Jirrawun Arts, W.A Cat No. RR62004-31

William Mora Galleries, VIC, 2004 (stamped verso)

Private Collection, Melbourne

Private Collection, Sydney

Rammey Ramsey: Deeper than Paint on Canvas, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, August - September 2004

This painting shows a place called Rocky Bar or Ragiban. The English name 'Rocky Bar' is based in a Gija word 'Ragiban' meaning 'a place with lots of ants'. At the top of the painting is a large rocky mountain range. The circles along the top represent little caves which are the home of lots of rock wallabies. Rock wallabies are among the smallest of the kangaroo's relations. They look out from high on the ledges in the hills. There are little springs everywhere through the hills. It was a good hunting ground for Gija people in the time before the arrival of Europeans. 

Below the mountain range we see the stock road. The square shape on the right is the stock camp and the two circles are the separate camps for black and white stockmen. This represents the artist's experiences working as a stockman for the major part of his life. 

Part of the Fitzroy River runs across the lower part of the painting. A deep permanent water hole is represented by the circle on the river.

Wunyjurruny-nu daam gerluwurr. Yilag deyema gurlumbi nginiyinde-burru yilag. Dala roadel belegan nyinya bananel. Nginy gurluny yilag yingerewuny, ngarranggarniny gurluny. Jiyilem jinbida-ngarri mamaj benijtha dumum.

Those are the rock wallaby homes up the top. Down at the bottom is their water hole. The road runs through the middle of the painting. The water hole down there is an important place that is dangerous for people who do not belong to the country. People belonging to the country must put water on the heads of strangers they take there.

Dama wajbalum-burru daam, jiyilem-burru daam dam. Ngurriny, walilig jimberrayangbende bulumanel ngurrul, majurrum-ngarri wumberramande ngenengga. Diyena walilig jimberrayangbende wajbalem. Nyimberranybende dumburumbu now, ngelamugu Garlmanterre-gili.

There is the white people's camp and there is the Aboriginal people's camp (the two circles). There is the yard where they used to put all the bullocks (the rectangle). They would put all the bullocks in there and then take them back through the gap to Elgee Cliffs station.

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