July 2024

Roogoon (Crocodile Hole) by Thlema Thomas

‘This la bottom side of Roogoon [Crocodile Hole]. This good country that.

That’s the water- the black painted parts. You can’t swim there, too many crocodiles and that snake, but it’s a beautiful place to go.’

This gorge at Crocodile Hole is a very good place for fishing. It has been an important hunting ground too.

That place holds a big collection of things; some sacred men’s law business things, and artefacts made with the resin or wax you can collect from spinifex grass called gaal in Gija can be found..

surrounded and protected by strong landscapes; crocodile gorge, many hidden caves, springs and waterholes, its a powerful healing place.

Warlawoon Country

“This painting is about the Warlawoon Country my dad Rammey Ramsay country my beautiful old artist dad who left his memory with me to carry on after him.

Trees, camping areas, water holes, hills, and traditional stories of his mum and dad and their parents and so on he told me.” Kathy Ramsay

Kathy Ramsay is the oldest daughter of the late senior Gija man of Jungoora skin, Rammay Ramsay, whose ancestral Country lies to the west of Bedford Downs near Elgee Cliffs. Following in her father’s foorsteps., her work is forever infused with the memory of Warlawoon Country. Together with a longing for Country, their work teases out the complexities of Gija world-views and the impact of pastoral occupation on their land.

Bow River Bridge – Kathy Ramsay

Bow River Bridge is a popular fishing spot east of Warmun. Kathy says ‘this spot is up stream, where two rivers meet going down to the bridge’.

Kathy remembers traveling to Bow River Bridge with her family when they had holiday’s from the station, ‘go down there for camping out’.

Spending time there fishing, camping out, and where all my old people meet to spend time corroboree singing.

Warlawoon & Bow River Country – Kathy Ramsay

This painting represents two countries – Kathy’s dad’s country, Warlawoon, and her country where she grew up, Bow River.

 One half is about the Warlawoon Country my dad Rammie Ramsay country my beautiful old artist dad who left his memory with me to carry on after him. Trees, Camping areas, water holes, hills, and traditional stories of his mum and dad and their parents and so on he told me.

The other half is Bow River Country.Kathy says:

“My family has a strong history of this place. My grandfather Timmy Timms (Snr) named the dams here redrock damn, and the redrock itself called redrock and the damn near the hill is called marringarnji dam, meaning where dingos come to drink water with the horses and cattle. My families has drovin’ histories and traditional stories both.

The road is called the old Wyndham road back in the early days. In nowadays it’s been graded.

My ancestors used to live anywhere here, at camping areas near the river beds. They used to live off the land eating kangaroo, porcupine, all sorts of bush foods.

We are so blessed God gave us boundaries to keep and to hold our future generation children to have and to hold.”