My book Stonecountry to Saltwater
comes from artworks that I have created
and seen created by Ngukurr artists

places
it is my good fortune to have been taken to

and stories shared with me and my family since 1996

To bring diverse and vibrant artwork and stories

from Ngukurr

it seemed important
to gather historical and contemporary context

Stephanie Bohni
Anna Clabburn
and Judith Ryan
have contributed
illuminating essays
on the history, contemporary art and living in this 'country'

UNDERSTANDING 'COUNTRY'

For quite a time I could not begin
to make sense of this 'Roper' place

I began painting maps
to help me retain information 
from so many people
accumulations which often seemed unrelated

The maps are intended as ongoing visual records
based on songs and stories
shared over time with many of the people of the Roper region

Although I began with the maps in 1996

...I didn't really begin to 'get' the picture
until I came to live here in 2003

Yugul Mangi [We all one]

The Aboriginal people immediately north and south of the Roper speak at least eight languages, indicative of the diversity of culture and community in this place.

Maureen (Murrangulu) Thompson has been my mentor in all this. I first went out to see Maureen in her backyard in 1996. I sat down with her and began painting her father's 'Mara' country as she told me the stories of the past. Also, Maureen is my mother "right skin way."

Maureen, the Ngukurr Language Centre and many others have with constant generosity provided a wealth of local advice about appropriate
images, text, language and content.

Simon Normand, Ngukurr, October 2005

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