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BILL WHISKEY TJAPALTJARRI (born circa 1920)
Acrylic on Belgian linen
185 x 155 cm

This painting depicts the country and sites around and near Uluru and the Olgas where
Bill Whiskey grew up and shows the journey he made to Areonga.

PROVENANCE
Watiyawanu Artists of Amunturrngu Aboriginal Corporation, Alice Springs,
painted at Mt. Leibig 2006, Certificate number 77-06195

Bill Whiskey is originally from Pirupa Akla (the Olgas) area. When he was a young man
most of Whiskey ’s family had passed away and the people in this area were moving in the
direction of Haasts Bluff Mission. None of them had yet seen white people and became
frightened as they thought that they were ‘mamu people’ (bad spirit people). The group
continued to travel to an area near what is now called Areonga where a missionary
(Patupirri) had settled. This is where Whiskey and the others first ate white man food.
He spent little time with Patupirri and moved back to Haasts Bluff mission where he met
his wife Colleen Nampitjinpa. Whiskey practiced as a Witch Doctor and people would
come from afar to be treated. Whilst on the mission at Haasts Bluff he was engaged by the
contract fencers as a cook and gained the name ‘Whiskey ’ due to having very long white
whiskers.