Wanyubi Marika

Wanyubi wrote this in 2009.

“My father Milirrpum was, in my lifetime was the ‘third’ elder or clan leader of the Rirratjiŋu mala, after Mawalan #1 and Mathaman. After the deaths of Mawalan, the original plaintiff in the country’s first land right case and of Mathaman it was my father who represented his people in Darwin’s Supreme Court. Milirrpum vs Nabalco. His spiritual birthplace was in Rarrkala, up near the Wessell island group with the Bararrŋu clan Milŋurr (birthplace). Milirrpum was a strong law man of his people, a wise man, a very good turtle hunter and fisherman who fed a lot of people in the old Mission days and a good father to immediate family and to the community. Milirrpum died in 1983, my mother the Rev Liyapadiny Marika (nee Gumana – Gawirrin’s sister) dying in 1998.

I left Nhulunbuy High School in 1983 completing 4th year. I Continued tertiary studies in ‘84, ‘85 and worked in community areas of housing and roads. Part of 1985 was spent at my mother’s homeland of Gangan as a training teacher at Primary level. In 1988 I spent 6 months down south performing traditional dance around schools in different states with Ralph Nicholls, son of Sir Douglas who was an Urban Yolŋu who was using a lot of Arnhem Land boys and their talent in bringing them down and performing for many years. So I happen to be one of them. In 1989 I found work as a plant operator with YBE (Yolŋu Business Enterprises), driving bulldozers, graders and trucks etc. In 1990 I moved into the Environmental section to do rehab work, planting seed and growing trees at the mine site, cutting lawn in the town area for the big bosses in Nabalco, and driving the garbage truck around the mining town Nhulunbuy. In 1991 I did some general accounting and clerical work at the YBE office which included paper work re contracts given to YBE by Nabalco. I also took readings at the mining plant for caustic leaks and temperature. I have studied through TAFE and attained an Associate Diploma of Community Management. 1995 saw me elected as a community high-level leader as Yirrkala Dhanbul Community Association Council Chairman for the following three years. In 1998 I moved to the homeland side to establish a new homeland with my mother at Yinimala 17k west of Baniyala and 200k south of Yirrkala. Currently I am a councillor for Laynahpuy Homelands Council. My fathers taught me how and what I can paint. It was for Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka’s ‘Saltwater’ bark painting project that first had me painting publically on a serious level. Living much of my time today at Bäniyala (my wife’s country whose father is Wakuthi). I paint amongst the Madarrpa clan artists as well as my own when living at Yirrkala. I am the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Artist Committee Chairperson”.

Wanyubi’s innovative application of his clan law in fine art renditions has set him apart as an artist to watch from the beginning. His ‘arrival’ in Saltwater and establishment in Buwayak (2003) was reinforced with his first solo show at Annandale. His second in 2008 and subsequent inclusion in the Stokes Larrakitj collection were subsequent highlights. He was the founder of the Yirralka Rangers, which went on to become a major body administering a huge Indigenous Protected area. He relinquished the chair of Buku in 2011 as his responsibilities with Bunuwal the commercial arm of the Rirratjingu stepped up.