{"id":3178,"date":"2026-08-27T14:52:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T06:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/jcg\/?post_type=exhibitions&p=3178"},"modified":"2026-08-28T14:13:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T06:13:49","slug":"legacies-karlkurla-kalgoorlie-stories-from-silky-pear-country","status":"publish","type":"exhibitions","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/jcg\/exhibitions\/legacies-karlkurla-kalgoorlie-stories-from-silky-pear-country\/","title":{"rendered":"Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie): Stories From Silky Pear Country"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie): Stories From Silky Pear Country<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Their Stories. Their Words. Their Legacies<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Exhibition Details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Exhibition Open: <\/strong>17 September\u2013 21 October 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supported By:<\/strong> The WA Government, the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts funding and advisory body, Community Broadcasting Foundation, WA Museum of Goldfields, ABC Goldfields Esperance and Tjuma Pulka Media Aboriginal Corporation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legacies Karlkurla was produced by Community Arts Network.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Legacies Karlkurla <\/em>celebrates the life stories of ten respected Aboriginal Elders from the Goldfields region: Geoffrey Stokes, Murray McCarthy, Janice Scott, Dallas McLean, Donald Ballinger, Betty Logan, Brent Johnston, Nyingurta Jessie West, Trevor Brownley and Allison Dimer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their poignant, powerful and at times heartbreaking journeys capture critical moments in Australian history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With portraits by internationally acclaimed photographer Michael Jalaru Torres and podcast conversations hosted by Spinifex Anangu broadcaster Debbie Carmody, Legacies Karlkurla <\/em>seeks to inspire, educate and build a deeper understanding between people in WA.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Elders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n \n\n
\n
\"Brent<\/div>
<\/div>

Brent Johnson<\/h2><\/div>
\n The Wati from Dingo Creek\n <\/div>

“My legacy?
\nI just want to be remembered as a Wati and an artist.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Janice<\/div>
<\/div>

Janice Scott<\/h2><\/div>
\n The Bush Encyclopedia\n <\/div>

\u201cI believe\u2026 our young people [must] rise up, listen to the voice of your Elders, move forward, commit yourself to fight for your people, continue that struggle, because if we stop, that\u2019s when we are finished.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Donald<\/div>
<\/div>

Donald Ballinger <\/h2><\/div>
\n A Hard Working Man \n <\/div>

\u201cMy grandfather and grandmother taught me all about where to go, what not to do\u2026 and every site we went to is where my great grandfather and great grandmother and all the family used to walk before the white man ever came to Kalgoorlie.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Allison<\/div>
<\/div>

Allison Dimer <\/h2><\/div>
\n Birth of the Karlkurla\n <\/div>

\u201cThe karlkurla had fallen from the sky and when it landed it split into four pieces. The karlkurla grew through the rock and the seeds were blown all over the countryside\u2026that\u2019s where the name Kalgoorlie comes from.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Betty<\/div>
<\/div>

Betty Logan <\/h2><\/div>
\n The Power of Persistence \n <\/div>

\u201cMy dream\u2026 I only wanted to do nursing, I didn\u2019t know how I was going to get there, but that was my ambition, to become a nurse.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Geoffrey<\/div>
<\/div>

Geoffrey Stokes<\/h2><\/div>
\n The Shotgun Pastor \n <\/div>

\u201cMy father and mother, old people and land \u2013 we were told to protect family and land. It was our responsibility \u2013 no one else\u2019s. I have been involved in [protesting] deaths in custody, protesting against uranium mining, and I protect sites of significance.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div> <\/div>\n\n \n<\/mimas-block>\n\n\n\n\n \n\n

\n
\"Nyingurta<\/div>
<\/div>

Nyingurta Jessie West <\/h2><\/div>
\n The Campfire Carver\n <\/div>

\u201cI want to teach my family how to carve punu and paint our stories and make sure our traditional practice is passed on to the next generation.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Murray<\/div>
<\/div>

Murray McCarthy<\/h2><\/div>
\n The Call of Cundeelee\n <\/div>

\u201cHe kept coming closer and closer, you know, just never got to the point where I could walk up and touch him, but I knew he wanted to be a friend. I put a sign up saying \u2018Do NOT Shoot the WHITE Dingo.\u2019 He\u2019s my friend.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Trevor<\/div>
\n Represented by his son Linden \n <\/div>

Trevor Brownley <\/h2><\/div>
\n A Man of God\n <\/div>

\u201cDad was a very humble man, and he most of the time let his actions speak, rather than his words, and they did\u2026 Dad passed on the 9th of June 2025 and it was very unexpected. There\u2019s such a large void that has been left behind, but our faith in God is big enough to fill that void.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Dallas<\/div>
<\/div>

Dallas McLean<\/h2><\/div>
\n Singing & Painting My Country\n <\/div>

One week after Dallas McLean recorded her life story at the ABC studios in Kalgoorlie, she passed away after a sudden illness. She had not yet been photographed for this project so, with family permission, we celebrate her life and legacy in this exhibition through her artwork and that of her beloved aunty\/mother mentor Pantjiti Mary McLean. <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div> <\/div>\n\n \n<\/mimas-block>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Please be advised that the names, voices and images of deceased Elders in this exhibition have been used with their permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie)<\/em> was originally presented by the Community Arts Network in partnership with WA Museum of Goldfields, ABC Goldfields Esperance and Tjuma Pulka Media Aboriginal Corporation, with support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation. The Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie) project was produced with support from the WA  Government and assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts funding and advisory body.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Header Image: A detail from Karlkurla Ngurra Wangka (Speaking on Silky Pear Country)<\/em><\/strong>, created by artist Tina Carmody in response to the Legacies Karlkurla project.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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