IDNO

LS.109247.TC1

Description

On Catalogue Card: "Muralug
"King Geedah" or "Gida"" [manuscript in ink]

Studio portrait of Gida (also known as Tarbucket), Mamoose of Muralug sitting looking away from the camera. The portrait was made while Gida was a member of the Wild Australia troupe. [Knowledge shared by Michael Aird, Director, Anthropology Museum, The University of Queensland, JD 20/09/2018]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Torres Strait; Muralag; New South Wales; Sydney [Prince of Wales Island]

Cultural Affliation

Kaurareg [historically Cowrarega, Kowrarega]

Named Person

King Geedah; Gida (also known as Tar-Bucket)

Photographer

Kerry Photo, Sydney

Collector / Expedition

Haddon, Alfred Cort [Torres Strait, 1888 - 1889]

Date

1892

Collection Name

Teaching Slide CollectionHaddon Unmounted Collection

Source

Haddon, Alfred Cort (Dr)

Format

Lantern Slide Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Related Archive: Referenced in notebook titled ‘List of Torres-Straits Photographs. 1888 - 1889. A.C. Haddon’, "44 A. Tarbucket & wife, (plate with dendritic markings). Muralag." [JD 9/5/2011, from P.59865.ACH2 ID 1/3/2012]

Related Archive: Haddon writes of his time in Muralug in his 1888 Journal, noting on Tuesday 11th September, "I was received by the Mamoose Jack "Tuigana" & shortly found myself in an empty house belong [sic] to a Mr Brown - a pearl-sheller. ... A man rejoicing in the euphonious name of 'Tar-bucket’ Gida was the care-taker ...
After glancing at the houses I went up to the back where some women & children were in the shade on some mats. A jolly naked kid was [?swinging] so I played with him a bit as a preparative, & then I went & shook hands with the women. One was the Chief's (Jack) wife - the other Georgie's (by the bye, Georgie's Jack's eldest son - ) they have been married a year & have no picannienny. I chatted with the people & played ball with some boys till dinner time - (tiffin). I found Jama had managed fairly well me. In the aft. I sketched & measured the houses ... After this I photographed some groups & had a confidential talk with Georgie & his father, the latter [sic former] acting as interpreter thou the old boy can understand English & make himself fairly well understood. (pp.33-35) [JD 18/5/2011, from P.59865.ACH2 ID 1/3/2012]

Named Person: Within the Reports II, pp.59, 62 and V, pp.80, 147 mention is made of "Gida (Tarbucket) the Mamoose of Muralug", and ‘King’ and ‘Chief’ Tarbucket". [JD 18/5/2011, from P.59865.ACH2 ID 1/3/2012]

Publication: A portrait of Gida and Kemaliya are published in 'Aird, Michael, Mapar, Mandana and Memmott, Paul Wild Australia, Meston's Wild Australia Show 1892-1893. St Lucia, QLD, Australia: University of Queensland Anthropology Museum, 2015', p.22 and captioned: "Kemaliya and Gida.
'The Prince of Wales Islanders 'Gida', 'Duhgoom' and 'Bulla', Gidda's wife 'Camaleea' and a boy 'Cowra' 9 years of age were brought down by Purcell against by express instructions as I wanted no Papuans. However they came of their own accord, and left Brisbane on a clear understanding that they were to be fed and clothed and well treated and finally sent back to Thursday Island. None of the blacks in the party were to receive wages and had no such expectation. No time of absence was mentioned as that was impossible. They all expected to be away for about '2 years' = '24 moons'.' Archibald Meston, 1893." [JD 23/09/2018]

Publication: A portrait of Gida and Kiwa are published in 'Aird, Michael, Mapar, Mandana and Memmott, Paul Wild Australia, Meston's Wild Australia Show 1892-1893. St Lucia, QLD, Australia: University of Queensland Anthropology Museum, 2015', p.22 and captioned: "Kawara and Gida.
'... the king of Prince of Wales Island, his wife, and adopted son, an intelligent looking little fellow of five or six. The lecturer said that many people had asked him for this child, but he had promised the old king that he would not part him from the boy. His word would not be broken ... The circumstances that led to the adoption of the boy by the king was as follows: it is customary among the blacks that when twins are born the weakest should be exposed on a river back or sea-shore, and left to be eaten by crocodiles or drowned. This boy had been rescued by the king from this perilous position, adopted, and reared.' Brabazon Purcell, 1894." [JD 25/09/2018]

Bibliographical Reference: Noted in 'Aird, Michael, Mapar, Mandana and Memmott, Paul Wild Australia, Meston's Wild Australia Show 1892-1893. St Lucia, QLD, Australia: University of Queensland Anthropology Museum, 2015', p.4 is the following contextual information: "The Wild Australia Show was conceived by Archibald Meston and was a travelling troupe of twenty-seven Aboriginal people conscripted from the Queensland frontier who performed in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne during 1892 and 1893 in preparation for departure on an international tour in the era of World Exhibitions. However the plans were curtailed by contractual disputes, scandals of financial incompetence and accusations of the capture of certain troupe members against their will in chains. ...
The troupe members came from the following groups: the Wakaya people of the central-east of the Northern Territory (taken when visiting on on the Queensland border), groups from around Normanton (including Kuthant, Kurtjar, Arapa, Walangama, Nayikulan), Kalkadungu from the west of Cloncurry, Prince of Wales Island in the Torres Strait and the Kabi Kabi of the Mary River basin. The images of the troupe were captured by the three leading studio photographers in Australia at the time: Charles Kerry and Henry King in Sydney and John W. Lindt in Melbourne."