April 2025

115682361870

Bapurru Nganiyal (Family mat)

Yolngu have complex, interconnected family structures spanning across Arnhem Land and this is the inspiration for Mary’s weaving. Mary has joined individual pieces together, to create a piece that represents and reflects her familial connections, bonds and interdependence. Her interconnected weaving represents a family portrait.

The weaving format and styles originate from the Yolngu Nation’s traditional Nganiyal (conical mats) which have ritual, ceremonial and practical significance within their cultural lives. The patterns, colours and designs are unique to each artist and comprise of differing techniques, often learned from their grandmothers through the manual transference of skills ranging from places to gather bush materials, techniques on how to harvest and prepare the pandanus, sourcing natural materials such as roots, leaves and barks for the dyeing process.  Over time, and especially in the case of Mary, she has advanced her own artistry, craftsmanship and aesthetics from her continual making, experimenting and refining. 

By CompNet Systems, ago

115682361788

Mindirr (Pandanus Bag)

Miṉḏirr (dilly bags) are made from gunga (Pandanus spiralis), baḻgurr (kurrajong) and natural bush dyes. The body of the miṉḏirr is made from gunga, and the handles from baḻgurr. Once the gunga fronds and baḻgurr bark have been collected, they are stripped and prepared then boiled with the dyes.

Miṉḏirr were used traditionally for every day utilitarian purposes, particularly collecting bush foods such as bäḻtji (yam). Traditionally, the baḻgurr handles were worn across the forehead while the body of the miṉḏirr sat at the back, between the shoulder blades making it easily accessible when collecting ŋatha (food).

By CompNet Systems, ago

115682361758

Bapurru Nganiyal (Family mat)

Yolngu have complex, interconnected family structures spanning across Arnhem Land and this is the inspiration for Mary’s weaving. Mary has joined individual pieces together, to create a piece that represents and reflects her familial connections, bonds and interdependence. Her interconnected weaving represents a family portrait.

The weaving format and styles originate from the Yolngu Nation’s traditional Nganiyal (conical mats) which have ritual, ceremonial and practical significance within their cultural lives. The patterns, colours and designs are unique to each artist and comprise of differing techniques, often learned from their grandmothers through the manual transference of skills ranging from places to gather bush materials, techniques on how to harvest and prepare the pandanus, sourcing natural materials such as roots, leaves and barks for the dyeing process.  Over time, and especially in the case of Mary, she has advanced her own artistry, craftsmanship and aesthetics from her continual making, experimenting and refining. 

By CompNet Systems, ago

115682361757

Woven Mat

Yolŋu weavers of Arnhem Land create utilitarian, ceremonial, and decorative pieces using naturally sourced materials. This mat is made from young Pandanus spiralis leaves, harvested with a wooden hook, stripped of prickles, and dried to create strong, resilient fibres. These fibres are then twisted, coiled, or woven using traditional techniques to produce both functional and decorative mats.

Bula’bula weavers exclusively use natural dyes, derived from locally sourced roots, leaves and grasses. These pigments are extracted and infused into pandanus fibres by boiling over an open fire, producing the rich, vibrant colours characteristic of contemporary Yolŋu weavings.

Traditionally, Nganiyal (conical mats) functioned as insect screens when erected and as seating mats when folded, playing an important role in both daily life and ceremonial practices. Today, Yolŋu artists create a variety of shapes, including flat, round, and oblong mats. These non-traditional styles and the use of bright colours became more common after Missionaries began commissioning pieces in this style.

By CompNet Systems, ago

111982361763

Bawáliba

‘Bawáliba is the djang (Dreaming) of my mother and my uncles. They are good spirits, they protect us and they recognise families. They are really tall- just like human beings, like us. They dance late at night and have a lot of hair.

