Yirawala

Yirawala
MBE
Bornc. 1897
Marugulidban, Northern Territory, Australia
Died17 April 1976
Croker Island, Northern Territory, Australia
Resting placeMinjilang Cemetery, Croker Island, Northern Territory, Australia
Other namesBilly, Yirrawala, Yirrwala

Yirawala (c. 1897 – 17 April 1976) was an Aboriginal Australian leader, labourer and bark painter, most known for his artistic works. He was born in the Northern Territory, which at the time was responsibility of the state of South Australia, and died in Minjilang, otherwise known as Croker Island.[1][2][a][b] He was extremely influential in promoting the acceptance of Aboriginal works as fine art, instead of "ethnographic material."[14] He was intensely concerned with the preservation of his culture, and he played an important role as an educator and mentor for young Aboriginal artists. His works can now be found in galleries across the world, and his influence lives on through the artists he inspired and the innovations he introduced to the artistic community. When Harold Thomas, the creator of the Aboriginal Flag was asked “Who do you think were our greatest artists?”, he responded: "I would have no hesitation to say Yirawala and Mandarkk. If I were to compare the two with any others I would say Yirawala is our Picasso, Mandarkk our Braque."[5]

  1. ^ "YIRAWALA". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  2. ^ Taylor, Luke. "Yirawala (1897–1976)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dictionary was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Taylor, Luke. "Yirawala (1897–1976)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  5. ^ mediamanager (25 January 2022). "I created the Aboriginal flag as a symbol of unity and pride". Darwin Innovation Hub. Retrieved 6 May 2024.


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