Goonoonoorra This is my mother’s country and traditional country for Miriwoong people. The name of this place is Goornoonoorra. In my language Miriwong, this name means Big Waters. In the old days we all lived here and walked this country looking for bush tucker. We used to have corroboree at Read more…
Black Rock Falls This painting shows Black Rock Falls. During the wet season – flood water time – this was our camp spot. We would camp up on the hillsides to keep dry form the rains and the rising flood waters of the Ord River. When the waterfalls are flowing Read more…
Binjin & Jarnem In this painting the artist represents the billabong country on either side of Moonoomoorrem – the Keep River. Binjin is her mother’s traditional country and Jarnem is her uncle’s country. Only the billabongs are shown here and not the river that flows through the country.
Dhawurr/batjbarra fish trap Fish traps are placed into the river to face the oncoming fish. The woven tunnel traps the fish and prevents their escape. The traps are tapered so when they are submerged in the water, the water pressure wedges them into place. Traditionally, the fish traps are operated at night Read more…
Waru Waru “This is the waru-waru, the yukarri warta (green shoots and young plants). After the waru (fire) the mirrka (bush tucker) grows up. After the burning. you get all the animals coming to that place ” Martu artists paint Country in all it’s different seasonal stages. Important to Martu, and to Martu Read more…
Bathi (Pandanus Basket) Bathi are woven from the split leaves of the Screw Palm (Pandanus Spiralis). Coil weaving was introduced to Arnhem Land in the 1930s. It was adapted from techniques used by Indigenous women throughout South East Australia.
White Gum Tree The red sap is good medicine to treat skin sores. It is crushed and boiled in water to make it soft, then rubbed on the sore to help with healing. It is also mixed with ochre for painting. The wood is good for fires and produces coals Read more…
Wildflowers – Joyrene Ngwarraye Holmes When I go hunting for Echidna around the sandhills of Ampilatwatja I always spot the wild flowers and honey flowers. We tap the Bankias against our hand and get the honey, it is sweet to taste. After the rain and bushfires all the new flowers pop Read more…
Great Grandmothers Country – Gunderson Kemarre Lewis I paint my Great Grandmothers country around Canteen Creek. Long time ago she hunted around this soakage in this country. When I paint, I paint that country, the soakage the bushflowers the sandhills and the distant mountains. I hunt this country now.
My Fathers Country – Kathleen Nanima Rambler The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint ‘altyerr’ dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit. I paint the country of my Father and Mother and where they grew up, near Barrow Creek. “This is the Read more…