We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the place now called Victoria, and all First Peoples living and working on this land. We celebrate the history and contemporary creativity of the world’s oldest living culture and pay respect to Elders — past, present and future.
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Wooden mask carved from log with small hollow at back. Decorated in ochre, yellow, black and white pigment with shells for eyes. Tongue extends from mouth and white tusks stretch between the mouth and the top of the head. Dried plant material covers the top of the head.
Limestone carving of human figure standing on solid base, knees slightly bent, hands resting on hips. Narrow torso with protruding genitals. Facial features clearly defined. Mouth Wide and lips pouted.
Mostly black surface with an area of white on the right side and a brown band near the top, lined with white dots. Work show the 'black soil country'. Ochres on Canvas.
Two Djumba figures, both male on black background. Ochres on Canvas.
Large carved head in hardwood. Painted black with a red nose and brow. There is a small possum on the top front of the head and a bird on the crown.
Face made of bark, painted white, blue, red and pink. Dried swamp used to make hair with twisted cane, wrapped with fabric, on either side. Long pieces of matted, dried plant fibres attached to chin as beard.
Half circle shape with six Wandjina figures. Filled with dotting in red and white. Outer edge strung with bands of coloured wool.
NM 1306
In around 1924 a band of Gija people crossed fences onto their traditional land near Bedford Downs Station in the East Kimberley 2000 km northeast of Perth and killed nine head of cattle. This act precipitated one of the massacres to become known as the 'killing times'. Paddy Quilty, the station owner of Bedford Downs had his men collect wagon loads of firewood which was distributed around the camp. He then invited everyone to assemble for their rations. The food, laced with strychnine, was handed out. As the Gija people fell down dying in agony, they were shot. The firewood was used to burn the bodies. One boy escaped to the the story. Paddy Jamin Jaminji (c.1922-1997) painted The Hills of Bedford Downs Station as part of a series of painting about the Killing Times. It depicts the story and sites of the massacre. At least twelve killing sites are recorded within a radius of 150 km of Turkey Creek, WA. The painting was possibly discarded due to its damage in one corner and later collected from an old shelter at Warmun on a field trip by collector Neil McLeod in 1995.
Large painting on board of symbolic landscape. Brown, yellow, cream and white. Framed.
bedford downs station, massacre, killing, gija, paddy quilty, turkey creek, warmun
Head mask with wood face and plant fibres surrounding the mask as a head and beard. Thin cane pieces extend out and are wrapped in green or red wool and hung with faded ribbons.
Hollow head, cylindrical with 'dorsal' piece at the top of the head. Black pigment with some yellow and red. Mouth open, teeth shown, small ears and deeply carved eyes.
Flat rectangular background with rounded corners at top with high relief carving of two birds on each side, with a snake between them. The head of the snake is in one beak and the tail in the other. Decorated with yellow, black, ochre and white pigments.
Carved wooden face mask with hollow eyes, nose and mouth. Decorated with ochre, yellow, black and white pigment. Top and back of mask is formed with plant serials, woven twine and reeds form the frame and mane down the centre and back of the mask. Hessian inside the mask.
Victorian Collections acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.
