1106920117
BALANKIRR
‘ In the old days, my grandfather, grandmother and my mother and uncles used to walk over this range, through the gap on top of the painting, down into the valley. Fishing and collecting bamboo for spears. Then they would walk across the other range into the Bungle Bungles to meet with other relatives that was living in Gawarre. It would take them two days to get there in the Bungles and back to the station.’
1106929578
OLD LADY SINGING OUT FOR HER DOG
This Ngarranggarni (Dreaming) is from Darrajayin country, also known as Springvale Station. In the Ngarranggarni (Dreaming) an old woman sang out for her dog Marranyji, an old wild dingo. Her dog had taken off in pursuit of a jiyirriny – kangaroo.
The dog followed the jiyirriny into a cave. The kangaroo grabbed the dog when they were in the back of the cave and held him there. The old woman followed the dog and called out to him. She burnt grass trying to find her dog, but he never came out.
The old woman is the figure standing up with her stick on top of the hill in this painting. The dog and the kangaroo are in the cave below, represented by the two circles. The woman and her dog are still there, in stone, in Juli’s country. This place is also called White Water.
1106920426
YUNURR
“This is la Kilfoyle, down by la river. This the camp where we bin mustering. Stockman. That snake story belonga this one. Snake bin say i’m gonna put a feather la head. He put la Darranyel feather on top. He bin say I going la different place. He go over la border. Pandanas Yard. Dance. And then he bin camp la river. He travel right down to Spring Creek, making Spring, waterfall everywhere. He went la Nine Mile and he got sick and he bin die there.
He bin jump from Mallee country, he bin go hunting for Kangaroo. The snake bin get behind him. He left his wife at Yunargarl (Mud Spring). Young bloke from Texas bin take over from there, from Wave Hill. His son bin take over. Snake bin come from the west, he drowned em. He came from the west to east, he make spring all the way. The south side, that’s from Kangaroo and Emu. He bin try and go back but that snake bin keep him back all the way. Then he got to nine mile and he bin die there, old snake. The dog bin jump over, he bin change into a killer dog. He living la Yunurr now, that dog. Mulunggurr – they call him.Killer dog. He there now.”
This painting is about the country which lies east of Warmun, called Kilfolye. It is where Churchill used to muster. The Dreaming story for this country is about a snake who made all the waterholes and turned into a killer dog.
The snake put a black cockatoo feather on his head. He wanted to go to a different place, so he went over to the NT border to Pandanas Yard and danced. He camped at the Spring Creek and started to make all the springs and waterfalls from around there. There was a young bloke who used to run the station there. He was drowned by the snake.
There was a dog who went out looking for Kangaroo and left his wife at Mud Spring (north of Warmun). After hunting he wanted to go back to his wife, but the snake wouldn’t let him. That snake jumped on the dog’s back and kept him there. The snake turned into the dog, a killer dog, and died there. He is still there now.
1106920414
Birnoo
This work depicts the hills of Birnoo Country (Alice Downs Station) and the country surrounding Birrno Rockhole, by moonlight. In the evening birds, kangaroos and emus come to the rockhole to drink. Two jumuluny (boab trees) stand beside the rockhole, which lies south of the Alice Downs homestead. Birrno is where Gordon was born and where he worked for many years as a stockman on the station.
11061037483
BIRNOO
This work depicts the hills of Birnoo Country (Alice Downs Station) and the country surrounding Birrno Rockhole, by moonlight. In the evening birds, kangaroos and emus come to the rockhole to drink. Two jumuluny (boab trees) stand beside the rockhole, which lies south of the Alice Downs homestead. Birrno is where Gordon was born and where he worked for many years as a stockman on the station.
110669540933
Rockhole la Birnoowoon Country – Gordon Barney
This Rock hole is la Birnoowoon Country,
we use this rock hole for fishing we catchem moot moot there thats the pearch small but very good eating we picnic here with the whole family and even bogey (Bath) in this rock hole it was very deep.
My country Alice Downs – Old Alice Down Station
We call it Wingunbuny. Ending of station creek.
Kija
Berrimbe gendewa dagoorlan birnoo gendang wiji ngerne
Yirrayinde goorndarrim burru nyirrega girrim
Yirramangginde moornmoorbe janggirrim.
110673303408
Birnoo Country – Gordon Barney
This painting shows Gordon’s country – Birnoo Country (Alice Downs Station). Birnoo is Gordon’s mother’s country. Gordon mustered cattle all throughout this country for many years – the way his father taught him to.
He became known as a skilled horsebreaker and buckjumper (rodeo rider). When Gordon worked as a stockman, he would often carry with him a saddle bag for his ochre collection. At the end of his mustering stint, he would have a bagful of ochres that he sourced from riding through his country.
He often paints the hills of Birnoo, which connects his to his mother’s country.