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Lurrtjulu-la
Palyanma
Let’s keep doing it together
Contents
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma............................................. 3
Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku...................................... 4
Where’s Warburton?................................................ 4
Wilurarra Creative..................................................... 5
Fashion & Performance......................................... 8
Sculpture & Metalworking...................................16
Music & Song-Writing Skill-Up......................... 24
Print Media................................................................. 32
Trenton Giles and Morris Giles working in the studio
as music producers with Jacob Lane
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma was developed
as a partnership between Wilurarra
Creative and the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku
Community Development Team.
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma was supported by
the Department of Culture and the Arts
Western Australia through its Community
Collections program. Wilurarra Creative
is supported by the Federal AttorneyGeneral’s Department.
Front cover: Wirras sculpted from
old car bodies
Images throughout are copyright
Wilurarra Creative
Editorial team
Edited by: Ben Fox, Kate Fielding, Delvina Lawson
and Sherma Bates
Assistant editors: Kay Balnaves and Jasmine Lawson
Advisers: Livingstone Mckain West, Terry Robinson, AJ (Andrew
Jennings), Damian McLean, Chris Paget, Brett Jennings, Lalla West,
Tjingapa Davies, Olive Lawson, Queenie Mclean
Thanks to Deri Widianti and Lisa Nelson
Design: Sandie Stewart
Printed by Scott Print
Published by Wilurarra Creative
ISBN 978-0-646-53181-6
Wilurarra Creative
Warburton Community
PMB 71 via Kalgoorlie 6431
Ben Fox, Artistic Director
08 8954 0125
[email protected]
www.wilurarra.com
Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku
Tjulyuru Cultural and Civic Centre
Warburton
PMB 87 via Kalgoorlie 6431
Kate Fielding, Community Development Coordinator
08 8956 7966
[email protected]
www.ngaanyatjarraku.wa.gov.au
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma
Let’s keep doing it together
“T here’s lots in council
and community meetings,
they are all saying: be like
your grandparents, but
these young people grow
up in a different way, not
your mother or father way.
They are standing up on
their own feet and saying
‘look at me,
I can do it’.
Community Elder and
key Wilurarra Creative
supporter Terry Robinson
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma is a
collaborative project which
celebrates the culture, artistic
practice, history, collections
and community of the
Ngaanyatjarra people.
This book documents and
celebrates the project. The
images, text and publication
concept were developed
by emerging Ngaanyatjarra
leaders and artists in the
Warburton community.
Activities were embedded in
Wilurarra Creative’s ongoing
art and cultural program for
emerging artists, predominately
aged 17 to 30. Lead by
established and emerging
artists, these events explored
and recognised the continuity of
arts practices across generations
and by individual artists. Visiting
professional artists enhanced this
learning, providing opportunities
to explore new technologies and
techniques and for local artists to
teach visitors.
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma drew
on the rich resources of the
Warburton Acrylic Collection,
the Warburton Community
Archive and the Wilurarra
Creative Digital Collection. The
Warburton Acrylic Collection
is Australia’s most substantial
collection of Aboriginal acrylic
paintings owned and controlled
by Aboriginal people. The
Warburton Community Archive
contains a mix of cultural material
ranging from genealogies and
film footage to glasswork, wood
and fibrework.
Left, Nicholas Lewis cleaning the side of the long steel chair
The Wilurarra Creative Digital
Collection includes a diverse
mix of digital images, audio,
text and film generated by
Wilurarra Creative (previously
Warburton Youth Arts). These
collections are an important part
of the Ngaanyatjarra peoples’
continuing cultural and artistic
practice on their lands.
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma is part
of a long-term process of
supporting emerging leaders
and artists to develop the
skills and knowledge required
to care for and develop the
resources of their communities.
By enhancing intergenerational
links, exposing emerging artists
and culture workers to the
unique resources of the local
collections and creating vibrant
new works, Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma
has strengthened and diversified
arts and cultural practice on the
Ngaanyatjarra Lands.
During a recent discussion about
the project, Ngaanyatjarra artist
and leader Lalla West neatly
summed up its success:
‘Yuwa, we should do it again!’
L urrtju lu-la Palyan ma
Throughout 2009 Wilurarra
Creative and the Shire of
Ngaanyatjarraku presented
events, performances
and skills development
activities focusing on the
artistic history and current
practice of established
and emerging artists in the
Ngaanyatjarra Lands.
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma focused
on four artforms: Fashion and
Performance, Sculpture and
Metal-working, Music and
Song-writing, and Print Media.
Importantly, the workshops
celebrated the skills and
experience of emerging artists
who have a long involvement
with Wilurarra Creative, engaging
them as teaching artists.
Terry Robinson
3
Shire of
Ngaanyatjarraku
Where’s
Warburton?
The Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku is
an Indigenous-majority Local
Government that serves a
predominantly Ngaanyatjarra
group of electors based in
the remote desert area of
Western Australia. It provides
local government services and
infrastructure development for
the ten communities on the
Ngaanyatjarra Lands. The Shire
encompasses 159,948 square
kilometres – an area larger
than England – and is located
approximately 1,550km from
Perth.
Warburton is in the
Ngaanyatjarra Lands region,
Western Australia. The
Ngaanyatjarra Lands are one
of the most remote areas of
Australia. Approximately
2,000 residents are based in
ten communities across the
desert lands, with Warburton’s
720 residents forming the
largest community. The region
is notable for its rich cultural
life, energetic art and stunning
landscapes, as well as the tasty
tirnka (sand goanna) and extreme
weather. It has strong language
and cultural practice, with the
majority of residents speaking
Ngaanyatjarra.
