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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.

Nyajarri (bush turkey), 2018

by Shirley Purdie

Nyajarri (bush turkey), 2018

“My granddaughter’s skin is Nyajarri. Nyajarri is a bush turkey and its blackfella name is Bingrrbal. We tell ‘em all the kids, this lot of animals, they got skin name and blackfella name. Well this one, he bin travelling with the emu, and this one, this bush turkey, he had been having too much bush tucker, and so he (she) said “No, I gotta camp here, it’s dark.”

Shirley talks about the Ngarrangarni (Dreaming) that relates to the bush turkey. The bush turkey was travelling with the emu, and they got loaded with food during a regular hunting trip, and the emu wanted to keep on going, but the bush turkey got tired and refused. The place that was loaded with this bush tucker is in present day Violet Valley.

Shirley Purdie
(More information, View all 37 images)

Nangala (the brolga)
Baggabal (echidna)
Ngarre (sugarbag)
Goollabal (Rainbow Serpent)

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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.
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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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