Norma MacDonald Norma MacDonald i(A84154 works by)
Born: Established: 1943 Geraldton, Geraldton area, Dongara - Geraldton - Northampton area, Southwest Western Australia, Western Australia, ;
Gender: Female
Heritage: Aboriginal ; Aboriginal Wajarri ; Aboriginal Noongar / Nyoongar / Nyoongah / Nyungar / Nyungah / Noonygar
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BiographyHistory

Norma MacDonald a descendant from the Yamitji people of the Gascoyne region and the Nyungar people of the South West of Western Australia. In 1994, she enrolled as the only Aboriginal art student at Midland College of TAFE (Western Australia). She has since established a career as a full-time artist and has illustrated a children's picture book, Corroboree (2004). MacDonald's work has been successfully shown in both group and solo exhibitions which include: 'I Can Fly' (2002) and 'Coming Home' (2003). Her paintings have been sold overseas and in 2003 a MacDonald work was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia. MacDonald's daughter is author and artist, Robyn Templeton.

Exhibitions

Most Referenced Works

Notes

  • Yamatji is the orthography of Wajarri a name commonly used by Aboriginal people.

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon The Great Lizard Trek Clayton : CSIRO Publishing , 2018 13865917 2018 single work picture book children's

'Rocky, an ornate dragon, lives on the granite rocks in the southwest of Australia. His ancestors have lived in this hot environment for around 10 million years, and for more than 60,000 years, they have lived alongside Indigenous Australians. Rocky's habitat is under threat, and his desert relatives in the north are facing challenges due to rising temperatures.

Using his knowledge of Indigenous culture and language, along with Western science, The Great Lizard Trek follows Rocky in his journey to see what the future may bring.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

2019 commended Whitley Awards Children's Book
2019 shortlisted The Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature Picture Fiction
2019 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Notable Book Eve Pownall Award
y separately published work icon Stolen Girl Broome : Magabala Books , 2011 Z1760438 2011 single work picture book children's

'The story of the nameless fictional character in Stolen Girl, carefully and cautiously points out through text and images, the differences between life in the home she removed to (dorm life, routines, no family) to the family life she misses and dreams about (storytelling around the campfire, mornings with her mother on their verandah, fishing and swimming in the river).' Source: Heiss, Anita. Anita Heiss Blog, 14 March 2011. Sighted 16/3/2011)

2011 shortlisted Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards Best Book for Language Development – Indigenous Children
y separately published work icon Corroboree Crawley : Cygnet Books , 2004 Z1141475 2004 single work picture book children's Indigenous story

'It is springtime, Wirrin's favorite time of the year. He will go hunting with his father, collect ochre with his grandfather, dig wild sweet potato with his mother and gather wattle seeds for the best damper with his grandmother. Best of all, people are coming from far and wide for the big corroboree and Wirrin will see all his cousins and dance until only Yoowintj, the barn owl, is still awake. Corroboree is the story of Angus Wallam, Aboriginal Elder, as he tells Suzanne Kelly of his childhood memories.'  (Publication summary)

2004 shortlisted Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Premier's Prize for Writing for Children
Last amended 3 May 2018 08:20:28
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