Photographed by Trish Barnard.
Accession Number: QE26290
Museum: Queensland Museum
Date Acquired: 1989
Collector: Gladys Jean Henry (1921-2010)
Date Collected: 1950s
Where from: Murray Upper
Description: Wood with natural pigments (ochre and charcoal). Traditionally, firesticks were often in the form of a man and the designs associated with the sky and a mystical spirit of fire. The board is called Bagu and the accompanying drill sticks are Jiman by the Jirrbal and Girramay people. The Jiman were placed into the eyes and after adding a small amount of charcoal, twirled rapidly to create friction. A small amount of dry grass was then placed at the base which eventually ignited. The smoking grass was transferred to start the main fire in the camp. One man from the group had responsibility for maintaining fire at the camp – the ‘spirit’ of the fire secures a camp. This object was part of Gladys Henry’s (1921-2010) collection.
QM acquired this object by transfer from JCU Collection. Originally donated to JCU by the Australia Council. In 1979 Gladys Henry sold the collection of 588 artefacts to the Aboriginal Arts Board of Australia Council for $5,800 who then deposited the collection with the Material Culture Unit at James Cook University. A decade later in 1989 the Australia Council then gifted the collection to James Cook University. This gesture was celebrated with an official handover on 10 April 1990 attended by dignitaries from both organisations, Gladys Henry and local traditional owner representatives, with performances by Waddama Dancers. The collection is still one of the most important collections to be assembled after Walter Roth travelled through the Cardwell and Tully region in the early 1900s, and contains excellent examples of material culture production that continued well into the 1970s. Some of Henry’s collection is also held at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. Her daughter Valerie Keenan is the Arts Manager at Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre in Cardwell.
See: ‘Gladys Henry’ authored by Trish Barnard
http://www.jcucollections.org/?page_id=797
Contact: Chantal Knowles, Head of Cultures and Histories, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, QLD 4001 AUSTRALIA
Phone: (07) 3842 9038