Details of Murdany

Catalog Number : 27799
Size : 80cm x 60cm
Medium : Natural ochre and pigments on board
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For Sale : Contact Short St Gallery
Murdany, the hill kangaroo travelled from Baulk Face tange in Mick Jawalji's country to the desert.

Murdany, the hill kangaroo was pressure flaking (i.e. chipping off fragments to make serrated edges) stone spear tips at Geelong Hole, near Ban.gurr, Baulk Face range in Mick Jawaljis part of Gija country. He put the spear tips up his nostrils and climbed up onto Ban.gurr range.

Murdany made up his mind to go south. He stepped on a big rock on the edge of Baulk Face range. The hill kangaroo jumped down onto the open plain below and started heading south. He looked back and saw the boulder, he had stepped on, fall from the range down onto the plain by itself. The boulder is still there today and stands about 8ft high. Murdany, the hill kangaroo kept travelling south. On the painting, in the middle, is the road Murdany made going, as Jawalji said 'straight down to desert'. On either sides of this road the orange sections are where the country was cut by the road. He came out in the desert and found the desert people. He snorted and the spear tips fell out of his nose. He gave the spear tips to the desert people and they were happy because they didnt have any. Gija people in the ranges call this kangaroo murdany, but desert people call him wairri or marlu, the red kangaroo.