Title

Mungatopi, Mary Elizabeth.

Author

Australian Art Print Network.

Source

[Not applicable]

Publication date

2001

Type

Biography

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

Mary Elizabeth Mungatopi

Mary Mungatopi was born in the bush between Mudlow and Karslake beaches on Melville Island, to Ally and Polly Miller. Ally Miller was a strong and cultured man who was a ceremonial leader in that area.

When Mungatopi was 5 years old she was taken from her family to live at a mission on Bathurst Island, in accordance with the governments assimilationist policies of that time. She did not return to Milikapiti, on Melville Island, until she was 18 years old.

Until this time Mungatopi believed her parents were dead, however, when she returned her father took her to a traditional kulama ceremony, he taught her how to dance and she listened to her father singing songs. She did not understand much at first because she only spoke English. Later Ally and Polly Miller taught her to speak Tiwi and to understand the meaning of the songs.

Ally and Polly Miller were both great carvers and Polly Miller was also a weaver and made ornaments for traditional ceremony.

Ally Miller held a large traditional ceremony at Bagot Community near Darwin to mourn the passing away of his younger brother.

Mungatopi has lived at Snake Bat or Milikapiti ever since, she is a traditional land owner for that area and has been a regional council member for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Council.

She recently commenced painting on paper and canvas and draws upon memories of her father’s paintings for inspiration.

Biography courtesy of The Australian Art Print Network, 2001.

© Australianprints

Last Updated

06 Oct 2020