transport message sticks but not to hide them from, eg, women or uninitiated boys.

Cheers,

Piers [17.06.25]: Hi I didn't see the bundle unwrapped and can only report that the elders talked only of the sticks.

Sorry I be of more assistance there. Message Stick cave was quite close to large well decorated shelter that I was told was an initiation site. 16.06.2025 PK: Consider example sentence for 'message stick' in Mary Laughren's dictionary:

Mudamudajibi yalu jibana. Windijbi nyulu nanangkanyi kundaanyi, diwurrurru-anyi. Windijbi nyulu manii. 'They wrapped (it) in paperbark. He gave (him) that piece of wood, that message stick to him. He handed it (to him)'.

This suggest the paperbark is like a paperbark wallet or paper yabber and not a covering for a restricted object. To follow up with Michael Slack.

Data Entry: Piers Kelly