A fine collection of 61 stone artefacts – mostly from Papua New Guinea, but also including two exceptional aboriginal cylcons and two clam shell adzes from the Solomons. Collected over a period of 20 years, many of the pieces were obtained from Australian Patrol Officers... Read More
Introduction F rom the early 19th century, Aboriginal people created artworks that document the history of their interaction with European settlers. Aboriginal people made boomerangs, shields, spear throwers, clubs, walking sticks, stock whip handles and other objects which... Read More
New Caledonia ( Nouvelle-Calédonie) is located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,200 kilometres east of Australia and 16,000 kilometres east of Paris. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grand Terre, the Loyalty Islands,... Read More
About twenty years ago there came to Yirrkala, in remote Arnhem Land, a letter addressed to the Aboriginal artist living there, written by Picasso. It said: ‘I admire and envy your art’. Since then the work of Mawalan, Madaman, Nanyin, Birrigidi, Djawa, Dawdi, Malangi,... Read More
James (Jim) Albert Davidson was born 31st March 1908 at Landybrandt in Orange Free State, South Africa to an Australian father and a South African mother. Jim’s initial schooling with his siblings (2 brothers and 1 sister) was with home tutors. Jim recounted his early childhood... Read More
Narritjin Maymuru was born in approximately 1912 in Manggalili country, between Caledon Bay and Blue Mud Bay, on the western shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria. In this area he lived until his twenties when he travelled north to Yirrkala, to the newly established mission there.... Read More