Hatchet attributed to Borroloola, Northern Territory
Datec 1990
Object number00018009
NameHatchet
MediumStone, wood, fiber, paint, sugarbag, ochre
DimensionsOverall: 420 mm, 1.1 kg
ClassificationsTools and equipment
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionHatchet attributed to Borroloola, Northern Territory. This hatchet that has been pecked and then ground to produce a blade.The stone was then hafted by bending a piece of wood around the stone and the two ends tied.The fibre has been covered with sugarbag.The handle was originally decorated with paint and this has been covered with ochre.HistoryHatchet attributed to Borroloola in the Northern Territory. Hatchets of this kind were once common in the area and used for chopping or cutting wood and fashioning other tools.Their main function was to open hollow logs to extract possums, birds and sugarbag (native honey) .The hatchets were made of stone because it was the heaviest and most durable material available. The use of metal was unknown until contact with Indonesian fishermen. Australia has some of the earliest evidence of the use of stone grinding technology found anywhere in the world. Hatchets with edges sharpened by grinding, dated at least 20,000 years old, have been found in the Borroloola area.
SignificanceIt is an example of a technology no longer used but still considered important as a symbol of the Yanyuwa people's efficient use of available material.
18 June 1913