The Shire’s Community
Development Team grows
successful community
development projects and
practice on the Ngaanyatjarra
Lands. Our focus is on effective
collaborations and long-term
community building. We
prioritise culturally-appropriate
pathways to sustainable futures
for Ngaanyatjarra people living
on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands.
4
This unique part of the world
faces complex challenges,
including extreme poverty and
low life expectancy. Through
collaborative activities such as
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma Wilurarra
Creative and the Shire of
Ngaanyatjarraku are working
to support vibrant, healthy and
sustainable communities.
Local pride!
Metal-working in the Wilurarra Creative grounds
Wilurarra Creative
Wilurarra Creative supports
young adults to build strong
communities and strong artistic
practices in the Ngaanyatjarra
Lands. Wilurarra Creative’s vision
is to create a wider horizon for
young people and support their
cultural and creative wellbeing.
Delvina Lawson, cutting Star’s hair
while Lisa watches how it is done
arburton was recently ranked as
* W
Australia’s poorest town, and has
one of the highest living costs in
the country.
average male life expectancy
* The
is 48 years. This is 29 years
ith the closest regional centres
* W
Alice Springs and Kalgoorlie both
approximately 1,000 kilometres
away, Warburton is considered
one of Australia’s most remote
settlements. The impact of the
very remote location is heightened
by lack of any public transport
services. 50% of households do
not have a car, compared to a WA
state average of 7.5%.
Within the Wilurarra Creative
Centre people work on a range
of different practices including
music, fashion performance,
land and cultural practice, digital
media, print media and art.
Wilurarra Creative engages with
the demand from Warburton’s
young people for activities that
link the reality of contemporary,
remote community life to the
cultural context within which
Ngaanyatjarra life operates.
Wilurarra Creative links this
new media and multimedia
environment directly to the
continuing cultural practices of
the Ngaanyatjarra region. This
format has seen young people
engaged with and recording
land management and caring
for country activities, before
re-interpreting this cultural
knowledge through a fresh and
energetic approach. Over time
this is building towards longterm, sustainable and positive
community involvement of young
people.
Wilurarra Creative is supported
by the Federal Attorney-General’s
Department and Warburton
Community (Inc), Quaker Service
Australia and the WA Department
of Culture and the Arts.
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
less than the Australian male
population as a whole and 11 years
lower than the national Indigenous
male life expectancy.
This high quality program of
cultural maintenance and renewal
uses a dynamic combination
of traditional creativity and
diverse contemporary artforms. Wilurarra Creative’s work
focuses with people aged 17-30
years, with the participation and
leadership of community elders
and role models to directly
connect Wilurarra Creative’s
activities to the transmission of
culture and ensure relevancy with
people’s wider social and cultural
circumstances.
Since inception in 2004 (as
Warburton Youth Arts) Wilurarra
Creative has engaged Warburton
Community’s younger people
through an emphasis on new
media, culturally appropriate
work spaces and an emphasis
on self-directed and peerlead learning. The consistent
success of Wilurarra Creative
and the growth in participation
in Wilurarra Creative’s activities
reflects this commitment to
skilling up Warburton’s young
people with the opportunities of
the digital age.
5
Page 8 Fashion and Performance: Remington Blowes,
Floyd West and Tyrone Ward
6
Page 16 Sculpture and Metalworking:
Sherma Bates, Julia Dehm, Jasmine Lawson,
Rachel Joy, Nora Holland
Page 32 Print Media:
Nerida Lane
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
Page 24 Music:
Jossiah Porter
7
FASHION & PERFORMANCE
Fashion and performance
have been a very popular part
of Wilurarra Creative since
it began in 2004. It includes
performing for live audiences
and cameras, styling up with
makeup, doing haircuts and
colours, and making jewellery
and clothing.
Delvina Lawson and Kate Fielding
painting hats
Delvina Lawson reflects on how doing fashion
has changed in Warburton.
What was the first fashion you were involved
in? We first did fashion at the Laverton road,
just off the highway near the cave and rock
hole. When we did the pickup everyone was
happy, first time doing learning about fashion.
We had 50 girls and ladies. We had three lots –
people from top end, middle end and bottom
end. We went out with older ladies and girls
were dancing and cooking (kangaroo) tails or
make sandwich with fruits. But now I see today
not much things happening because our older
people are not working. But some our new
generation people are doing good things,
doing the best they can.
Why do you think people in Warbo’ like
doing fashion? Some want to do fashion
because they like dressing up and make
up. Some of them like walking on stage
with style and smile on the face. I think
community people like looking at fashion, it
makes them really proud of what the young
people are doing – looking cool, styling up
and working together.
How do you think today’s fashion has
changed? It changed because our new young
people are doing fashion now and that’s good.
The older people were showing their fashion
to the young people, now they are enjoying
doing stuff. They do some workshops at
Wilurarra Creative and do fashion. Some of the
young people were doing hip hop gangster
style singing and catwalk fashion with the
music. It was great, lots of people were there
watching and laughing. It was fun.
8
People often try out different
ideas about themselves
and how other people see
them through the fashion
and performance program.
Fashion and performance
are joyful and playful ways
to explore cultures, gender,
relationships, shame, and
pride.
