Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for External Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with much sadness today that I speak about the passing of Andrew Spencer Japaljarri, who was born in 1954 at 4 Mile Outstation near Yuendumu. He passed away from kidney and heart failure in Alice Springs surrounded by his family in the early hours of 8 December 2015. His own traditional lands were around Mount Wedge, located north of Papunya, west of Alice Springs.

Japaljarri was a noted painter with an incredible ability to use traditional painting to produce message posters dealing with issues in Aboriginal communities such as family breakdown, petrol sniffing, alcohol abuse and AIDS. On his death last year, a tribute appeared in the Alice Springs News, an appreciation of Japaljarri's life and workby Dr Craig San Roque. He reflected on Japaljarri's painting, saying he painted stories related to his country located north of Papunya, although there was a strong influence from the Pintupi artists he was associated with at Kintore, a community a couple of hundred kilometres west of Papunya.

It was at Kintore that Japaljarri worked, not only as a policeman but as a strong community advocate for health services such as the dialysis unit that he helped establish with his wife, Marlene Nampijinpa Ross/Spencer, and Sarah Brown.

As a highly-respected elder of the Western Desert region, Japaljarri took great pride in his Warlpiri ancestors. He was a key member of the cultural staff that established the Warlpiri Media Association in 1983 at Yuendumu, now known as PAW Media and Communications. The association plays a vital role in broadcasting, preserving language history and providing entertainment, sporting and other social information to communities west of Alice Springs.

In 1993, Andrew became an Aboriginal community policeman at Kintore. As a policeman, Japaljarri had great skill in working seamlessly between Aboriginal culture and European law. All who met him in his role noted his calming influence, his negotiating skills, his advocacy for his people and his intelligence. Dr Craig San Roque noted in his tribute that he ws able to interpret and translate the meaning of the law both ways as an instrument of reconciliation.

As a policeman, Japaljarri's skill in managing and defusing heated incidents was legendary. Remember, this lawman often had to face down angry people. He had a double duty to represent the Northern Territory Police and kindred obligations to family and community. This tension, no doubt, was a constant source of anxiety to him. It is to his great credit that he was able to bear this burden and serve his community with honour, both in traditional culture and with his European colleagues and friends, who number in the hundreds—if not thousands.

Last year, I spent one afternoon with Japaljarri and his family at Kintore. He was tired and knew that his time would soon be up. In gentle tones he spoke of his concerns for his family and community, and of his hope for the future. I saw him again shortly before he passed away. He said goodbye.

To his wife, Marlene Nampijimpa Ross-Spencer, and to the family, on behalf of all who knew him across the Northern Territory, I give our deepest sympathy. He was a great man.