CompNet Systems

Kilkayi Barramundi Dreaming

MERNDABANY (PAPERBARK SPRING), PURNULULU-Eileen Bray;-

Merndabany paperbark spring, This is where my Mother was born at a place called Merndabany(Paperbark Spring) near Purnululu.

Mistake Creek Massacre – Madeline Purdie

“This story what my old people told me. They told me that they were sleeping here now in this building. Old mister Radigan he as a policeman, white gardier policeman, white man. He was living in this house in the art centre (what’s known the green house). He was the sergeant and he had an employee, this employee was an aboriginal employee from Darwin somewhere. Somewhere that side, NT and this employee for him he went to mistake creek there, where this mob bin having their holiday camp. Everybody used to come to gather from different area out there and holiday camp there. At mistake creek they was having it this time. And all my old people ancestors and anyway… that employee for my Radigan bin trying have an affair with one of these ladies and she said no I already got husband, so he took a sulk. He got angry that she didn’t want to have an affair with him, so he took that pet cow – the police, they had a pet cow with a big bell on it. He took it long way behind that hill and hide it, he tied it up to a tree and he took the bell off the cow and bought it back to sergeant and he said “My boss look here them people there at that holiday camp la mistake creek here them kill you cow and they cooking it up!” but they was cooking kangaroo. They had kangaroo covered up. And he bin go and tell this boss liar and this boss and ‘im bin go back and shoot all them people there… at mistake creek they just go an kill the lot. And they was waiting for their dinner to be cook. Then after he killed them he opened them thing to find that they was cooking five kangaroo’s in there, all that kangaroo. And so all that thing now they just chucked them in the fire. Burnt them. Burnt all the remains for our people them old people that them kill.” – Madeline Purdie

TRACEY Ramsay DOORLOO – Juwurlinji (Bow River)

This is a painting of the artist’s Community, known as Juwurlinji. It is further north from Warmun, and it’s English name is Bow River. Tracey grew up and lived in the Bow River Community and learned a lot from her father, a renowned Gija artist, Rammey Ramsay. 

“This is Bow River, this is where I grew up and Juwulinji is the Aboriginal name for Bow River. The stone on the top right is a dreaming for the Sand frog.”

TRACEY Ramsay DOORLOO – Gorge Yard

In this painting, Tracey Ramsey depicts Gorge Yard – a beloved camping and fishing spot for the families at Bow River community. The water at Gorge Yard is abundant with black brim, turtles and crocodiles, making it a good fishing spot. Here, people like to jump and swim in the river to cool off. In the lower right-hand side of the painting is the holding paddock for the horses, where mustering takes place.

Blowfly Dreaming – Tracey Ramsay

This is the blow fly dreaming; as we call it, Ngarankarni. “This hill my mum and dad been go up this hill looking for porcupine, and they been find it amongst the rock, but all the blow flies been surround them (too many).”

Tracey says this was a sign not to touch the porcupine and so Tracey’s parents, renowned Gija artists Rammey and Mona Ramsay, went back home instead.

Blowfly Dreaming – Tracey Ramsay

This is the blow fly dreaming; as we call it, Ngarankarni. “This hill my mum and dad been go up this hill looking for porcupine, and they been find it amongst the rock, but all the blow flies been surround them (too many).”

Tracey says this was a sign not to touch the porcupine and so Tracey’s parents, renowned Gija artists Rammey and Mona Ramsay, went back home instead.

TRACEY Ramsay DOORLOO – Juwurlinji (Bow River)

This is a painting of the artist’s Community, known as Juwurlinji. It is further north from Warmun, and it’s English name is Bow River. Tracey grew up and lived in the Bow River Community and learned a lot from her father, a renowned Gija artist, Rammey Ramsay. 

“This is Bow River, this is where I grew up and Juwulinji is the Aboriginal name for Bow River. The stone on the top right is a dreaming for the Sand frog.”

NUGUWARRDING (Snake Dreaming) – Tommy Carroll

This painting tells a story about NUGUWARRDING, that rainbow serpent, who travelled and lived around this area now called Doon Doon. Tommy says, “He went up to my grandfather’s country at the back of Speewah where there are gorges and rock holes.”

The solid circles represent the water holes in this area and the fluid lines are the hills around Doon Doon.

Tommy continues, “the story of this place was told to me when I was a young fella by my grandfather and his father. This snake was a father for this country, he traveled all over, sometimes he would stay for a few days then he would leave and pass through the next water place and stayed a bit longer.”