Early in 2009 Wilurarra
Creative and the Shire
Community Development
Team hosted Lenine Bourke
from Young People and the
Arts Australia. Together we
held a month-long festival
of fashion and literacy
activities that included
practicing fashion posing and
performing, painting hats,
designing t-shirts, taking
photos, exploring collage and
design and practicing writing
words to go with images.
Threaded throughout this
event was a reviewing of old
fashion photos, discussions
around how fashion activities
had changed in Warburton,
and learning about
composing strong photos.
In July artist Jasmine Lawson
curated a film night under the
stars at the Wilurarra Creative
Centre using the Wilurarra
Creative Digital Collection.
The event included
slideshows of early fashion
activities and events, recent
workshops and a history
of the centre. Community
members of all ages came to
celebrate the event.
This was followed in
November by a fashion
performance produced in
collaboration with Perthbased Indigenous theatre
company Yirra Yaakin, during
their ‘Good Lovin’ tour in
the Ngaanyatjarra Lands.
Together we produced a
lively twilight music and
fashion performance in
the Wilurarra Creative
grounds. The collaboration
also involved a series of
relationship-building and
cultural exchange activities,
reviewing fashion material in
the Wilurarra Creative digital
collection, performance and
stage-presence rehearsals
and fashion shoots.
All the focus this year on
practicing poses, being
confident, creating more
sophisticated performances
and styling up was clear to
see in this final show. Artists
created scenes, different
moods and short stories with
their performances. Fellas
and kungkas did strong
shows on the catwalk and
then did a finale performance
together.
A shirt made by
Maurice
Randall Porter
Joanne West models her
finished shirt
Tyrone Ward
styling up with
his new bike and
new hat
“Hi I’m Sherma Bates!
Some young fellas and girls
painted hats and t-shirts
using fabric paints with
Lenine Bourke. Everyone
had their own ideas and
designs and painted names,
plants, dots and flames at
Wilurarra Creative.”
Left to Right: Jasmine Lawson, Katrina Holland, Sherma Bates,
Terri-Anne Robinson, Lisa Nelson, Deri Widianti, Cynthia West,
Lenine Bourke, Kate Fielding, Joanne West, Stephanie Palmer and
Elsa Porter during fashion workshops
L urrtjulu-la Palyanma
My favourite part of the
fashion workshop at the
studio was painting the
t-shirt with different colours.
I liked using the gold colour.
My design was dot painted
flowers with my name on the
front top of my shirt. The gold
colour was the most popular
colour, everyone liked it.
9
“I think community people
like looking at fashion,
Samantha Jennings, Secara Gibson,
Sherma Bates and Makayla Grant
strike a pose, all made up for the
catwalk
it makes them really
proud of what the young
people are doing – looking
cool, styling up and working
together.”
Sherma Bates and Terri-Anne Robinson
working on their shirts
Delvina Lawson,
Ngaanyatjarra artist
and community cultural
development worker
Photos from the early
fashion shoots, from
the Wilurarra Creative
Digital Collection
(and below)
Valda Frazer and
Lenine Bourke
Jossiah Porter and Delrick Holland
10
A photo from the early fashion
shoots, from the Wilurarra
Creative Digital Collection
Nora Holland with all
of the lovely clothes
Gino Ward, Michael
Carnegie, Sherodie
Robinson, Gable Robertson
Joanne West
Deri Widianti and Jasmine Lawson working
on collage whilst young women check old and
new fashion shoot photos on the big projection screen
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
Stephanie Palmer helps
Joanne West to get ready
for fashion
Elsa Porter doing her pose
Left to right: (back) Sofrena Giles,
Anthea Long, Tara Duncan, Kearah
Smith (front) Samantha Jennings,
Bonika Smith, Katrina Holland
11
Joanne West, Kate Fielding and Nora Holland boil camel fat
to make a body rub while a women’s fashion shoot is happening
A t-shirt design by Angelica Mclean
Katrina Holland models her
finished painted hat
Terri-Anne Robinson
Kate Fielding
12
At the end of a hard few weeks cutting hair,
everyone is groomed, tired and happy
“During my visit I was struck by
Wilurarra Creative’s use of high-quality
process that are utilised by Indigenous
young people in a way that has
meaning for them and their greater
community. The methods employed by
Wilurarra Creative work for the people
that live here: these methods
have strong local value and that
exemplifies best practice in this
sector.”
Lenine Bourke, Executive Director,
Young People and the Arts Australia
Lisa Nelson
Lenine Bourke, Young People
and the Arts Australia
E, Craig Alexander, Travis West
and Deri Widianti
Image L to R: Jonika Frazer, Tisyana Giles,
Danette Holland, Angelica Mclean and
Lenine Bourke busy painting their hats
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
13
Valda Frazer walking proud
on the runway
Secara Gibson, Tom-Tom
and Shakara Walley
All the Fashion Fellas in
a group style pose
“The way I look at that
fashion thing it teaches them
how to be strong for
themselves. It also teaches
them how, in the future, to
look after themselves in
a dressing sense.”
BJ (Brett Jennings),
Ngaanyatjarra musician,
artist and community leader
14
All the women coming out together just after the final walk
of the kungka side of the show. Left to Right, Amy Hammond,
Christine Michael, Sherma Bates, Kearah Smith, Secara Gibson,
Bonika Smith, Valda Frazer, Shakara Walley and Lisa Nelson
Kaymuis Simms and
Randal Porter walk it out
The fellas backstage, ready to walk
Bonika Smith and Tyrone Ward showing their poses
Tom-Tom, Jossiah Porter and Ben Fox
coming out with all the fellas
for the finale of the fella’s side
of the fashion show
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
The performers take a bow to wild applause
15
SCULPTURE &
METALWORKING
This workshop was scheduled
for the cool weather after the
summer heat, and people
were glad to be outside.
