Nyaparu (William) Gardiner (dec.) is an artist, storyteller and language worker. For several years he recorded and wrote Nyangumarta language and stories. Nyaparu paints about his childhood in the 1940s before the Pilbara Aboriginal strike of 1946, and his work on pastoral stations throughout the Pilbara and the Kimberley. Nyaparu has now returned to live in Port Hedland, his childhood home.

“My name is William Gardiner, and this is my life story that I’m telling you. Some of these paintings that I illustrate is just to show that that’s how we used to live, mostly around this Pilbara area to Marble Bar. I like to draw this sort of things… I’m learning my grandchildren to understand old sort of things like this, and my children they already know.”