Dear Ms Croft,

Thank you for you letter of 28th February 2003 regarding the 19th Century Mer Island ‘Stone Shark’ which your Organisation had acquired at the international auction.

I have made enquires with the Elders that are living on the Island today but unfortunately I have arrived at the conclusion that none of the Elders have any information of this particular object and they are unable to correlate this priceless item of spiritual significance to its original owner. However, their stories advocated the implications on fatal shark related incidents that have occurred on the Island in the past when a spell was cast upon someone who was eventually bitten by a shark. For your information, the shark clan is the most prestigious of the eight [8] clan groups established on the Island since time immemorial.

As a matter of interest — you are no doubt very much acquainted with the tactics that were used to remove numerous materials such as the above-mentioned object away from the Island without prior authorisation and/or knowledge of the original owners of the land. I am sure you will agree with me that people that have originated from far beyond the horizon cannot comprehend the spiritual affiliation between a piece of carved rock and the sculptor [in this case, the descendants of the sculptor]. At this present time, because of the enormous gap that was made to engulf the Subjects from the Objects, a considerable degree of sympathy and emotions were created. Just to observe the picture that you have dispatched to me, it seems like magnifying a toll for the death of a loved one.

As you have stated, we do acknowledge the National Gallery of Australia to be an appropriate venue to care for the object. We have no objection for you to put it to public display. We think that the Stone Shark object does not need blessing simply because it was already blessed by the inspiration of the Heavenly Powers through its creator — the artist.

We do sincerely hope that we would have the opportunity in the near future to visit and view some of the materials from Mer Island that you are holding at the National Gallery of Australia.

Thank you once again for you letter. I must say that we do appreciate the respect the National Gallery of Australia have given to the Meriam people.

Yours sincerely,

Ron B. Day

Chairman

Murray Island Council