Each day the grounds filled
with people cutting, welding,
constructing, painting,
earthmoving and laughing.
An extensive redevelopment
of the centre grounds was
completed for this workshop,
with a month-long focus
on designing and making
a range of sculpture and
outdoor facilities. Visiting
sculptor and metalworker
Rachel Joy worked with
participants and staff to
develop a site plan which
incorporated the many ideas
and projects generated.
Delvina Lawson and Ben Fox
worked closely with Rachel to
identify materials that could
be used, including some
memorable trips to the old
car yards and the rubbish tip!
One highlight was a metal
wirra-making workshop lead
by artists Lalla West and
Jasmine Lawson. A wirra is a
bowl form used for digging
and carrying, usually made
from wood. In the 1980s
and 1990s Lalla would make
wirras from car parts, using
an axe and file to shape the
metal. Lalla was keen to make
some more and approached
Wilurarra Creative to bring
young women out with her
to learn how to do it. This
workshop included visiting
the Warburton Community
Archive to view a range of
wirras made from glass, fibre,
wood and metal.
16
Lalla also showed the group
some of her paintings from
the Warburton Acrylic
Collection. Jasmine Lawson
worked with senior artists
Lalla West, Olive Lawson
and Christine West to take
the group of women to the
car yard to find suitable
materials which they then cut,
shaped and finished on site
into completed wirras. The
women used angle grinders,
axes, mallets, rocks and files
to shape the metal.
Remington Blowes welding a seat.
Many different people worked this
seat to practice welding
The teaching and learning
of new skills in sculpture and
metalworking was embedded
in the construction and
landscaping phase. This
featured a working-bee in
collaboration with the local
football team facilitated
by Football Development
Officer Jason Holt (Shire of
Ngaanyatjarraku).
Have a look at all the finished metal wirras!
Verna Lane cutting out a wirra shape in the
metal with an angle grinder
Remington Blowes with
the car bonnet sail
And me and Ben was measuring
that thing, measure and cut to
look, put it all together, welding
it, made it all look good. Then
we lifted it, it was heavy. Then
we left it for a while, then Matt
finished it off. Then once I been
cutting it and keeping it tight,
them leftovers I took them to
that shed.
And then Ben was looking for a
bigger one, and I told him ‘yeah,
I got one behind my house’ and
he said ‘what sort of model?’ and
I said ‘an old one, a Gypsy,
People like the Gypsy cause
it’s an old car, it came off
my father’s car. My families
and if we got that we could
put it in the top middle with
the little other ones around
it so it will look good.’
like me working in this place. I
like welding and grinding and
planting trees and working with
the forklift and bobcat.
I like to clean this place, keep
it nice and clean and stop kids
from being a nuisance round
here. I like watering trees
when I plant them so they can
grow so it can be nice and
cool out here.
Artist Remington Blowes
discussing the car bonnet sail
made as part of the sculpture
and landscaping workshop.
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
We went out with the ute. Ben
was talking about that first, about
the bonnets. And I said there’s
a couple of bonnets over there,
I saw them when I was walking
around for exercise. I took him
there and showed him, we came
back, brought back two saws and
cut some off. We were putting it
all in the back of the ute.
17
“Youth Arts: it’s
getting better
and better.”
Using an axe to shape the wirra
Kate Fielding and Priscilla Robinson
discussing the planning drawings
for the sculptures
Olive Lawson,
Ngaanyatjarra Elder
and Artist
Lalla West pointing out
details of her wirra
Lalla West shaping
some wirras
“I made the first one
(metal wirra) with an
axe. Hard work!
Remington Blowes waiting
for his turn to do welding
It’s in that book, in the
Culture Centre.”
Lalla West,
Ngaanyatjarra Elder and
Artist, remembering
the first metal wirra she
made in the 1980s
18
Using the angle grinder to cut out
the wirra shape metal
Jade Giles playing some music to
entertain some of the fellas working
hard to put up all the metal sculptures
Visiting the collection of wirras made from
wood, tjanpi (grass) metal and glass
“There were three big trucks
down at the car graveyard,
picking up cars and crushing
them, taking them away for
scrap metal. Lalla teased us
“Quick, they might take
them all” before leading
us through the hundreds of
car bodies to find an old one
with strong metal. Everyone
clapped and whooped
when the first wirra got
cut from the car.”
Verna Lane bending
the metal with an axe
to make her wirra
Sherma Bates welding while Jasmine Lawson and
Nora Holland are learning visiting artist Rachel Joy and
volunteers Julia Dehm and Ellen Roberts for language
A finished wirra
L urrtju lu-la Palyan ma
Kate Fielding, Community
Development Coordinator,
Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku
19
“In the middle of March we
had a sculpture workshop.
We went out to the tip to
look for metals and got
metal and took them to the
studio. We used the metal
to make sculpture and
furniture in the Wilurarra
Creative Centre. We were
working on the design of
the metal around the studio
block. And also fellas and
kungkas were doing a
welding workshop.
We took some ladies and
kungkas to the car crushing
tip to do wirra workshop
with them. We were cutting
out pieces of metal of a old
car to make into the wirras.
