Robin Rogers & Owen Turners’ (Ngukurr) Visit to Naarm/Melbourne, November 2023

In mid-November 2023, Robin Rogers and Owen Turner travelled from Ngukurr, in southeast Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, to Naarm/Melbourne. The main purpose of their visit was to view Ngukurr/Roper River cultural heritage material held at Museums Victoria, and in the collection of anthropologist Donald Thomson. The men viewed the material over two days, and saw items such as photographs, feather items, spears and large artwork, as well as restricted men’s material.

Robin and Owen also visited the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) storage unit, where they saw acrylics on canvas by Ngukurr artists, and three possum-skin cloaks by women artists from southeast Australia, who were responsible for reviving the practice: Dr Treahna Hamm, Dr Vicki Couzens and Maree Clarke. That evening they joined Maree Clarke (Mutti Mutti/Wamba Wamba/Yorta Yorta/Boonwurrung) and her family for a BBQ, as well as a visit to a warehouse in Footscray to see a river reed canoe that is currently drying out, made by Maree’s great-nephew Mitch Mahoney (Boonwurrung/Wemba Wemba/Barkindji).

Robin is currently employed as the Living Archive’s community-based archivist in Ngukurr, based at the Ngukurr Arts centre. HIs position was made available through some funding in a Mellon Foundation grant, aligned with a fellowship our Partner Investigator, Dr Sabra Thorner from the USA, is working on while she is in Melbourne. To provide Robin with information about the Ngukurr archive, both he and Owen spent time with members of the Living Archive project team discussing and learning how to include the community’s knowledge and stories in the archive via audio recordings. Later,  Owen, Robin and the team attended the conference, A Profound Reorganising of Things, where project members Fran Edmonds, Richard Chenhall, Sabra Thorner, Mitch Mahoney and Kerri Clarke (Boonwurrung/Wemba Wemba) launched the film of the Ngukurr field trip, from May-June 2023. The film can be viewed HERE.

Owen and Robin’s last evening in Melbourne was spent at Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, celebrating the launch of the Ngukurr Arts exhibition Kalawan Kantri. The exhibition was curated by fellow Ngukurr community member, and Robin’s niece, Karen Rogers. The exhibition is open until 3 December 2023.

Kerri Clarke, Maree Clarke, Owen Turner and Robin Rogers with the river reed canoe made by Mitch Mahoney.