Advertisement
Home Royals

A traditional Aboriginal painting for Prince George

The traditional owners of the land have been busy preparing for the royal visit in the spiritual heart of Australia - Uluru.
Uluru painting

The traditional owners of this land have been busy preparing for the royal visit and at the base of Uluru on the walk the royal couple will take, I met senior Anangu lady Barbara Nipper who was in the Australian honours list in 2006, and her family.

Advertisement

Barbara will present Their Royal Highnesses with a series of paintings painted by four generations of her family including one by two-year-old, Lolita, especially for the royal couple.

The dot paintings are painted on paper made from mala poo โ€“ literally the dried droppings of the mala, or rufous-hare wallaby. This is an endangered species with just 200 breeding in a special program here at Uluru.

Using their faeces to make paper was the idea of a park ranger, hoping to create a product that could help finance the supplementary feed needed for the mala which costs the park $22,000 per year. Pictured is Bessie, Barbaraโ€™s daughter, holding the painting that she hopes may hang in baby Georgeโ€™s nursery. It depicts traditional life with two women and their digging sticks and collecting bowls, sitting by a water hole.

Barbara also has a necklace to give the Duchess and Prince William will be presented with a hand-made wooden shield โ€“ tjara โ€“ used traditionally to ward off the spears of enemies.

Advertisement

Related stories


Unwind and relax with your favourite magazine!

Huge savings plus FREE home delivery

Advertisement
Advertisement