We had lunch at the car
crushing tip. The ladies had
four wirras each and were
sitting down straightening
it because it was too sharp
and dangerous so we had
gloves and safety glasses.
After that we went to visit
the collection centre to see
different kinds of wirras in
glass, grass (tjanpi) wood
and iron.
And the ladies liked
the metal workshop
and girls and fellas too.
Because it was great
fun having different
workshop at the
studio.”
20
Delvina Lawson
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
Delvina Lawson is cutting out the first wirra from the old car
21
Lalla West and
Clarabell Ward with
some of their finished
metal wirras
Sebastian West welding while Sherma Bates
and Julia Dehm get ready.
“Wow! The mob out at Wilurarra
Creative are awesome! In the last
couple of weeks we’ve learnt welding
and metalwork skills and…used lots of
different tools and vehicles like the tractor
and bobcat to do landscaping…
Another highlight was the wirra-making
workshop where I worked with some local
ladies and artist Lalla West. We cut steel
wirras from the wrecks of car bodies at
the dump. Everyone was very happy and
we made 15 wirras that day that the ladies
are going to take out bush when they
go digging for honey ants. I love honey
ants! And I love Wilurarra Creative!
Thanks for making me so welcome
in your Country.”
Rachel Joy, Artist-in-Residence
Randall Porter and
Rachel Joy welding
sculptures
22
Rachel Joy cutting out metal pipes
for the sculpture
Delvina Lawson showing guest artist Rachel Joy and volunteers
Ellen Robertson and Julia Dehm around Warburton
to choose some metal for sculptures
Honey ants
Clint West and
Remington Blowes
having a break from
welding the metal seat
together
Jerome Morrison puts
together a sculpture while
Granville hangs around
“Four punks. They look
like four punks, you
know how they wear
their hair. Two little ones
looking out like guards
and two big ones looking
at that shipping shed…
Youth Arts grounds is
getting flash.”
Jasmine Lawson,
Ngaanyatjarra Artist and
Wilurarra Creative leader
Out bush digging for honey-ants. Nora Holland is showing
Tjinki West, Phillip Jackson, Ben Fox, Ellen Roberts, Julia Dehm and
Rachel Joy how to get the honey-ants
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
Ladies having
a rest after
working hard
making metal
wirras
Joanne West painting one
of the plant poles
One of the ‘punk’ sculptures
in the grounds
23
MUSIC & SONG-WRITING SKILL-UP
Recording songs in Ngaanyatjarra
and other local languages
provides a positive framework
for cultural maintenance and
communication spanning
generations. This skill-up focused
on song-writing, recording
and performing. An album
master and a book of lyrics in
Ngaanyatjarra and English was
produced.
Wilurarra Creative engaged
songwriter and musician Rachel
Hore, who has a long association
with Warburton, to facilitate
workshops and work in the centre
during April with local musicians.
Local musician BJ (Brett
Jennings) who has been playing
and recording music in
Warburton since the 1980s
discussed music-making with
emerging musicians and shared
some old songs. Fresh tracks
were recorded in Ngaanyatjarra,
Pitjantjatjara and English.
translations of their songs.
These lyrics, their translations,
musician photos and the
stories about the song-writing
successfully engaged musicians
in discussion about the process
of crafting lyrics and songs.
During earlier visits Rachel had
worked with musicians to create
written collections of their lyrics
and compositions. These were
revisted during this workshop,
along with old recordings of
these songs. A new song book
was made, focusing on the new
works from this skill-up. Longtime Lands resident and linguist
Jan Mountney was engaged
to work with musicians on the
Song-writing and recording has
covered such topics as loneliness,
love problems, drug issues,
connection to country, local pride,
home-coming, driving, domestic
violence, neglect of children by
their parents and drinking. These
songs are distributed on CDs
in the community, promoting
discussion about these topics.
The hot tracks produced in the
music studio continue to be heard
at discos, at the pools, at the footy
and from car stereos across the
Lands. You can hear them, too!
Go to www.wilurarra.com
to check it out!
“I was really impressed
when I saw people
helping each other to
get their songs recorded
– it’s a really great
skill to have, because
the group nature of
music making involves
learning to listen to
other people, listen
to other people’s
ideas and come to
an agreement.”
Luke Ward, Rachel Hore
and Morris Giles
24
Rachel Hore, Songwriter
and musician
Joshua Smythe
I made this song in prison with my nephew, Jason
Burke. He was playing guitar and I was singing. I was
practising for a couple of days then we got used to
it. I was lonely for Ranges, for Warburton. I came up
with the words first. Wrote in the book, then we sing
it back over and over again. The words go into my
head. – Joshua Smythe
Lonely Lonely, Joshua Smythe
(Ngaanyatjarra)
Ngurra Tjulyurula-rna
Kuliranytja-rna
Tjitji kutjulu
ngayunya-rni watjarnu
“Nyuntuku kungkalu
nyuntunyanta
wantingu”.
Ka-rna ngayulu
nyinarra-rna kulilpayi
Ngurra kutjupangka-rna
Kuliranytja-rna
Kungka kutjupalu-rni
ngayunya-rni tjapirnu,
“Nyaapa nyuntulu
nyinarra kulira?”
Wiya lonely lonely
In this place
Wiya lonely lonely
In this world
Sleeping in lonely lonely
By myself.
