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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.

This one, when I was growing up with my grandmother, 2018

by Shirley Purdie

This one, when I was growing up with my grandmother, 2018

“Me and my grandmother bin looking for nanny goat. We bin find him, and… Well, I bin run up and our dogs, they bin chasing that kangaroo and they bin kill him in this cave. My grandmother bin making fire and me and my grandmother we bin cook him that kangaroo now.”

This memory takes place in Mabel Downs country, near the Yallanji River, during Shirley’s station-work life. The cave still exists today. Shirley recalls being a young girl and going out to hunt goats with her grandmother. In an unexpected turn of events, their dogs chased and killed a kangaroo in the cave. This was a welcome feast for Shirley and her Ganggal (grandmother).

Storied portrait
(More information, View all 9 images)

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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.
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

The Gallery

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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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