In olden times, long long long time ago Bawáliba were here, before people were on the land. Bawáliba used to go out hunting and care for country. They hunt carrying fish traps and digging sticks, near the homeland Djinkarr. They go out hunting on the floodplains with dilly bags and digging sticks. They collect a lot of bush foods, and sleep together with one bark shelter.
Sometimes now they still come alive when we sleep, they might come to our houses and peep through the window. At night, they cover themselves with white clay and red cloth tied around their waist. If we hear them, we jump out of bed and get up to look -but they have disappeared, they’re just too quick. Bawáliba might knock on the window to remind us they are there looking out for us.If you listen deeply you can hear them whisper, sometimes they talk about us and might say, ‘why are those people making camp here?’ then they realise ‘Oh they are family from here, it’s ok, they are just sleeping here for the night’.

During the day they always turn into stone and they sleep. We still know that green rock covered in moss near Djinkarr, that’s Bawáliba sleeping.
Some of my ancestors used to speak the same language as the Bawaliba, but all those old people are passed away now. It’s a little bit sad for us, because no one now can speak that Bawaliba language anymore.’ Lucy Yarawanga 2019

By CompNet Systems, ago

111982361762

Bawáliba

‘Bawáliba is the djang (Dreaming) of my mother and my uncles. They are good spirits, they protect us and they recognise families. They are really tall- just like human beings, like us. They dance late at night and have a lot of hair.

In olden times, long long long time ago Bawáliba were here, before people were on the land. Bawáliba used to go out hunting and care for country. They hunt carrying fish traps and digging sticks, near the homeland Djinkarr. They go out hunting on the floodplains with dilly bags and digging sticks. They collect a lot of bush foods, and sleep together with one bark shelter.
Sometimes now they still come alive when we sleep, they might come to our houses and peep through the window. At night, they cover themselves with white clay and red cloth tied around their waist. If we hear them, we jump out of bed and get up to look -but they have disappeared, they’re just too quick. Bawáliba might knock on the window to remind us they are there looking out for us.If you listen deeply you can hear them whisper, sometimes they talk about us and might say, ‘why are those people making camp here?’ then they realise ‘Oh they are family from here, it’s ok, they are just sleeping here for the night’.

During the day they always turn into stone and they sleep. We still know that green rock covered in moss near Djinkarr, that’s Bawáliba sleeping.
Some of my ancestors used to speak the same language as the Bawaliba, but all those old people are passed away now. It’s a little bit sad for us, because no one now can speak that Bawaliba language anymore.’ Lucy Yarawanga 2019

By CompNet Systems, ago

111982361761

Bawáliba

‘Bawáliba is the djang (Dreaming) of my mother and my uncles. They are good spirits, they protect us and they recognise families. They are really tall- just like human beings, like us. They dance late at night and have a lot of hair.

In olden times, long long long time ago Bawáliba were here, before people were on the land. Bawáliba used to go out hunting and care for country. They hunt carrying fish traps and digging sticks, near the homeland Djinkarr. They go out hunting on the floodplains with dilly bags and digging sticks. They collect a lot of bush foods, and sleep together with one bark shelter.
Sometimes now they still come alive when we sleep, they might come to our houses and peep through the window. At night, they cover themselves with white clay and red cloth tied around their waist. If we hear them, we jump out of bed and get up to look -but they have disappeared, they’re just too quick. Bawáliba might knock on the window to remind us they are there looking out for us.If you listen deeply you can hear them whisper, sometimes they talk about us and might say, ‘why are those people making camp here?’ then they realise ‘Oh they are family from here, it’s ok, they are just sleeping here for the night’.

During the day they always turn into stone and they sleep. We still know that green rock covered in moss near Djinkarr, that’s Bawáliba sleeping.
Some of my ancestors used to speak the same language as the Bawaliba, but all those old people are passed away now. It’s a little bit sad for us, because no one now can speak that Bawaliba language anymore.’ Lucy Yarawanga 2019

By CompNet Systems, ago

111982361759

Bawáliba and Ngalyod (Rainbow Serpent)

‘My Kikka (mother), when she was alive, she would tell me these stories. I was just a  little girl and she would tell us the stories in her language Gurrgoni.