I am lonely lonely
In this place
I am lonely lonely
In this world
Sleeping in lonely lonely
By myself.
L.A. (Laverton), Ben Holland
(Ngaanyatjarra)
Yangupalar kutjulu
Nganunya tjapinyu
Yarala marlaku ngurruku
Yarala marlaku ngurruku
CHORUS
Ngurra narratja L.A. ku
Ngurra narratja L.A ku
One fella
He told me
To go home
CHORUS
Let’s go home back to
that place Laverton
Back to that place
Laverton
I was in another place
I was thinking.
This one girl asked me,
“What are you thinking
about?”
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
I am lonely lonely
In this place
I am lonely lonely
In this world
Sleeping in lonely lonely
By myself.
I was in Warburton
I was thinking
And one child said to
me
“Your girl has left you.”
And I am thinking.
Dixon Lane, Morris Giles
and Joshua Smythe
Oh! lonely lonely
In this place
Oh! lonely lonely
In this world
Sleeping in lonely lonely
By myself.
Joanne West
recording a song
in the music studio
Ben Holland
25
Lee Ward and
Luke Ward
I was thinking about my home in South Australia.
I wrote this in Alice Springs. – Ronsley Wilson
Amata, Ronsley Wilson
(Pitjatjantjara)
Wuu wuuwuu wuuwuu
wuuwuu
Wuu wuuwuu wuuwuu
wuuwuu
Nyinarana kuliningi
Ngura ngayuku
Nyaratja kakarara
Nyinarana kuliningi
Ngura ngayuku
Nyaratja kakarara
I was sitting and
thinking
Of my home
There in the east
I was sitting and
thinking
Of my home
There in the east
My home Amata is there
My home Amata is there
Ngura ngayuku
Nyaratja ngaranyi
Wati Nyuntu (That Man), Lee Ward
Ngura ngayuku
Nyaratja Amatanya
Ngura ngayuku
Nyaratja Amatanya
(Pitjantjatjara)
Wati nyuntu
Tjinguru watjil-watjilpa
nyinangi
Tjitji kutjungku
Wati palunya
wangkangu,
“Nyaaku nyuntu
nyinapai?”
Wati paluru wangkangu
Wati paluru wangkangu
Wiya! Ngayulu
watjilarinyi
Wiya! Ngayulu
watjilarinyi
26
That man
Was sitting sad and
lonely.
One child
Asked that man,
“Why are you sitting
(by yourself)?”
The man said
The man said
Oh! I have become sad
and lonely.
Oh! I have become sad
and lonely.
The Desert Boys
rocking out
on the stage
Ronsley Wilson enjoying
the music workshops
Brett Jennings
Jennifer Connolly taught me this song. I like this
better than the others. It’s the story about Noah and
the Ark. The animals, they been go inside the ark two
by two. – Amanda Ward (singing an older Pitj’ song)
Noah-ku Arkaku (Noah’s Ark), Amanda Ward
(Pitjantjatjara)
Nganana uwankara ninti
Noah-ku arkaku.
Paluru mulapa,
Paluru ngaranyi
Tjana ikaringangi
Tjulpu tjutaku
Tjana arkaningi
Noah-lu arka
palyannyangka.
Ngayunya kata
kutjupanu
Tjukurrpa irititjangku.
Godalu kapi pulka iyanu
Noah-ku kuka tjuta
wankaringu.
“Music is important,
they are not singing
about nothing, they are
talking about a story
of everyday things.
They are showing their
music-writing talent,
song-writing talent and
singing talent.
I been playing the guitar at home. The tune came
first and I been sing it. – Delrick Holland
Rirranguru-rna Nyangu
(I was standing on the hill), Delrick Holland
All the music studio stuff
that is in the Wilurarra
Creative Centre today is
all the latest technology.
can go in there and drop
anything they want to
record and they are out
of there with a CD. In our
time we were all waiting
on one person at a time
while they were working in
the studio.”
BJ (Brett Jennings),
Ngaanyatjarra musician,
artist and community
leader
(Ngaanyatjarra)
Remington Blowes and
Morris Giles
Rirranguru-rna ngarala
nyangu
Ngurra nyarratja ngarala
Rirranguru-rna ngarala
nyangu
Ngurra nyarratja ngarala
Ngurra Mirlirrtjarraku
Ngurra Mirlirrtjarraku
From the ridge I saw
That place over there
From the ridge I saw
That place over there
To that place (to my
home) Mirlirrtjarra
To that place (to my
home) Mirlirrtjarra
Anath Niveth, Carl Smith
and Jasmine Tjawina Lawson
hard at work making music
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
They only need to be
shown the first time
and then they don’t
need Ben Fox (Artistic
Director) in the music
studio every day, they
We all know
About Noah’s ark.
It’s true,
It was there.
While Noah was
building the ark
For the many birds (or
animals generally),
People were laughing
And mocking him.
The story changed
My mind.
God sent a lot of rain
Noah’s animals were
all saved.
