Image credits
Portraits by Tim Acker, Paul Elliott, Gabrielle Sullivan, Ross Swanborough, Carly Davenport, Monique La Fontaine, Morika Biljabu, Kevin Kelly and Leonie Yukenbarri.
co-founder and executive project support
Tim has worked with desert artists and communities throughout northern, central and western Australia. His logistical work on the Canning Stock Route Project has included organising bush trips, liaising with art centres and assisting with fundraising. He is also one of the project’s main photographers.
co-curator
Hayley grew up in Jigalong in Martu Country and lives in Newman, where she works with Martumili Artists. Hayley has been involved with the Canning Stock Route Project since 2007 and was its first curator. While supporting the artists on the 'return to Country' trip at Well 36, Hayley began painting herself. She also began to learn about her own family ties to artists from many other Western Desert art centres. Hayley loves working with her elders and learning about their lives in the bush. Hayley is also an artist featured in the Canning Stock Route collection.
photographer and filmmaker
Morika lives at Punmu in the heart of Martu Country. Her passion for her family and community inspires all of her film and photographic work. She joined the Canning Stock Route Project in 2007 for the 'return to Country' trip at Well 36. She recorded the artists' workshops and produced a film featuring her grandmother, Jakayu Biljabu. In 2008 her photographs were published in the Weekend Australian magazine; that same year she held her first solo exhibition Ngayunpala Kujungka (We Are One).
co-curator, anthropologist and historian
John is an anthropologist who has worked extensively throughout the Western Desert and Kimberley regions. As the Canning Stock Route Project anthropologist, he has recorded many oral histories with artists and custodians of the desert Country. His broader research examines contemporary Aboriginal art, with an emphasis on Western Desert painting and Balgo art.
co-founder, project manager and co-curator
Carly has engaged with Indigenous artists and their enterprises throughout Australia since 1996. With FORM since 2005, she has designed the Canning Stock Route Project's multidisciplinary professional development platforms and brokered diverse industry partnerships. As the project's team leader, she guided the development of the Yiwarra Kuju exhibition in collaboration with the National Museum of Australia.
filmmaker
Clint was born and raised in Broome. His mother is a Bardi woman, from the Country north of Broome, near One Arm Point, and his father is Yawuru, from the Country around Broome. He has a passion for recording and telling stories on film and has been working with Goolarri Media Enterprises and the Canning Stock Route Project since 2007. He has documented the workshop activities, celebrations, meetings and interviews with artists for the development of the Yiwarra Kuju exhibition.
co-curator, content manager and production editor
An artist and writer, Monique has worked with Kimberley Aboriginal artists and cultural leaders since 1997. Since 2007, she has managed the Canning Stock Route Project's archive of content, jointly guiding its artist workshops and professional development programs, its cultural and intellectual property protocols, and the development of the multimedia installation One Road.
cultural adviser and senior translator
Putuparri is a Wangkajunga man who lives in Fitzroy Crossing. In 2007 he worked as a translator and cultural adviser on the 'return to Country' trip. He has helped to coordinate some of the project's biggest cultural workshops on Country and provided the team with invaluable cultural guidance. Putuparri also works for the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre, coordinating its cultural program and assisting with international repatriation. Putuparri is also an artist featured in the Canning Stock Route collection.
multimedia director and mentor
Based in Melbourne, Nicole Ma coordinates the Canning Stock Route Project's multimedia output and the exhibition's film productions, and mentors the project's four Aboriginal multimedia practitioners. Nicole co-founded the awardwinning Bluehorse Films in New York in 1990. She was executive producer of multimedia for the inaugural exhibitions at the National Museum of Australia. Her documentaries Kurtal – Snake Spirit and Dances of Ecstasy have won several awards.
filmmaker
KJ lives in Halls Creek. His mother's people come from Gija Country and his father's people come from the area around Doon Doon station. He developed a passion for filmmaking after the birth of his first daughter and developed his skills while working as audiovisual project officer for the Kimberley Language Resource Centre. KJ has completed a Certificate 3 at Goolarri Media Enterprises and works as a disc jockey for Halls Creek radio.
co-curator
Louise is a Mirruwong woman from Kununurra. She began working on the Canning Stock Route Project in 2007, and has played an important part in helping to shape the Canning Stock Route collection as one of the team's co-curators. Louise lives in South Hedland, where she works as a Employment Development Officer for Job Futures.
co-curator
Terry is a Walmajarri, Wangkajunga and Juwaliny man. His family's Country is Japingka in the northern reaches of the Great Sandy Desert, south of Fitzroy Crossing. Terry is a cultural heritage officer with the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre. He has worked with Mangkaja Arts for several years, travelling to Spain with Wally Caruana in 2004. Terry is currently working with curators at the Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Western Australia. His first solo show, Jiljis, opened at Brigitte Braun in April 2010.
filmmaker
A keen emerging filmmaker, Curtis works with Martu Media, a program of Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa. Curtis has produced short films that describe the history and culture of Parnngurr (Cotton Creek), his home community in Martu Country, for the project's multimedia installation One Road. The youngest member of the Canning Stock Route Project team, Curtis is also a valued cultural facilitator and translator for Martu people.
senior translator and project adviser
Nola works closely with Martumili Artists as a translator and adviser for Martu people. In 2007 she joined the 'return to Country' trip at Well 36. She has translated the majority of the Martu oral histories for the Canning Stock Route project. As a cultural mentor under the leadership of Martu elder, Kumpaya Girgaba, she has also provided guidance and support to curator Hayley Atkins, filmmaker Morika Biljabu and the whole project team. She has helped facilitate many trips in Martu Country. Nola is also an artist featured in the Canning Stock Route collection.