About Juynjulam Art
Rosalie Barrett is the Artist and Owner of Juynjulam Art and is a Bundjalung (Wahlabul) & Gumbaynggirr woman who is fiercely proud of being Indigenous and uses art to express her love & pride in her culture and heritage.
Rosalie's Story
Called Possum as a child, Rosalie lived with her family on country at Halfway Creek, New South Wales and was brought up with the cultural knowledge passed on from her Father, Grandmother, Aunties and Uncles.
Her Grandmother teaching her to hunt for Jubras (Witchetty Grubs), is one of her most treasured memories as unfortunately her Grandmother passed when Rosalie was in her early teens.
Since then she has travelled extensively around Australia and has lived with and worked among a number of different Indigenous groups to her own.
From the top end of Western Australia in the One Arm Point Community north of Broome & the Derby area, the lower and central regions of South Australia, rural area’s of Victoria as well as her own country of the Northern Rivers region in New South Wales.
Rosalie has wonderful lived experiences that include sea turtle hunting off the coast of far north Western Australia, being invited to participate in ceremony while staying on community in the top end of W.A., fishing, hunting for bush tucker and being able to sit and talk about culture with other groups, with delight when they discovered similarities and shared interest about the differences discovered while yarning.
Rosalie has been painting, carving and wood burning for nearly 30 years, she started in her early 20’s as a way to express her love and pride in her culture and heritage.
The rich diversity of Indigenous art from different areas of Australia has influenced the development of Rosalie’s distinctive artistic style, however she prefers to primarily incorporate traditional Bundjalung markings into her contemporary artistic pieces, to share the stories, the country and culture of her ancestors with you.
Rosalie’s Family History
Great Grandfather Alfred Donnelly & Great Grandmother Kelleth Taylor
Great Grandfather Alfred Prince Donnelly (known as Shrungles) was a Bundjalung man.Born in 1882 at Yugilbar Station, Baryugil NSW and died Oct 1957 due to multiple fractures accidentally received through a tree falling on him in a paddock, South Grafton NSW. Like many men of his generation he worked as a labourer to support his family, in and around the Northern Rivers area in NSW.
The matriarch of the family line and still revered and respected by all her descendants.
From left to right: Rosalie's Father Tony Barrett, her Grandmother Gloria Barrett (known as Jude), Rosalie herself as a child, her Aunt Teena and her Uncle Alfo.
Photo is taken at Rosalie's family property at Halfway Creek, NSW. It was completely normal for Grandmother, Aunts, Uncles and cousins to constantly be out on the family property from 'town'. Out on country family could gather, enjoy bush tucker and cultural practices could be taught & followed amidst lots of love and laughter among the family.