In the camps there were boy and girl Bawaliba, and old Bawaliba too. They loved to  dance by the firelight, keeping rhythm with a stick. They had lots of hair, they were  really tall and skinny, with spots on their bodies. The Bawaliba lived a long time in  peace. They were the only spirits on their country and so they were never disturbed.

One day, a long time ago, the Bawaliba were out hunting and they saw a large  snake- they didn’t know then but she was the Rainbow Serpent. They were really  scared, they had never seen that creature before. She was really beautiful- like a  normal king brown snake but with a rainbow from the sky on her back. The rainbow  serpent was really hungry, and she could smell the Bawaliba from a long way away.  She was out looking for food.  The Bawaliba tried to stop Ngalyod coming for them but she was just too quick. She  snuck up behind the Bawaliba and before they could get away she ate them up.  When she was really full and couldn’t eat anymore Bawaliba she changed the rest of  them into stone. Still til this day, the Bawaliba stay on that same country as stones.’ 

Lucy Yarawanga

By CompNet Systems, ago

22544008033

Status: Stock

Boab nut (general)

Ngarinyin, Woddorda  (Worrorra) and Wunambal are the three main languages of the North Kimberley language families. The Boab Tree is known by Wurnambal people as Jungurri, in  Woddorda as Jungurim and in Ngarinyin as Jungulan jirri, Larrgari jirri and Malawudi jirri.

Boab or Larrgardi Trees (lt.: Adansonia Gregorii) – is an Australian native species only found in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. They are very recognisable due to their unusual shape – reminding one of a full-bodied bottle. Some trees are more then 1500 years old and can hold more than 100,000 litres of water in their trunks.

Every part of the tree is used either as a food-resource, as medicine or otherwise. Almost every part of the tree is edible from the young leaves and tubers to the internal fruit pods and seeds.

The tree produces beautiful large fragrant yellow flowers. Inside the fruit pod the fruit is naturally dried on the tree itself. This is the only fruit in the world that does this.

Indigenous artists carve designs into shell of the boab nut or paint it with different designs and children use it as a rattle. The designs on the nuts vary from Wandjina’s to different animals, like the Brolga, turtles, and fish to people’s faces and landscapes.

“Boab nut Carving was a way of expressing ones artistic skills. Aboriginal people across the Kimberley Region of Western Australia was carving along time ago it started with our ancestors.”

By CompNet Systems, ago

22544008031

Status: Stock

Boab nut (general)

Ngarinyin, Woddorda  (Worrorra) and Wunambal are the three main languages of the North Kimberley language families. The Boab Tree is known by Wurnambal people as Jungurri, in  Woddorda as Jungurim and in Ngarinyin as Jungulan jirri, Larrgari jirri and Malawudi jirri.

Boab or Larrgardi Trees (lt.: Adansonia Gregorii) – is an Australian native species only found in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. They are very recognisable due to their unusual shape – reminding one of a full-bodied bottle. Some trees are more then 1500 years old and can hold more than 100,000 litres of water in their trunks.

Every part of the tree is used either as a food-resource, as medicine or otherwise. Almost every part of the tree is edible from the young leaves and tubers to the internal fruit pods and seeds.

The tree produces beautiful large fragrant yellow flowers. Inside the fruit pod the fruit is naturally dried on the tree itself. This is the only fruit in the world that does this.

Indigenous artists carve designs into shell of the boab nut or paint it with different designs and children use it as a rattle. The designs on the nuts vary from Wandjina’s to different animals, like the Brolga, turtles, and fish to people’s faces and landscapes.

“Boab nut Carving was a way of expressing ones artistic skills. Aboriginal people across the Kimberley Region of Western Australia was carving along time ago it started with our ancestors.”

By CompNet Systems, ago