Sandhills Memories, 2020. Owen Lyons
History of Narrandera Sandhills
The building of a road across the Blue Mountains into Wiradjuri Country marked the beginning of devastating disruption and loss in the lives of the people living in this Nation. The road was ordered by the British-proclaimed Governor of the colony of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, in 1813.
Soon after, in 1821, another representative of colonial power, Governor Thomas Brisbane, began issuing land grants to squatters. Large tracts of Narrungderah (Narrandera) were claimed for European agricultural purposes. Free movement on Country was severely limited for Wiradjuri peoples and access to traditional lands and water became tenuous. The Frontier Wars which went on for many years took a huge toll. Within Narrandera you will encounter place names such as Poison Water Holes Creek and Murdering Island; sharp and direct reminders of the historical injustice that Wiradjuri people have faced.
From 1880 many Wiradjuri families lived at the Warangesda Mission at Darlington Point which had been established by Reverend John Gribble and his wife Mary with the intention to assist the many dispossessed in the region.
After Warangesda's closure, more than 50 families lived on the Sandhills on the outskirts of Narrandera between 1912-1970s. Although government policies prevented the freedoms and undermined the life-chances of people on the Sandhills, there was great love, joy, family, community; and most importantly, resistance and survival.
These artworks aim to capture some of this important Narrandera history to add to the many memories and stories of life on the Sandhills that the families and their descendants continue to share. These artworks have been gifted to the Narrandera Shire Library for people to connect with this important part of our local history.
A launch was held on Wednesday 9 December 2020, 10:30am at Narrandera Shire Library to share and remember this important history.
Artists
Michael Lyons Snr
Michael Lyons Snr is a Wiradjuri Elder from Narrandera NSW. He is known world-wide for his traditional-style Wiradjuri artefacts. The knowledge Michael learnt from his father and grandfather, he now passes along as a presenter of Wiradjuri Cultural Days to local schools, community groups and young Koori kids. Michael specialises in creating tuned, playable, termite-hollowed Mallee didgeridoos. You can visit Michael’s studio and Museum, Sandhills Artefacts, in Bamblett St, Narrandera, located on the Narrandera Sandhills, where Michael has lived for much of his life.
Owen Lyons
Wiradjuri artist Owen Lyons has been involved with the creation and sale of Aboriginal art for over 30 years. Owen was a young child when he was first exposed to Aboriginal art by his father. His father demonstrated the centrality of painting in Aboriginal culture. As an adult, Owen continued to learn his technique from his older brother Michael and went on to develop his own unique style, but still gives his brother a lot of credit for the artist he has become today.
Dexter Briggs
Andrea Briggs
Andrea Briggs is Dexter's daughter, a Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta woman. Her life has been marked by family gatherings in which her grandparents, aunts and uncles have talked of the old days, family connections, and the Sandhills. Growing up in Narrandera gave her a huge love of the Murrumbidgee River, and family drives to the Sandhills and swims at Koori beach have always been a very large part of her life. The project has brought back those memories for her.
This project has been supported by Narrandera Shire Council, Narrandera Shire Library, Bendigo Bank Narrandera, and Murrumbidgee Council. The Cad Factory is supported by the Sidney Myer Fund and the NSW Government through Create NSW.
