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Djimungurrgu (Chinaman Grove)

All of my paintings, I paint from memory because I don’t have any reference like photos. In my memory I paint the places where I have lived. This place is at the north end of 80 mile beach, near Anna plains Station. It’s a living area for old people at that time when hunting and fresh water was plentiful. During that time they only had spears, no fishing line, Turtles and fish would get caught on the reef and in the little pools. In big tides you would have barramundi, salmon and turtles. They would collect turtle eggs in November, that’s turtle season. They would also collect shellfish like cockleshells and oysters. That is all on the ocean side, then on the plain side they would go hunting for that Wandigi (rough tail goanna)

Name: Freddy Wilridge


Language: Manyjilyjarra



Biography:

"I was born on a cattle station, Mandora Station near Sand fire. All the desert people camp near camp 3, near Telfer.

They would gather there and then went to 61, Jigalong or came Broome way, some went to stations. My parents went to station life and I was born there. You had to work, there was no schooling, no kindergarten, had no choice but to work. When I was older some

of the kids went to La Grange Mission, they came from Walal, Anna Plains, Nita Downs Station. I went later when we had to walk of the station to the turn off, and hitchhiked to Anna plains and got a lift from there.  9 years of education years until 10,11,12 at Broome Christian Brothers College.

One of the things that inspired me growing up, you’ve got to work, be independent and get a job. In 2017 I began painting, what inspired me was that I was good at working with my fingers, drawing in the sand and when schooling in Broome I did art classes.

I worked with WDLAC as vice chair and Maru Trust on two occasions. I like story telling with the old people, going bush and camping when the old people. When they pass on, carrying their experience. Art seems to me to focus, paintings tell a thousand words and inspires me to express myself through my artwork."


© the artist / art centre