Billy Jones, part American Indian, an artist and poet, left California in 1966 to see Van Gogh paintings in Paris and London museums. He migrated to Australia from Stockholm in 1967, settling at Mary Smokes Creek and describes himself as 'an emotional expatriate'.
While working for an oil exploration company in the Broken Hill area, Jones began painting, inspired by the wildflowers in this area. He has had exhibitions at Philip Bacon Galleries, 1980; Coventry Gallery, Sydney, 1983; Joy de Gruchy Gallery, Brisbane, 1984 and others in Queensland.
Jones has published illustrated books of poetry and many illustrated journals, some of which have been acquired by the Defence Force Academy Library, Canberra and Fryer Library at the University of Queensland..