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Ngaginyji Joomooloony
This painting is about Joomena’s Ngaginyji Joomooloony, her boab tree. “The boab tree we are born under becomes our special tree; this one is Ngaginyji Joomooloony, which means ‘My Boabtree'”
Eileen Bray Joomena was born on the side of a dusty highway along the road to Ord River and next to the creek that runs into Birnuwun (Alice Downs), Joomoon’s traditional county. The family had ventured out on a fishing trip when Eileen’s mum went into labour and was ‘laid down, with her sisters in law’, under a big boab tree and gave birth. The women stayed under the boab for a week, as is customary, and until ready to go back to camp.