Ancient Journeys 
Mornington Island Artists
Agnes Kohler
(nee Goongarra)
Born: 1952
Origin: Dulkawalne - Bentinck Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
"I was born soon after my people crossed over to Mornington Island. In those days the Lardil mob foster or adopt us as their family. The Jacobs adopted me and my sister Gay. In the 60s I was sent out to work in the mainland. I worked at Julia Creek. As I raised my family, I also adopted a few more children. Now I am surrounded by my family.
"I use to muck around scribbling, drawing little houses with my kids. My children tell me to join the old people here at the Art Centre, save me from worrying, take my mind off things. It's also good to be along side family members at the Art Centre working, creating and learning together."
Alvin Gavenor
Born: 1974
Origin: Kunhanhaa - Mornington Island
Language: Yangkaal
Biography
"I learnt to spin hair and make the dance hats from an early age from my grandmother, Margaret Hills, who was a master weaver of grass and hair.
It's a lot of work to find a suitable tree, to strip the bark then to work the bark to form the frame for the dance hat. "
Spinning hair takes a long time too, but I am happy to make the dance hats. There aren't too many people who knows this craftmanship. Each time I make this I know I make a contribution to keep our culture alive and strong.
Amanda Jane Gabori
Dibirdibi
Born: 1966
Origin: Dulkawalne - Bentinck Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
"I was born in the township of Gununa on Mornington Island at the old hospital which is now the Council Ofice. I am one of 10 children. I went to school here on Mornington island and then went to Atherton State School to complete years 11 & 12.
"I have 4 children and 2 grandchildren. I started painting when I was just sitting at home and wanted to go up and join my mum painting as she was really enjoying it. I paint my Country on Bentinck Island and Dibirdibi which is my language name and totem given to me by my father. Dibirdibi is the small river rock cod. I like to paint the scales that cover his body."
Amy Loogatha Rayarriwarrtharrbayingat
Born: 1942
Origin: Dulkawalne - Bentinck Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
I remember getting a message that Aunty Sally Gabori was coming over to Bentinck to show us something. She brought one of her paintings and gave it to Ethel. It was beautiful. So we decided that we would follow Sally and paint too. I got a shock when I went to the Art Centre and saw all my sisters and Aunties painting. Now I paint with them.
I was born behind Nyinyilki on Bentinck Island. I remember when I was small and planes used to fly overhead we used to run and hide in the mangroves. It was fun playing and growing up on Bentinck as small girls but that soon changed when they came and took us away and dumped us on Mornington Island on 1946.
Life was very hard in the dormitory. We were fed flour with weevils in it, we had to bathe in saltwater and our clothes were made out of rough material like the canvas we now paint on. I went out to the mainland to work for a few years on stations before coming back to Mornington and having children.
When our land rights came it was great to be free of Mornington Island and return to our home. I took my grandchildren with me to show them their traditional country and to live on our homeland once again.
Now, I’m living on Mornington Island again and painting about my Country.
Anthony Saltmere
Born: 1977
Origin: Mornington Island
Language: Lardil, Gangalida, Waanyi, and Indjalandji-Dhidhanu
Biography
As a young boy I watched my family, in particular my Great Grandfather Scotty
Wilson make handcraft at his home on Mornington Island. He was respected by his
peers for his boomerangs which were used for hunting and fighting. I still learn and
practice making handcraft with his son my PA Sydney Wilson who continues to teach
me Lardil and Waanyi culture.
Continuing the cultural practices of my family is important to me and is something
that makes me proud, it helps connect me to my family and my country. I hope to
inspire the next generation to continue and pay respect to the elders who have held
onto and continued these practices on. I enjoy sharing this with the rest of the world
to create an appreciation for the practices which are thousands of years old and still
continuing on today.
Bereline Joy Loogatha
Born: 1966
Origin: Mornington Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
My language name is Juda Juda named after my Mother's mother from Bentick Island. I have 4 children 5 grannies.I have watched my mother's paint and decided to paint as stress relief and I find it relaxing .It my way of protecting ,keeping and teaching country language lores and customs for future generations so it would not be lost. I am a big believer in passing on knowledge to the next generation so that they become grounded in who they are.
Betty Williams
Born: 1958
Language: Kayardild
Home: Mornington Island (Gunana) : QLD
Biography
I was born in Cloncurry and then my mum brought me back to Mornington Island. I went to school as far as grade 9 and then did a bit of office work in the community.
I entered into a relationship with John Williams and had two sons Jean in 1983 and Dereck in 1984.
Not long after I got very sick and found out that I'm epileptic and at times I end up in hospital so I haven't been able to do much in the last few years.
That's what I like about painting at the Art Centre. It makes me stronger and feel better that I am able to paint, to do something not home sick all the time.
