Hand carved pilir/paddle
DateBefore 1983
Object number00004998
NamePaddle
MediumMangrove timber
DimensionsOverall: 50 x 1375 x 325 mm, 1.7 kg
ClassificationsVessels and fittings
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionA hand carved paddle,or pilir, from Mornington Island. It was designed for use with a raft, walpa, and is made from a single stem and buttress root of a mangrove tree (Ceriopstagal).
This paddle was made by Darwin Moodoonuthi who was an elder of the Kaiadilt people, the traditional owners of the Wellesley Islands group.
Mornington Island is the northernmost of the 22 islands that form the Wellesley Islands group. The island is in the Gulf of Carpentaria north of Queensland, Australia.HistoryIn northern waters and islands, streams and channel crossings were also considered to be paths. Channel crossings existed between Sydney Island and Mornington Island and Wallaby Island and Mornington Island. These crossings were normally used at low tide.
Water travel, where crossings were not available, or for the purposes of trade or hunting, was accomplished by using rafts (walpa) and paddles (pilir) .
These were used throughout all of the Wellesley Islands and were constructed of white mangrove or lightweight driftwood members, lashed together with Hibiscus rope.
The rafts were described by Walter Roth whilst visiting Forsyth Island in 1903:
"the V shaped rafts.... are composed of numerous light saplings, with butts all at one end, the larger logs underneath and at the sides, all tied together fore and aft, a cross - tie connecting the two loops to prevent them slipping up on the wider portion of the raft is placed a bundle of dried grass upon which the traveller squats, and paddles himself a long.
Raft sizes varied up to five meters long and 1.6 meters wide at the rear. These rafts were not very stable. It required a great deal of skill to cover any great distance at sea. The rafts became waterlogged after a few hours of exposure
to water and had to be hauled up and dried out. This then, limited the distances that the traveller could cover without contact with land.
Because the bark rope that was used to lash the logs together sometimes chafed and broke in choppy seas, rafts men often wore coils of rope wound around their waists to use in times of need.
The walpas were used chiefly to island hop over short distances."
The Kaiadilt people migrated to the South Wellesley Islands, Bentinck and Sweers Island, around 500 - 1000 years ago. They were very skilful fish hunters and developed an enclosed stone fish trap system around their islands. The Kaiadilt managed to avoid the effects of European colonisation until 1866 when the town of Carnarvon was built on Sweers Island. Despite this the Kaiadilt managed to successfully live their traditional life on Bentinck Island.
In 1914 a mission was established on the larger Mornington Island and around 63 Kaiadilt still residing on Bentinck Island were moved there. This was not home however and the desire to return to Bentinck Island never left them.
In the 1960's Darwin Moodoonuthi emerged as a ledaer for the Kaiadilt people and began fighting for their land rights and return to Bentinck Island. This was achieved in 1986 when Nyinyiki outstation was built there and in 2007 the Kaiadilt,
Lardil, Yangkaal and Gangalidda people were acknowledged as the traditional andrightful owners of the Wellesley, South Wellesley, Forsyth and Bountiful Island groups.SignificanceIn 2008 the Lardil, Yangkaal, Gangalidda and Kaiadilt peoples were acknowledged as the traditional owners of the Wellesley, South Wellesley, Forsyth and Bountiful Island groups. Darwin Moodoonuthi was instrumental in fighting for Indigenous land rights for this area.
