• 3. Minyarr (Wattle tree)
  • 3. Minyarr (Wattle tree)
  • 3. Minyarr (Wattle tree)
  • 3. Minyarr (Wattle tree)

Mawungumain Nundhirribala

3. Minyarr (Wattle tree)

  

"This tree you can use the bark to make string. Sometimes we use the black
seeds for necklace too. You can eat the sap, it's like a lolly but it gets stuck in your teeth."

    • Acrylic on metal
    • Dimensions: 51 x 16cm
    • Cat No. 293-23

“I was born at Miwal outstation not far from Numbulwar. When Numbulwar started by CMS (Church Missionary Society), one missionary white lady came from a community called Oenpelli, came and show me and the other ladies how to weave baskets and other weaving stuff out of pandanus leaves. Some old ladies from Yirrkala (Gove) came, taught us ladies to weave placemats and dillybags, that was in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I have two brothers and three sisters and also I have three sons and two daughters. I have been weaving baskets and ghost net basket for while and today I enjoy weaving with other ladies.”

Mawungumain Nundhirribala (b. 1933) is a Nunggayinbala woman who has lived her whole life in the Numbulwar area, since before the mission was established. Mawungumain's expertise in creating wulbung (woven baskets) has been developed over a lifetime, and her mastery extends to both ghost nets and natural fibres. She is a mentor for younger weavers and takes the lead on harvesting trips. The artist is one of Numbulwar Numburindi Arts’ most senior and prolific artists, with a fibre art practice that is easily identifiable for its vibrant colour blocking and immaculate technicality.


Built on self-determination, Numbulwar Numburindi Arts (NNA) is a colletive or artists whose mission is to keep culture strong. Established in 2019, Numbulwar’s first art centre is 100 per cent owned and controlled by the community. Born from the community’s desire to practice and engage with traditional culture, NNA is a space for artistic and cultural expression. Champions of fibre art, NNA artists marry naturally-dyed and locally-harvested pandanus with bright and bold ghost nets, abandoned fishing line retrieved from Numbulwar’s shoreline. Our Wulbung (baskets) and Yir (dillybags) fit as naturally in traditional applications as they do in contemporary, urban environments. Numbulwar sits on the Rose River and belongs to the Nunggayinbala clan, one of the Wubuy or Nunggubuyu speaking clans from the region. Ceremonial activities are still very important within the region and occur regularly.

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