Billawarra means pelican. I was born in 1950 in the Torres Strait Islands. Later I moved to Mareeba the homeland of my wife. My wife’s tribal name is Yirrmbee and she comes from the Kuku-Djugun tribe in the Mt. Mulligan area.
It is through Yirrmbee’s guidance that I learnt to paint. I have now been painting for over 10 years. I feel it is important to paint stories from the dream time in the hope that people from all over the world will understand that Aboriginals have a very strong culture that continues today.
My children are in a good position because they are brought up in a multicultural world where they are learning about Torres Straight Island, Djugun and white mans culture.
My artwork demostrates the improtant relationship between the environment, animals and human interaction with the land.
