The Unwritten Country

The Unwritten Country by Simon Normand

Exhibition dates: December 3, 2010 – January 28, 2011

Photographs & paintings from the Roper River region, South-East Arnhem Land

Download The Unwritten Country catalogue

Mermaid Country-Elsey Creek The Jungle Rocky Bar Limmen River SunriseWind After the Ceremony Fish Net Canoe Factory Carpentaria Coastline Near Five Mile Creek Ruined City Walgundu Cave 1 Walmadja Hill

The Mangarrayi people were handed back over 5000 square kilometres of land around Elsey Station in 2000. Simon Normand is currently working for the Mangarrayi community to record, photograph and produce

painted cultural maps about their country. Much of this knowledge is in imminent danger of being lost.

This exhibition is a survey of sacred places with unwritten stories that are still known by the Mangarrayi, Alawa, Wagilak and Marra people. These sites are honoured through ceremony and song. Most of these places do not have whitefella names and the oral histories of these sites are precariously held by the Elders and Traditional Owners of this country. They want their knowledge about land preserved for the younger generations.

Marra Map