Musician
Trenton Giles
27
I was at the blue house, sitting down on the
veranda with a guitar. I was playing around
with the tune, with the chords. I found F
minor, C minor. I’ve been singing about a girl,
kungkaluni wantingu. – Luke Ward
Kungkalu-rni Wantingu
((My) Girl Left Me), Luke Ward
(Ngaanyatjarra)
Kungkalu-rni wantingu
Kungkalu-rni wantingu
Ngayunya-rni wantingu
Ngayunya-rni wantingu
Ngarltutjarra
Ngarltutjarra
My girl left me
My girl left me
She left me
She left me
Poor me
Poor me
Kungkalu-rni wantingu
Kungkalu-rni wantingu
Ngayunya-rni wantingu
Ngayunya-rni wantingu
Ngarltutjarra
Ngarltutjarra
My girl left me
My girl left me
She left me
She left me
Poor me
Poor me
Kungkalu-rni wantingu
Kungkalu-rni wantingu
Ngarltutjarra
Ngarltutjarra
My girl left me
My girl left me
Poor me
Poor me
Joshua Porter, Lee Mitchell,
Nicholas, Luke Ward, Wayne Jones
and Joey Bates
Kungka (Girl/Woman), Morris Giles
(Ngaanyatjarra)
Kungka kutju
Yanu wilurarra
Wati palunyaku
Ngurrangka
nyinarra
Tjilku palunyaku
Nyinarra yularra
Ngurra Rangestja
Ngurra Rangestja
Luke Ward is the author
of ‘Kapingku Puwini’ with
Ronsley Wilson.
28
One girl
Went west
Her man
Is sitting at home
Her child is crying
At (Warburton)
Ranges
At (Warburton)
Ranges
Morris Giles
Carl Smith is a
leader in music
Great Central Road,
Jasmine Tjawina Lawson
Jossiah Porter with his finished song
‘I was walking down the road’
Jasmine Tjawina
Lawson
I had this song in my head. I recorded it straight
away, and it was done. – Jossiah Porter
I was Walking Down the Road, Jossiah Porter
(English and Ngaanyatjarra)
I was walking down
the road
I can see the beautiful
sunset going down
I was walking down
the road
I can see the beautiful
sunset going down
Ngurra Mirlirrtjarraku
Ngurra Mirlirrtjarraku
I was walking down
the road
I can see the beautiful
sunset going down
I was walking down
the road
I can see the beautiful
sunset going down
To Mirlirrtjarra
To Mirlirrtjarra
I was walking down the highway
Trying to get the ride
I can see there’s no-one around in town
You and me go together
Down this dusty road
You and me go together
Down this dusty road
Call Great Central Road
Call Great Central Road
I was gettin homesick
Want to go back home
It’s getting darker and too late
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
Reece Pollard, Ben Holland, Dixon Foley
and Rachel Hore working on recording music.
29
This is about my Grandfather’s homeland
at Jameson. – Joshua Smythe
Tjamuku Ngurra
(Grandfather’s Country), Joshua Smythe
(Ngaanyatjarra)
Purlingka-rna tatira
Ngarala-rna nyangu
Purli nyarranya
watingarrirra
Ngurra Nyinnganya
Ngurra Linton
Borenya
Walypalalu-ya
nyinarra kurrara
Ngurra
Kaparlilu tjamulu
Ngurra wantirra
yanu
Ngurra
kutjupangka-ya
Yankula-ya nyinarra
Ngurra Tjulyurula
Ngurra kutjupangka
Joshua Smythe
Delrick Holland is the
creator of the song
‘I was standing on the hill’
Having climbed
the hill,
I stood and saw
The hills there all
around
The place Nyinnga
The place Linton
Bore
Whitefellas are
ruining it
Home
Grandmother and
grandfather
Left their home and
went
To another place
They went and
are living
At Tjulyuru
At another place.
When it was raining that side I was standing
and looking and I made a song. I went back
in, grabbed my guitar, put it outside on the
verandah and started making a song. The
words came first and the tune came later. Me
and Ronsley made this song together in the
last couple of years back. – Lee Ward
Kapingku Puyuni (Rain is Falling),
Lee Ward and Ronsley Wilson
(Pitjantjatjara)
Pakarana ngarala
Pulkara kulini
Kapingku puyuni
Walpa winki wang
kanyi
Kapingku puyuni
Kapingku puyuni
Ngura ngaanya
Mirlirrtjarranya
(Milirtjaranya)
Ngura ngaanya
Mirlirrtjarranya
(Milirtjaranya
30
I am standing and
looking out
Thinking hard
Rain is falling
A big wind is
blowing
It’s raining
It’s raining
In this place
Mirlirrtjarra
In this place
Mirlirrtjarra
This is a still image from the ‘Reggae Rising’ film clip which you can see
on YouTube. Type ‘wilurarra’ into the YouTube search field to find it
We started back in the 1980s,
and then we passed it on to
Carl Smith, and now he has
passed it on to young Giles and
young Porter.”
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
“It’s good to see these
young people making music.
Community Elder Terry Robinson
31
PRINT MEDIA
Writing, making pictures and
design were HOT throughout
2009. Many of these activities
were focused on developing the
style, design and content of this
book.
Print media activities were
part of the sculpture, fashion,
performance, and music
activities, including songwriting, writing reports
on events, comic making,
developing designs and site
plans and making collages.
Some print media work was also
done as stand-alone activities.
This included looking at all
sorts of books and magazines
about the Ngaanyatjarra Lands
to consider different ways
of telling relevant stories.
Publications ranged from many
years of NPY Women’s Council
magazines and Tjulyuru Cultural
Centre exhibition catalogues
to funeral booklets and other
publications produced by
Wilurarra Creative. The photos,
text and design concept of
this book were selected and
developed thorough this work
by Ngaanyatjarra emerging
leaders and artists.
