Dreaming sites on Texas Downs
Queenie (Garagarag) McKenzie: artist
This work depicts four important dreaming sites/ places on Texas Downs Station. The artist used her painting skill to record and maintain Dreamtime accounts and cultural lore.
Across the top of the painting is country called Wirdim or Red Butt, where the dreamtime rainbow snake, Goorlabal, lives. As Goorlalbal travelled she formed much of the country. She created the riverbed and waterfall (white area) near Red Butt Hill where she left her eggs. The artist used to fish here regularly from small rounded rocks that Moonloonggoor (the dreamtime dinosaur) left there.
The multi painted hill at centre left is Nimirriddi the place for fig tree dreaming. It is in the high country on Texas Downs Station. Surprisingly there are many fig trees here which which are normally found on flat country near waterways. This is a sacred site for women. The artist remembered going here for business when she was young and collecting figs.
The rectangular shaped hill and the two beside it are hills on Texas Downs Station associated with the blowfly dreaming- Wurreralbayn. As the artist said “if you go there the blow fly will get all over you and you have to talk to them”.
Across the bottom of the painting are hills called Jadibany in Gawoorben Country on Texas Downs Station. It is associated with an old dreamtime woman whoo was trapped in a hole and could be heard crying out.
On October 21 1998 Queenie Mckenzie was honored as a state living treasure by the government f WA
Across the top of the painting is country called Wirdim or Red Butt, where the dreamtime rainbow snake, Goorlabal, lives. As Goorlalbal travelled she formed much of the country. She created the riverbed and waterfall (white area) near Red Butt Hill where she left her eggs. The artist used to fish here regularly from small rounded rocks that Moonloonggoor (the dreamtime dinosaur) left there.
The multi painted hill at centre left is Nimirriddi the place for fig tree dreaming. It is in the high country on Texas Downs Station. Surprisingly there are many fig trees here which which are normally found on flat country near waterways. This is a sacred site for women. The artist remembered going here for business when she was young and collecting figs.
The rectangular shaped hill and the two beside it are hills on Texas Downs Station associated with the blowfly dreaming- Wurreralbayn. As the artist said “if you go there the blow fly will get all over you and you have to talk to them”.
Across the bottom of the painting are hills called Jadibany in Gawoorben Country on Texas Downs Station. It is associated with an old dreamtime woman whoo was trapped in a hole and could be heard crying out.
On October 21 1998 Queenie Mckenzie was honored as a state living treasure by the government f WA
Title
Dreaming sites on Texas Downs
Artist/Maker and role
Queenie (Garagarag) McKenzie: artist
Date
1998
Medium
ochre, pigments and binder on canvas
Measurements
100.0 x 140.0 cm
Credit line
Purchased through the Sir Claude Hotchin Art Foundation, The Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation, 2000
© Queenie McKenzie, 1998
The State Art Collection, The Art Gallery of Western Australia
Accession number
2000/0015