I like to paint about my mother's country on Bentinck Island. She was born at a place called Catfish Story near Minikuri. I also like to paint about my grandfather's country at Miniduri.
Coralie Thompson
Born: 1952
Language:
Home: Kunhanhaa Mornington Island (Gunana) : QLD
Biography
Christopher Watt
Born: 1968
Language: Lardil
Country: Baralkia
Home: Mornington Island (Gunana) : QLD
Group Exhibitions
2015 Lardil Renaissance
2015 CIAF
2008 Art Mob Gallery
2008 Anindilyakwa Arts and Cultural Centre
2008 Opening Dugong Beach Resort
Dolly Loogatha
Thunduyingathui Bangaa
Born: circa 1946
Origin: Dulkawalne - Bentinck Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
"I was only a small child when our people were brought to Mornington Island and forced to live in the mission. I grew up in the dormitory like all the other children. My father King Alfred was killed when I was only a baby so I was really grown up by the missionaries. It was hard, they were cruel to us if we were naughty and would lock us up or cut our hair really short. As I grew into a young woman I went and worked on lots of cattle stations around Cloncurry and ended up moving to Darwin where I had a partner and lived there for 30 years away from Mornington Island and Bentinck Island.
"I only came back in 2008 so that I could be with my family and live back on Bentinck Island. When old May died the other Bentinck artists asked me to come and join their group and paint at the Art Centre. I had done a little bit of painting in Darwin on small canvas boards more for fun than anything else. I really like to go to the Art Centre and paint with old Aunty Sally and my other sisters. We have so much fun. I paint Thundi where I was born and Makarrki where my father was born. It makes me feel good and proud when I see the finished painting."
Dorothy Gabori
Born: 1959
Origin: Dulkawalne - Bentinck Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
"I am the fifth child of my mother Sally Gabori. My father was Pat Gabori, he was a hunter, a hard working old fella. We use to go bush with our parents who taught us a lot about our homelands both Bentinck Island and Sweers Island.
I love being at the Art Centre with my sisters and the rest of my family. We learn so much from the old people about our land and country. There is always so many activities to get into, I am glad that we have the Art Centre to go to."
Elsie Gabori
Dibirdibi
Born: circa 1947 Deceased 2022
Origin: Dulkawalne - Bentinck Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
"I was born on Bentinck Island. When I was about 2 or 3 years old our people were all taken from Bentinck island to the mission on Mornington Island because there was a severe fresh water shortage on Bentinck Island. I was placed in the dormitory and kept away from my parents. I attended the mission school along with the Lardil children of Mornington Island. I went to school until I turned 15 and then I went to work as a housemaid in the mission house. I was paid about 10 shillings a week but we lived off the land and sea and didn't really need money.
"A vacancy opened on a cattle property on the mainland at Kamilaroy and I was sent there to work as a house servant for 3 years before I returned to Mornington Island. I raised a family of 3 girls and 2 boys with my present partner Bob Thompson.
"I only had housework to do and was bored. My mum was selling lots of paintings and really enjoyed painting. One of my brothers passed away so I went up to the Art Centre with mum to keep her company and decided to try painting for myself. I found that I loved it as well. I really want to become a good artist like my mum and paint about Bentinck Island and my people and their stories."
Ethel Thomas
Warthardangathi Bijarrba
Born: circa 1946 Deceased 2021
Origin: Dulkawalne - Bentinck Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
"Aunty Sally Gabori showed me her paintings when she first visited Bentinck again aGer being away for such a long time. She gave me one because I am her favourite. Now I am doing the same paintings with my sisters and aunties. Its good painting all day to get away from the house and have a break.
"I was born at Oak Tree Point on Bentinck Island or as we call it Lookati. This is on the North side of the island. I was only very small when the missionaries came and took us to Mornington Is. I was asleep when it happened and when I woke up we were on Mornington Island. I missed my parents when we were in the dormitory and we would oGen run away to be with them. When I was older I worked in the hospital and the mission house. Not long aGer that I went to Karumba on the mainland and worked on a cattle station. I moved around a few stations and on one, Esmerelda, I met my husband George Thomas.
"He came back to Mornington with me and we got married there and had my eldest son there as well. We went back to Croydon on the mainland and was gone a long time. When my husband got sick and passed away I returned to Mornington in time for our people starting an outstation on Bentinck Island at Main Base or Ninjilki. Now I live at Bentinck Island my home again with all my family."
Helena Gabori
Born: 1963
Origin: Dulkawalne - Bentinck Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
"I was born on Mornington Island and have lived my whole life here. I have only ever been to Bentinck Island once when my dad was still alive but I don't have any real connection with my Country. I have 5 children, 4 boys and 1 girl and all but youngest one Billy are over 18 and living their own lives.
