Chief's stick : Espiritu Santo

Chief's stick carved from a single piece of timber. The unpainted wooden club tapers down from 79 mm at the head to 46 mm at the base. Six large kernels are carved around the throat of the club, forming a base to the larger rounded club head. The base is carved into a slightly elongated pommel. Along the shaft and around part of the club head are a number of small circular and scribbled markings in ink.

This Chief's stick was collected from the rebel leader Jimmy Stevens, also known as 'Moses', by a member of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force's Kumul Force in 1980. Kumul Force was deployed to New Hebrides, specifically to the island of Espiritu Santo. New Hebrides had been jointly ruled by Britain and France. Just prior to the transition to Independence, Jimmy Stevens and his Nagriamel movement declared the independence of the island of Espiritu Santo as the 'State of Vemerana'. Britain, France, and Papua New Guinea sent soldiers to Espiritu Santo to quell the revolt. New Hebrides achieved independence on 30 July 1980 and was renamed the Republic of Vanuatu.