July 1, 1948. 
THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN NATURAUST 
Pag« One 
THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN 
Vol. 25 No. 1. JULY 1, 1948. 
JOURNAL OF THE FIELD NATURALISTS’ SECTION. 
ROYAL SOCIETY ROOMS: KINTORE AVENUE, ADELAIDE. 
HON. EDITOR: BERNARD C. COTTON, South Australian Museum, Adelaide. 
tity to the east of that area and have also 
been obtained, rather sparingly, in the Far 
North of this State around Cooper’s Creek, 
Callanna near Marree, Farina, Arcoona (west 
of Lake Torrens) and in the area adjoining 
the northern side of the Peterborough- 
Cockburn railway line. In addition, isolated 
specimens have been discovered in Queens- 
land and the Northern Territory. Their use 
has never been definitely established, but it 
is generally believed that they are represen- 
tative of some ceremonial significance and are 
also phallic in type. There appears to be no 
substantiated evidence that the aborigines of 
the European occupation were acquainted 
with their true meaning, and since many have 
been unearthed through erosion and excava- 
tion, they may be of considerable historical 
age. Although the material chiefly employed, 
ranging from extremely fine to very course- 
grained sandstones, green limestones and 
shaly slates is widely distributed in the 
inland districts of the Continent, specimens 
from South Australia so often closely re- 
semble those found in the River Darling 
Valley, both in design and texture, that it is 
possible some at least arrived from New 
South Wales by way of native trade routes 
which formerly existed, and were not a local 
product. Whilst now difficult to determine, 
it is probable that this portion of South Aus- 
tralia may have been within the influence 
of the culture, even if slightly and in con- 
sequence, the stones would have reached this 
area for some specific purpose and not ad- 
ventitiously as objects of casual interest al- 
though this is also a possibility. There is 
definite evidence that cylindro-conical stones 
have been discovered in this State adjacent 
to graves, thus suggesting their association 
with burial, but native objects wdien brought 
from distant sources have often been utilised 
for totally different ceremonial or magical 
purposes than those for which they were 
intended by their former owners. 
The northern areas of South Australia have 
by no means been systematically examined 
for specimens, and their incidence may later 
prove to be considerable. The largest example 
in the S.A. Museum is thirty inches in length, 
has incised markings, a flat base and is from 
the Broken Hill district. 
For a valuable and comprehensive account 
of cylindro-conical stones see Lindsay 
Black (1942). 
INCISED STONE. This was found on a 
native camp site near Wirrealpa Station home- 
stead and about 30 miles north of Martin’s 
Well. It is 3^ inches long, -J inch thick, 
weighs 2 \ ounces, and is one of 120 collected 
by the writer. In addition to the single deep 
longitudinal line, the markings, as will be 
seen, are comprised of long and short trans- 
verse, and short longitudinal incisings. 
Although the majority was found in the 
vicinity of Martin’s Well, and all inside an 
area with a diameter of less than 100 miles, 
it is not yet known whether their present 
apparently restricted incidence is merely due 
to intensive search in that district or whether 
this culture will ultimately prove to be purely 
local. 
Incised stones are derived from local silt- 
stones and slaty shales always of natural 
shape and never trimmed to size. 
Whilst their use is at present unknown, 
they may have been some form of count 
or “message stick,” but it is more probable 
that they have ceremonial or totemic signifi- 
cance, and in such respects may have rela- 
tionship to cylindro-conical stones and 
churingas, to both of which they bear some 
resemblance in the character of their mark- 
ings. Many are incised on one side only and 
some appear to be markedly phallic in shape. 
For a detailed description of incised stones, 
see Cooper (1947). 
AN OBJECT OF UNKNOWN SIGNIFI- 
CANCE from Artipena Water, Wilpena Creek, 
10 miles south-east of Martin’s Well is illus- 
trated here. The material is a micaceous 
