Larger than Life

Renowned artist Sobrane brings a local icon to life for all to remember, on behalf of the Mimbi Community.

Larger than life.

It seems like every year Mimbi Caves Tours and Campgrounds at Mimbi Community offer something new to experience in the beautiful Kimberley outback. In 2015 tours went from once to twice daily, six days a week. In 2017 a brandnew campground for travellers was built; then in 2019 another newly constructed campground opened for tour groups and schools to enjoy. This year fresh inspiration strikes again; but art is being created this time - tank stand art.

On behalf of Mimbi Community,

Managing director of Mimbi Caves and

Campgrounds, Rosemary Nugget, has commissioned a mural to be painted on the Mimbi Campground water tank; paying homage to her Jaja (grandfather) Neville

Sharpe, the first tour guide of Mimbi Caves.

“Our Jaja is a legend to us. He started sharing our special place with visitors in the early 1990s. He is an inspiration to Mimbi people,” says Rosemary.

The project to paint Rosemary’s Jaja on a tank stand elevated above the Mimbi Campground was first instigated when Rosemary approached acclaimed artist Sobrane, renowned for large street artworks and silo art, at her Broome gallery in late 2021. Thanks to support from Regional Arts WA, Mimbi Community’s vision to have their grandfather once again watching over visitors is taking place this 2022 dry season.

Sobrane will be creating an ‘industrial scale’ mega masterpiece of Mimbi’s grandfather, Gooniyandi elder, Neville Sharpe. High atop the Mimbi tank stand Sobrane will paint a larger-than-life portrait of this pioneering leader of Aboriginal tourism. And joining her creating art at the campground will be another of his grandsons, Mimbi artist Jermaine Nugget.

THE MAGIC OF MIMBI CAVES

For those yet to discover the beauty of Mimbi Caves, they are located on Mt Pierre Station fronting the Great Northern Highway on Gooniyandi Country 90 kms east of Fitzroy Crossing.

The caves are made from limestone that formed as underwater reefs during the Devonian era. They are world-famous for containing many fossils and are the origin of WA’s fossil emblem, the Gogo fish. Not only are they a place of geological significance but their fresh water and the cool of the limestone caves have provided sustenance and sheltered camping places to Indigenous people for thousands of years. And upon Europeans entering the area in the 1880s, they were also a place of refuge from Kartiya (non-Aboriginal) people, especially pastoralists and police until the mid-1900s.

Fast forward to the 1990s and – even as remote as Mimbi is – word was spreading about the limestone caves and the natural beauty of the area. Neville Sharpe, Rosemary’s Jaja, one of the traditional owners, started taking visitors into the caves.

As word of mouth grew, Mr Sharpe shared his knowledge and stories of place with his step-son Billy Surprise, his granddaughters Anthea, Vivien and Joelene Gordon, Chantelle Murray, Rosemary Nugget (current managing director), as well as other family members.

Those stories live on and today you can still be guided through the caves by his grandkids Rosemary, Chantelle and Harrison and the popular guide and musician, Ronnie Jimbidie.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THROUGH ART

Painting Jaja on the tank stand acknowledges Mimbi’s grandfather, Neville Sharpe, for the leadership shown by him and other Aboriginal people in establishing their communities and keeping culture strong. At the same time, Mimbi is excited to be hosting the celebrated street artist Sobrane, whose ability to paint in large scale on industrial, ordinary objects is frankly mind boggling.

Sobrane has a unique spatial perception and says she won’t use grids or projections on the tank stand but will paint directly as she sees it in her mind’s eye.

Visitors to Mimbi can now enjoy this stunning and inspiring artwork when visiting the area, as well as embark on a tour of the caves and return to camp to appreciate the modern amenities at the Mimbi campgrounds like hot showers, flushing toilets, an outdoor kitchen/barbecue shelter, and secluded camp sites all nestled at the foot of the Emmanuel Ranges. The cave and campgrounds are just a short drive off the Great Northern Highway on good station roads.

Rose encourages people who want to camp on country, and see culture and art combined, to come to Mimbi.

“It’s a stunning setting,” she says.

“We want to connect with visitors and build friendships. We want people to understand the spiritual significance of Mimbi Caves, our home and its importance to our Mimbi family.” Visit mimbicaves.com.au and view Sobrane’s work at sobrane.com.au

LOCAL TALENT

Local artist Sobrane (right) is renowned internationally for her large-scale murals.

Senior tour guide Ronnie Jimbidie

STREET ARTIST SOBRANE CAMPGROUND FACILITIES MIMBI ARTIST JERMAINE

PAINTING JAJA (GranDfather)

Acclaimed Broome artist Sobrane and Mimbi artist Jermaine will be creating a mega masterpiece in memory of the grandfather of Mimbi, Gooniyandi elder, Neville Sharpe.

#TANKSTANDART #REGIONALARTSWA #iHeartMIMBI

come and see it AT MIMBI CAVES CAMPGROUND

MIMBI CAVES

mimbicaves.com.au