Churchill CannTexas Downs Station, Warmun, Western Australia, Australia, b. 1944
Red Butte, 2012
Natural ochre on canvas
100cm x 140cm
£ 5,000.00
Red Butte is a hill in Ngarrgooroon Country. Churchill mustered cattle across this country for many years under conditions akin to indentured labour. Churchill shared the following story about Red...
Red Butte is a hill in Ngarrgooroon Country. Churchill mustered cattle across this country for many years under conditions akin to indentured labour. Churchill shared the following story about Red Butte;
Churchill's grandmother, Goodbarriya, departed Ngarrgooroon Country when it was taken over by pastoralists as Texas Downs Cattle station. She was looking for sweet sugarbag (bush honey) one day when horns started growing from her head. Churchill said: 'She felt shame and didn't want to go back home. So she stayed in a cave at Red Butte for the rest of her days. Here she became 'clever' and the station managers never found her.' 'Clever' is a term used by Kriol speakers to indicate that a person has special powers these might described as healing or magic.