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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Goonjal (bush yam tree), 2018

by Shirley Purdie

Goonjal (bush yam tree), 2018

“This is that bush yam. This is my mother (right) and he bin teach me (left) for diggin’ when I bin a little girl. This tucker now, this potato or root. When this tree gets yellow, that’s the time we go and dig him.”

This is bush tucker knowledge Shirley’s mother passed down to her. When she was a young girl, around ten years old, her mother would teach her how to dig up the root of the bush yam tree. She learned that when the tree flowered yellow, it was the correct time to dig up the roots. Generally, this happens in ‘wangan’ or cold weather/winter. However, Shirley has noted that climate change is affecting the seasonal flowering, and sometimes this tree bears yellow flowers when it is not supposed to.

Storied portrait
(More information, View all 9 images)

This one, when I was growing up with my grandmother

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Storied portrait

About Face article

27 May 2020

Emily Casey takes in Shirley Purdie’s remarkable self-portrait, Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe.
Marilyn Ball, Albatross, 2018 (detail) by Linde Ivimey
Marilyn Ball, Albatross, 2018 (detail) by Linde Ivimey
Marilyn Ball, Albatross, 2018 (detail) by Linde Ivimey
Marilyn Ball, Albatross, 2018 (detail) by Linde Ivimey

So Fine

Contemporary women artists make Australian history

Previous exhibition, 2018

This exhibition features new works from ten women artists reinterpreting and reimagining elements of Australian history, enriching the contemporary narrative around Australia’s history and biography, reflecting the tradition of storytelling in our country.
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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