"I really only started painting because I had to complete a certain number of hours for Jobfind not because of how good my mum became as an artist or for money. I'm glad I started painting as it gives me something to do and I really enjoy coming tot he Art Centre with the other artists and having joke and fun while we paint. I'm closer to my Dad's side of the family than Mum's so I paint my father's father and mother's country a lot."
Henrietta Namies
Born: 1952
Language: Yangkaal
Country: Mayanba - Forsythe Island
Home: Mornington Island (Gunana) : QLD
Biography
"My mother was Thelma Burke, one of the original artsts that started painting with old Sally Gabori. I follow her footsteps enjoying making jewelleries and weaving. The art centre helps us get together and try out new medium like silver, wool and silk, glass as well as the traditional painting.
Every time I come at the art centre, I feel mum's spirit with me. It's all those precious memories of creating and yarning with mum in her younger days, when life was slower. I feel her strong when I sit down quietly creating new artworks at the art centre. I miss that old girl."
Joelene Roughsey
Born: 1982
Language: Lardil
Origin Mount Isa : QLD
Biography
Joelene is a proud Lardil woman and belongs to the Langunanji clan. She was born in Mt Isa in 1982 but grew up in Mornington Island. Her Language name is Madar meaning the stem of the water lily swaying in the breeze.
Her Father is Leon Roughsey, the son of Tim Roughsey, brother of the famous artist and author Dick Roughsey. The Roughsey's homeland is Langunganji (Sydney) Island, south-east (larumben) of Mornington Island, a part of the Wellesley Island's, also known as the larumben people.
Joelene's mother Monica, has a twin sister, they were born in Cloncurry Qld. When they were young the family moved back to Mornington Island.
Joelene's great grandmother was born on the mainland. Later she was sent to Mornington Island and was adopted by the Roughsey family, who grew her up during the Mission Times. The Presbyterian Church established the mission on Mornington Island in 1914.
She grew up on her father's homeland, Ganthawu. Her younger years were spent playing with her friends and siblings out bush; learning how to find food from the land. She remembers this as a pretty great time. She also spent a lot of time with her grandmother during her early years.
In her early years she attended Homeland school and was taught by Teacher's Aide, Coralie Thompson who is now an artist at the Art Centre.
Joelene's parents were very active in the church and often travelled for Religious studies and as a result she spent some time in Townsville and Cairns. Joelene attended boarding school in Darwin for a couple of her high school years.
Joelene is an accomplished painter and is part of the next generation of Lardil artists. Many of Joelene's pieces have been inspired by the work of her famous grandfather Goobalathaldin Dick Roughsey (1920-1985). Her work depicts traditional stories and cultural practices.
Joelene is also a dancer with the Mornington Island Dancers. She has performed at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair and local community events.
Joelene's daughter was born in 2012. She is raising her girl to be strong and proud. She is determined to keep culture strong, and is passionate about sharing Lardil stories and culture with her daughter and nieces.
John Williams
Born: 1958
Language: Lardil
Country: Birri, Mornington Island
Home: Mornington Island (Gunana) : QLD
Biography
I was born on Brookdale Station, my father and mother worked there. My father was doing cattle work and my mother worked at a kitchen job, washing and cooking. My parents brought me back to the island and then went back to work, while my aunties and uncles raised me and I started going to school. In those days, mission days, my father Colin he didn't want that Peters name so he took Williams, that's why I'm Williams, after my Father’s name William Peters. This was the time when the Presbyterian Church came to the island.
I used to dance a lot, liked hunting and camping when I was young. I remember going away for my first dance trip when I was twelve years old, we went to Sydney, big city. In my twenties I was still travelling with the dance troop, I've been to New Guinea a couple of times, America, India, England. It was good travelling round sharing our culture, especially sharing with the American Indians, good to see others dance, a lot of different cultures, makes me feel stronger about mine.
I started painting back in 2005 at the Art Centre, but I was living in my country farther from town carrying on from my father, three fathers I've got. There was three old brothers from my country, old Gully, William and Henry Peters. Now I've got two boys and my wife, we all live at our outstation at Birri. There I continued to paint and make artefacts to sell independently. I've come back to town now so can come to the art centre more regularly. Birri means place of many underground waters. We are showing our body painting, its something to share with our younger people and other people. We keep our body painting, its handed down from our fathers, its good to keep it going, I like painting, I'm a culture man. All this came from the old people way back in the dreaming.
Karen Chong
Born: 1960
Language: Lardil
Country: Bidjegunn
Home: Mornington Island (Gunana) : QLD
Biography
"I was born on Mornington Island. My father was Waanyi a mainlander and my mother Lardil. I went to school and I stayed with my grandparents as my mother was away working on a station on the mainland.
When I was in my twenties I went to live in Normanton and Croydon. I returned to Mornington in 1982 to marry my late husband Bruce Chong. We have 6 children, 2 girls and 4 boys and 17 grandchildren.
