NYM DJIMUNGURR
1910-1969, AustraliaBorn around 1910, Djimungurr, also known as Old Nym, grew up travelling throughout Arnhem Land with his extended family group. In the 1930s, he moved west (into what would become Kakadu National Park) in search of seasonal work. He primarily worked as a buffalo shooter until, in the mid-1950s, he found employment on a seasonal basis at a sawmill at Manlarr. In 1958, the sawmill transitioned into the Nourlangie Safari Camp, where visitors came to hunt and to learn about Aboriginal life, with Djimungurr as a senior guide.
During the off-season, Djimungurr’s family would make extended trips on Country. A fully initiated man and senior custodian for his clan, Djimungurr was charged with looking after Country and the ancestral beings that inhabited it. He played key roles in ceremonial gatherings across a wide region and was a sought-after marrkidjbu (clever man/healer), curing both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Djimungurr was a renowned singer and dancer, and alongside his friend and compatriot Nadjombolmi he emerged as one of the most significant contemporary contributors to rock art in West Arnhem Land. The Koongarra and Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) areas were important for Djimungurr and his family and he repeatedly visited them to camp, hunt and paint rock art. In 1963, Djimungurr and Nadjombolmi created a rock painting scene at Nourlangie rock (Anbangbang Gallery, Kakadu National Park) that comprised eighteen figures – humans, fish, ancestral beings – communicating a story of life, loss and resilience. The paintings in the Anbangbang Gallery are among the most visited, celebrated and recognised rock art globally. Admired by hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, they appear frequently in national and global overviews of rock art and remain a source of inspiration for Aboriginal people in Kakadu today.1
Throughout this time, Djimungurr created bark paintings, initially to educate younger men. When the bark paintings had served their purpose, he would offer them for sale. Art collectors and dealers had been visiting the area since the late 1950s, including Dorothy Bennett, who became a primary collector of Djimungurr’s work.
Luke Scholes. Courtesy D Lan Galleries
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