Lulumu, 2025

Lulumu

The Madarrpa travelled to live permanently at Bäniyala, clan land north on Blue Mud Bay under the direcon of clan leader and

father to the arst, Wakuthi. The Madarrpa always had Ancestral connecon to this land – no dispute. Gurrundul’s grandfathers are

buried under the sacred ground there. The seng up of an outstaon at Bäniyala was part of the inial push back to the homelands

from the intolerable intrusion of large scale mining that had surrounded Yirrkala community (formally mission) from the early

sevenes. There are hugely significant stories out of this country for the Yirritja, (some of which are shared with the Dhalwaŋu and

Maŋgalili clans) that deal with law and ritual. The sacred design of the waters shared by these clans is shared also. Other stories,

perhaps no less significant deal with creaon or more recently fabled events.

The depicted Gurrtjpi is the sngray hunted much on the shallow shores of Blue Mud Bay. It is also a totem for the Madarrpa at

Bäniyala as they talk of Gurrtjpi having a path of creaon at Bäniyala. A few hundred yards down the beach at Bäniyala, a small dal

creek cuts through the dunes to the flat country immediately behind. This small creek named Mäwaŋga was used by Gurritjpi to

track back into the bush. Here he bit into the ground forming several small billabongs, a source of water for Yolŋu living there. His

path connued along the direcon that is now the Bäniyala air strip to flat sandy country before heading out to the point Lulumu to

become a white rock surrounded by the slow des. During the days of Woŋgu the Djapu warrior, an area in the shape of the sngray

was cleared by him and others who came to country to hunt Gurrtjpi mid way through the dry season. The area is sll clear today, his

two eyes holes in the ground where the current inhabitants pick sand to throw in the direcon of the rock at Lulumu for good luck

and plenful fishing.

Sister of Djambawa Marawili and wife to Wanyubi Marika whom she assists with his painng. 2008 has her coming out as a

talented painter in her own right, with Bark and Larrakitj depicng Yilpara sngray sites and Madarrpa themes. Her first

exhibion was in 2009 when she had a small but successful show at Annandale Galleries in company with her sister

Yalmakany. This was repeated in 2010 with a different body of work. From this point on her work has been sought aer and

sold through commercial galleries both in Australia and overseas. She lives in Yirrkala.