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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Discussion between Bob Hawke and Yunupingu, Burunga Festival, Northern Territory

1988 (printed 2015)
Sue Ford

gelatin silver photograph on paper (sheet: 50.8 cm x 60.5 cm, image: 39.3 cm x 59.7 cm)

Sue Ford (1943-2009), photographer, filmmaker and photo-media artist, was the first woman photographer to be given a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. Making many key images exploring women’s everyday lives and the politics of representation in the 1970s, during the late 1980s Ford became increasingly interested in indigenous issues, race, representation and colonisation.

In 1988, Sue Ford attended the Barunga festival of culture and sports. The then prime minister, Bob Hawke, and Aboriginal affairs minister Gerry Hand visited the festival to meet with senior Aboriginal men. They included Gamatj clan leader Yunupiŋu AM (1948-2023), who had known Hawke for years. Yunupiŋu had helped his father, Mungurrawuy Yunupiŋu, draft the famous Bark Petition of 1963 to Federal Parliament, launching the first native title case in Australia. In 1968 when the Yolgnu obtained writs against Nabalco Corporation, Yunupiŋu acted as court interpreter in the Gove Land Case. He became chairman of the Northern Land Council in 1977 and was the key negotiator for the Mirrar people in the Ranger uranium mine deal, securing the lease for Kakadu National Park in November 1978. For this he was named Australian of the Year for 1978 (his brother, Mandawuy Yunupiŋu AC, was Australian of the Year for 1993). With other senior Aboriginal leaders including Wenten Rubuntja, in 1988 he drew up and presented to Bob Hawke another bark petition – the Barunga Statement, bearing a written proposal for Aboriginal self-determination. Hawke hung it in Parliament House on his last day in office. Yunupiŋu's is the voice chanting in Yolngu-Matha language on the hit song 'Treaty', an attempt to hold the government to account over its promise for a treaty by 1990. There are photographs of Yunupiŋu at separate meetings over decades with Malcolm Fraser, Paul Keating, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott. He wrote a brilliant if dispiriting essay, 'Tradition, Truth and Tomorrow' for the Monthly magazine of December-January 2008-2009, recounting the meeting with Hawke, other such 'historic' meetings, and their negligible outcomes.

Purchased 2015
© Sue Ford/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Sue Ford (age 45 in 1988)

Bob Hawke (age 59 in 1988)

Yunupingu AM (age 40 in 1988)

Subject professions

Activism

Government and leadership

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency