“The Birrundudu Drawings”
Presentation Type
Presentation
Location
Online
Start Date
14-10-2026 12:30 PM
Description
The Birrundudu Drawings represent one of the most significant bodies of historical imagery ever introduced into the canons of Australian art. A collection of 810 crayon drawings were created by sixteen Aboriginal men working on a Northern Territory cattle station in 1945. Until recently, most of these drawings have never been seen, let alone researched, published or exhibited. For the last five years I have been engaged in a project firstly to share the existence of the drawings with the families of the men who made them, and then to explore whether we could also share them with the public. This talk explores their significance, the complexity of the community research process to bring them into the public realm, and the impact the drawings are already having in scholarship and in community.
Recommended Citation
Carty, John and Paterson, Alistair, "“The Birrundudu Drawings”" (2026). Talking Heads Seminar Series. 16.
https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/nulungu_talkingheads/2026/Schedule/16
“The Birrundudu Drawings”
Online
The Birrundudu Drawings represent one of the most significant bodies of historical imagery ever introduced into the canons of Australian art. A collection of 810 crayon drawings were created by sixteen Aboriginal men working on a Northern Territory cattle station in 1945. Until recently, most of these drawings have never been seen, let alone researched, published or exhibited. For the last five years I have been engaged in a project firstly to share the existence of the drawings with the families of the men who made them, and then to explore whether we could also share them with the public. This talk explores their significance, the complexity of the community research process to bring them into the public realm, and the impact the drawings are already having in scholarship and in community.