Several of the Ngaanyatjarra
young adults who were heavily
involved in the production
of this book are now making
further publications, including
newsletters and a cultural
awareness book for new
residents in the Ngaanyatjarra
Lands.
32
Dixon Foley and Rachel Hore discussing song lyrics
and working out translations
Sherma Bates selecting photos
for the sculpture section of this
book whilst Delvina Lawson
writes captions
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
A comic strip by Nerida Lane
33
Comic artist Nerida Lane
Leoroy Yates, Gino Ward,
Morris Giles and Delrick Holland
working on their lyrics
Sherma Bates working on designs
for the Wilurarra Creative Centre
Sherma Bates editing her story
about fashion on the computer
34
Lee Ward and Jan Mountney
working together on translating
song lyrics
Ellen Roberts working with
Jasmine Lawson on blog posts
Delvina Lawson writing
image captions
Jasmine Lawson and Ben Fox
“Through Wilurarra Creative…
young people have access to
literacy resources that
match their autonomy and
unfolding contemporary selfidentity. This alerts us to the
important realisation that
Inge Kral from her ANU PhD
thesis Writing words – right
way!: Literacy and social
practice in the Ngaanyatjarra
world
Delvina Lawson discussing some of the
fashion photos she selected for this book
with Kate Fielding.
Lurrtjulu-la Palya nma
the discourse of failure
surrounding literacy
and learning among
Aboriginal youth can be
turned into horizons of
possibility, if the right
approaches are found.”
Delvina Lawson (centre) discusses
historical images of the Ngaanyatjarra
lands with ANU anthropology PhD
candidate Pam McGrath in the
Wilurarra Creative reading area whilst
Kieran watches projected images from
a recent fashion shoot.
35
36
37
Lurrtj ulu-la Palyan m a
Comics by Delvina Lawson
Delvina Lawson looking at how text
has been used in the painting Right way to
have a kurri by Tjingapa Davies (1992)
from the Warburton Acrylic Collection
38
“The young people
are like
for the old people
the eyes
seeing into the future.”
“Through this project…
you can see the young people
the right time
for people
to take notice.”
Now is
Livingstone McKain West speaking about Wilurarra Creative.
L urrtju lu-la Palyan ma
standing up
for themselves,
speaking out.
39
An enthusiastic crowd during a fashion show
in the Wilurarra Creative grounds
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma Project Team
Artistic Direction: Ben Fox and Kate Fielding.
Key Artists: Lalla West, Jasmine Lawson, Delvina Lawson, Brett Jennings,
Remington Blowes, Trenton Giles, Rachel Hore, Rachel Joy, Lenine Bourke,
Kate Fielding, Ben Fox, Stephanie Palmer.
Edited by: Ben Fox, Kate Fielding, Delvina Lawson and Sherma Bates.
Assistant editors: Kay Balnaves and Jasmine Lawson.
Advisers: Livingstone Mckain West, Terry Robinson, AJ (Andrew Jennings),
Damian McLean, Chris Paget, Brett Jennings, Lalla West, Tjingapa Davies,
Olive Lawson, Queenie Mclean.
GOVERNMENT OF
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
40
Department of
Culture and
the Arts
Publication production: Lucy Brown (Redhead Productions).
Project support: Delvina Lawson, Jasmine Lawson, Deri Widianti,
Stephanie Palmer, Kay Balnaves.
Language consultant: Jan Mountney.
Special thanks to: Terry Robinson, Livingstone Mckain West, Lalla West,
Olive Lawson, Christine West, Nora Holland, Jasmine Lawson, Matt McKew,
Delvina Lawson, Brett Jennings, Damian Mclean, Clint West, Chris Paget,
Tjingapa Davies, Stuart Davies, Junior Harris, Roz Lipscombe (Department
of Culture and the Arts), Pam McGrath, Janet Vost, Seema Sanghi,
Wilma Vatts, Sue Clarke, Rebecca Harslett, Queenie Mclean, June Richards,
Lenine Bourke (Young People and the Arts Australia), Rachel Joy,
Kay Balnaves, Ellen ‘Pirate’ Roberts, Julia Dehm, Rachel Hore, Deri Widianti,
Sherma Bates, Kay Balnaves, Holly Shorland, Alex Walton (NPY Women’s
Council), Jason Holt, Matt Handy, Steve Girshik, Tim Acker, Stephanie
Palmer, Senior Sergeant Neil Gordon and staff at Warburton Police Station,
Gary Proctor (Warburton Arts Project), Amy Hammond and the Yirra Yaakin
Good Lovin’ crew, Casey Jones, Ananth Niveth, Dave Lloyd, Leesa Parry,
Anne and Joseph (NATS), Gordon Sanders, Elves ‘the Mexican’ Brites, AJ,
Carl Smith, Steven Giles, Kushia Giles, Tyrone Ward, Rocky and
Anthony Spry (Papalunkutja Artists), Edwina Circuitt (Warakurna Artists),
Kerry Martin (Kayili Artists), Lizzie Ellis, Daisy Ward, Alex Robins (Wanarn
School), The Warburton Tigers and the Desert Devils.
Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma celebrates the culture,
artistic practice, history, collections and community
of the Ngaanyatjarra people. Based in Warburton,
a remote desert settlement in the desert of
Western Australia, the Lurrtjulu-la Palyanma project
explores the creative work of a lively community
of young adults, their families and elders through
the Wilurarra Creative Centre.
GOVERNMENT OF
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
ISBN 978-0-646-53181-6
Department of
Culture and
the Arts