Born: c1920s – 2008 deceased
Country: Pirupa Akla
– The Olgas
Language: Pitjantjatjara
Region: Mt Liebig
Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, a Pitjantjatjara
man, was born in the 1920s at Pirupa Akla,
country located near the Olgas and to the west of Ayers Rock. By the time he
was a young man, most of Whiskey’s family had passed away. Many of his people
had begun moving towards Haasts Bluff mission, about 250 kms to the north east. Whiskey joined a group
who were about to make that journey. None of these desert people had seen white
people and when they arrived at the mission, they were completely naked.
Whiskey, along with some of
the others, decided not to stay as they were frightened when they saw Europeans
for the first time. Their fear came from the belief that these white-skinned
people were
Mamu, or bad spirit people, and so
the group continued to travel on. They eventually arrived at an area near
Areyonga where a white missionary Pastor called Patupirri
had established a camp. It was here that Whiskey and the others first tasted
white man’s food. Whiskey tells how they would throw this strange food behind
their backs as they didn’t like its taste. Whiskey spent a little time with Patupirri before moving back to the
Lutheran mission at Haasts Bluff, where he had been told
there were plenty of women. This time Whiskey stayed, and was given his first
set of clothes.
At the mission he met, and later married, Colleen
Nampitjinpa, a Luritja woman from Tjukula in Western Australia. He recalls
that when he first saw Colleen’s light, sun-bleached hair he immediately knew
she was the one for him. The couple and their family subsequently settled at an
outstation at Amunturrungu (Mount Liebig), 100km north-west
of Haasts Bluff and Whiskey never returned
to his home country. While living at the Haasts Bluff mission, Whiskey took a
job as cook for the contract fencers and mustering crew. It was here he came to
be called Whiskery, owing to his long bushy beard, and the name eventually
evolved into Whiskey.
Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri was a “big business” man in
his community - a Ngangkari, or traditional healer, with
people coming from far and wide to be treated by him. His widow, Colleen, is
also a highly respected Ngangkari as is one of their sons,
Herbert.
Whiskey began painting in 2005 and developed a passion for it. The main images
in his works are the
Rockholes near Pirupa, to the west of Ayers Rock, and
the story of his journeys to Areyonga and Haasts Bluff. Whiskey was a highly
traditional man with an extremely jovial personality and the bold colours
evident in many of his works are said to reflect his character – colourful and
strong in spirit. His paintings have quickly become among the most sought after
indigenous works in Australia and overseas.
Bill Whiskey's story is profiled in this short documentary titled "That Old Man". Executive producer Glenis Wilkins superbly captures the depth of Whiskey's traditional roots. It makes touching viewing for anyone interested in learning more about Bill Whiskey and Aboriginal culture in general.
Selected Exhibitions
2006 Colliding Worlds,
Tandanya, Adelaide
2006 Australian Aboriginal Art
2006/2007, John Gordon Gallery, Sydney
NSW
2006 Knud Grothe
Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2006 Aboriginal Art 2006, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
VIC
2006 Luminaries of the Desert, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA
2006 Watiyawanu, Bond Aboriginal Art, Adelaide
SA
2007 Watiyawanu Artists of Amunturrngu, Japingka
Gallery, Fremantle WA
2007 The Stockman and the
Medicine Man: Jack Dale and Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
2007 Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri,
John Gordon Gallery, Coffs Harbour NSW
2007 "The Queen and King of Dots, Redot Gallery, Singapore
2007 "200 Miles West", Tony Bond Gallery, Adelaide, SA
2007 "Aboriginal Art", Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne, Vic
2008 Watiyawanu Artists, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA
2008 "Masterpieces from The Western Desert" - Peta O'Brien Contemporary Art, COSA, London, UK
2008 "My Desert Homeland", honey ant gallery, Noosa Heads, Qld
2008 "Rockholes", honey ant gallery, Sydney, NSW
Collections
Kerry Stokes Collection WA;
Reg Grundy Collection; Art Gallery of South
Australia
Reg Grundy Collection
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