I used to do a lot of shell work making pictures by glueing shells onto canvas boards and making necklaces. I started painting at school using chalk and crayons and developed a love of painting at a young age.
Arnold Watt a painter who painted alongside Dick & Lindsey Roughsey taught me a lot when I was young and he told me to keep at it and I'll get better. It was good to come and start painting at the Art Centre with Arnold before he passed away. It made me feel like a real artist.
My husband and I spent a lot of time out bush with our kids. His outstation was at Gabunyaree where we had a house. I used to do shell work and paint at our outstation and sell it around town.
I only recently started painting at the Art Centre so I could join in with the group and not paint on my own. I love to paint about my culture and country. I paint 2 days a week at the Art centre like a part time job and I enjoy being there as part of the Art Centre family enjoying each others company and stories."
Kaye Bush
Born: 1972
Language: Lardil
Country: Baralkia
Home: Mornington Island (Gunana) : QLD
Biography
"I like painting body paint up designs and totem designs. To me this is the strongest thing I can paint to express my feelings about who I am and where I come from. I like to paint at the Art Centre with the other artists because it is fun and interesting and gives me something to look forward to each week.
We also get to work with different media like felts, silver, hebel and ceramics. I love sculpturing forming figures out of different materials. I love working with my hands.
I was born in Mt Isa like a lot of people here but always think of myself as born and bred on Mornington Island. I went to school here and have lived here all my life. I have 4 children, 1 boy and 3 girls. My youngest is 8. I love to go camping and fishing and also collecting small shells from the beach to make shell necklaces."
Kirstin Goongarra
Alison
Born: 1984
Origin: Dulkawalne - Bentinck Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
"I come to paint with my mum, Agnes. It's nice to paint side by side with her, listening to the old girls yarning about the old days when life was simpler.
"Painting is a way to reconnect with myself, my culture and country. It makes me strong and proud to represent myself and my mob."
Mandy Naranatjill
Born: 1961
Deceased: 2022
Language: Lardil
Home: Langungangi - Sydney Island : QLD
Biography
My father was born in Langungani, Sydney Island. His name is Lindsay Roughsey. He was one of the great craftsmen and artists that started up the art centre here on Mornington Island. My mother was also a Lardil woman from Birri. We grew up living in the old village in those days. The village was destroyed by a big cyclone and we lived in tents for years before a new town was built. Those were hard but good old days. I have 3 grown up daughters now with lots of grandkids and now great grand kids! I love coming to the art centre, it makes me feel closer to the old people, especially my old dad.
Netta Loogatha
Birrmuyingathi Maali
Born: circa 1942 Deceased: 2022
Origin: Dulkawalne - Bentinck Island
Language: Kayardild
Biography
"It's good to make artworks, learn from each other. We learned all about our country and story places from our old people. Now we are painting and drawing them so our grandchildren will learn all about them.
"Our Aunty Sally Gabori showed us the way, to learn from her and follow in her footsteps. We have our own paintings and drawings now of our homelands and sacred places, where we were born, oyster reefs and waterholes or camping spots. I am happy to show other people my country and culture through my art. It brings a smile to my face when I finish an artwork and see a part of me on it.
"I was born on Bentinck Island at a place on the Northern side called Bilmee. We lived in humpies then - no clothes nothing at all. I learnt to hunt from an early age, how to fish and collect shellfish, how to gather foods from the bush. I was young when the Europeans came in 1946 to take us away from our home and forced us to live on Mornington Island in the dormitory in the mission there.
"My father was King Alfred, he had six wives. When he died, his brother Percy took over the family and took care of us. When I grew up I went to the mainland and worked as a housemaid like a lot of the young girls from the island. I enjoyed this time being young and having fun. I returned to Mornington and became strongly involved in Land Rights and my people's wish to return to our homeland. I was a grandmother by the time we returned to our homeland and I use to live there most of the year, only returning to Mornington for the wet season. Now I am getting too old to live there. I cry for an opportunity to set my foot on my homeland again. My artworks have become even more important to me to keep my memories of my home and culture ever strong."
Scott Roughsey (Alex Roughsey)
Born: 1988
Origin: Mornington Island
Totem: Pelican
Language: Lardil
Biography
‘Scott’ Roughsey was born on Mornington Island and went to school there. His grandmother has been an important presence in his life, and a strong influence on his development as an artist.
Scott’s art is informed by his culture, the beauty of his homeland and the stories of his ancestors. He ‘finds peace in making art’, drawing on both traditional and contemporary styles to represent the landscape of his country and the totems of his people. He uses acrylic paint on canvas as his medium.
Scott is the great grandson of the well - known artist Dick Roughsey, and hopes that one day he might become as well- known as his relative for his art.