A VERY INTERESTING ITEM AND IT DOES SHOW AGE. I WOULD ALSO AGREEE THAT THE STONE WAS SELCETED FOR USE WITH LITTLE MODIFICATION BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT HAD SIGNIFICENCE PERHAPS SEEN TO REPRESENT A POWERFUL ANIMAL TOTUM. I DOUBT THAT THE WORD TOTUM WOULD HAVE BEEN USED WHERE THIS WAS MADE BUT IT CONVEYS THE MEANING. THE SHAPES OF NATURAL ROCKS WERE CONSIDERED IMPORTANT TO MANY TRIBAL PEOPLES OVER THE WORLD. THE KUMBAINGERI ABORIGINALS IN N.S.W. MACLEAY RIVER AREA ASSOCIATED SHAPED STONES WITH TRIBAL MYTHS AND STORYS. I HAVE HAD NO LUCK GETTING A EXAMPLE OF A AUSTRALIAN AXE FOR INSPECTION AS I ALWAYS GET OUTBID AND I THINK PRICES HAVE NOW BEEN PUSHED UP ABOVE MY PRICE RANGE.
FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THEY USUALLY HAVE SOME NATURAL GUM RESIN ADHESIVE ON AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLES SO IF THAT IS PRESENT IT WOULD HELP PIN IT DOWN AT LEAST TO AUSTRALIA OR WHERE GUM TREES OR PRESENT WHICH STILL LEAVES A VERY LARGE AREA WITH MANY DIFFERENT TRIBES AND CUSTOMS. I AM ASSUMING THAT THE GUM COMES FROM ONE OF THE TYPES OF EUCULIPTUS TREES PRESENT IN THE AREA BUT NO LONGER REMBER WHERE I READ OR CAME UP WITH THAT BELIEF
THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY IT MAY HAVE BEEN MADE BY SOMEONE FOR FUN USING OLD METHODS AND MATERIALS. THE BOY SCOUTS HAVE BOOKS WHICH GIVE DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO USLE OLD TRIBAL MATERIALS AND METHODS TO MAKE TOOLS AND WEAPONS WHILE THEY STUDY THE HISTORY AND BELIEFS OF THOSE TIMES AND TRIBES HERE IN THE USA. PERHAPS THAT HAS BEEN DONE AS WELL IN AUSTRALIA AND OF COURSE THE TRIBES HAVE MADE SOUVINEERS FOR QUITE A LONG TIME NOW SO THERE ARE EVEN VERY OLD EXAMPLES OF SOUVINEERS SOME OF WHICH ARE QUITE COLLECTABLE.
THERE IS A GOOD BASIC BOOK " AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL STONE IMPLEMENTS" BY F. D. McCARTHY IT IS NOT A COFFEE TABLE BOOK WITH PRETTY PICTURES BUT HAS GOOD DRAWING AND LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION AND I THINK IS NOT AN EXPENSIVE BOOK. REGARDLESS OF THE ORIGIN OF YOUR CLUB I DO LIKE IT A LOT AND AM SURE I WOULD APPRECIATE IT BETTER IF I HAD IT IN HAND. I THINK IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A LIZZARD OR THAT SMALL BUG EYED FISH THAT COMES OUT ON LAND THE MUDSKIPPER, PERHAPS ONE EYE HAS BEEN KNOCKED OFF WITH USE. NICE FIND
