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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.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Portrait of Jawoyn Elder, Margaret Katherine

2015
John Gollings

inkjet print on paper, edition A/P (frame: 102.7 cm x 142.7 cm depth 4.5 cm, sheet: 83.0 cm x 112.0 cm, image: 60.0 cm x 90.0 cm)

Margaret Katherine (d. 2018), a Jawoyn woman from the Buyhmi clan group (Duwar moiety), was born at Joe’s Garden east of Katherine in the Northern Territory. Although she lived in the Katherine region all her life, her traditional Country was the Dalakngalarr area of the Mann River. She spent her early childhood walking the Country with her mother and father, hunting, trapping and eating bush tucker and learning everything about her culture, language and traditions from her grandfather, father and mother. A senior Jawoyn Elder, she co-authored many books on Jawoyn culture, language, plants, animals and traditions.

John Gollings photographed Margaret Katherine in the Narwala Gabarnmung Rock Shelter in Arnhem Land, which was first investigated by archaeologists in 2010. A fragment of an axe found there has been dated at 35,500 years, making it the oldest artefact of its kind known in the world, and the rock art dates back at least 28,000 years. 'The most important thing about the Gabarnmung cave paintings … is not their age, not their colour or their splendour or their intricacy,' wrote one scholar in 2012. 'It's that the Jawoyn people, the descendants of the ancient civilization that created the works, are still alive.'

Gift of the artist 2017. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© John Gollings/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

John Gollings (age 71 in 2015)

Margaret Katherine

Subject professions

Government and leadership

Donated by

John Gollings (1 portrait)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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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.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency