Rover Julama Thomas
1926 - 1998
Also know as: Roba, Joolama
Region: Kimberley
Community: Warmun [Turkey Creek]
Outstation: Emu Station
Language: Kukatja,Wangkajunga
Art Centre: Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Acclaimed as a cultural leader and a pivotal figure in the establishment of the East Kimberley School, Rover Julama Thomas is one of the most influential First Nations artists. As many other Indigenous artists, Thomas began painting in his fifties, after spending forty years as a stockman. "I been all over, me," he said, when describing his intimate knowledge and involvement with the vast expanses of sparse desert and Kimberley terrain.
PROFILE
Rover Julama Thomas
1926 - 1998
Region: Kimberley
Community: Warmun [Turkey Creek]
Outstation: Emu Station
Language: Kukatja,Wangkajunga
Art Centre: Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Acclaimed as a cultural leader and a pivotal figure in the establishment of the East Kimberley School, Rover Julama Thomas is one of the most influential First Nations artists. As many other Indigenous artists, Thomas began painting in his fifties, after spending forty years as a stockman. "I been all over, me," he said, when describing his intimate knowledge and involvement with the vast expanses of sparse desert and Kimberley terrain.
He was born in the remote Walmatjarri-Kukaja traditional country, near Well 33 on the Canning Stock Route. At the age of ten, he moved with his family to Kimberley, where he began work as a stockman, a common path at the time. In the 1940s, he was initiated into traditional law. By 1975, following political changes that led to the displacement of many Indigenous stockmen from pastoral leases, he settled at Warmun in Gija tribal country at Turkey Creek. The catastrophic impact of Cyclone Tracy on Darwin the previous Christmas was seen by many First Nations people as a sign that their culture and traditions needed revitalization.
Although Rover Thomas shared cultural connections with the Kukaja artists of Balgo Hills known for their use of representational symbols like circles, U-shapes, and dotting inspired by low-relief ceremonial ground sculptures—his work is more strongly influenced by the traditions of Gija Country, where rock art and ceremonial body painting designs dominate. While he occasionally incorporated figurative elements and topographical profiles, Thomas’s work is more distinctly recognized for its aerial perspective, a hallmark of Central and Western Desert art.
His most contemplative and sombre works pull the viewer into expansive planes of richly textured ochre. White or black dots are used sparingly, guiding the eye along pathways that trace time and movement, following the contours of a landscape imbued with significant events. The predominant use of black in many of these pieces evokes a startling emotional intensity, adding depth to the compositions. The warm, earthy tones and a palpable spirituality invite contemplation of these unfolding events while simultaneously anchoring us in an ancient, timeless landscape.
A vivid dream involving the spirit of Rover Thomas's deceased aunt inspired him to create the Krill Krill ceremony, a powerful song and dance cycle. In this dream, the spirit recounted the details of a journey she had undertaken after her death, accompanied by other spirit beings. When revisiting the dream, Rover Thomas also envisioned the places and characters involved in this saga. At the conclusion of the song cycle, the traveling spirit gazes from Wyndham across the waters to the northeast, witnessing the Rainbow Serpent's vengeful destruction of the Territory's capital.
The ceremonial reenactment of this dreaming first took place in 1977 and was subsequently performed at various locations across the East Kimberley region, Arnhem Land, and beyond, throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. During these ceremonies, participants carried painted boards on their shoulders, each depicting significant sites and spirit beings central to the narrative. The boards used in the early Krill Krill ceremonies were created by Thomas's uncle and mentor, Paddy Jaminji, with assistance from Jacko Dolmyn, Paddy Mosquito, Rover Thomas, and others. At that time, in 1980, the Warmun community remained small, comprised primarily of older Gija people. It wasn't until 1981 that Rover Thomas began painting as a solo artist.
Exhibitions organized by the Art Gallery of Western Australia and the National Gallery of Australia in the late 1980s propelled Rover Thomas into the national spotlight, culminating in his selection as one of Australia’s representatives at the Venice Biennale in 1990. His recognition was further solidified by his win of the John McCaughey Prize, attracting a growing number of agents and galleries eager to represent him.
In 1995, Rover returned to his roots on the Canning Stock Route with Kevin Kelly, manager of Warringari Arts, alongside his extended family. This journey inspired a remarkable body of work. The following year, Peter Harrison of Kimberley Art Gallery and Neil McLeod took Rover and fellow artist Freddy Timms to Melbourne, where they painted daily in McLeod’s Dandenong studio.
McLeod, a close associate of Lin Onus, provided essential support for Thomas and Timms, facilitating the creation of a significant collection of artworks. These pieces found their way to various galleries, including Kimberley Art in Melbourne, Utopia Art in Sydney, and Fireworks Gallery in Brisbane, as well as to numerous dealers and private collectors who flocked to the artists during their studio stay.
Upon their return to Turkey Creek, Dave Rock, the Warmun administrator, introduced a fair payment structure for the artists, addressing the exploitative practices of dealers who would commission works from the pensioner unit.
In the late 1990s, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art hosted two printmaking workshops in the community. Rover, alongside notable artists like Queenie McKenzie and Jack Britten, created acetates, plaster engravings, and linocut prints, which were editioned by Studio One in Canberra. The workshops also provided mentorship opportunities for the children of the artists, who engaged in printmaking alongside their elders.
At that time, the unfunded art centre, managed by Maxine Taylor, served as a vital hub for the Warmun community, operating as Warmun Traditional Artists until 1998, when Kevin Kelly helped incorporate it officially. With a proper constitution and financial oversight, the burgeoning art community of Turkey Creek finally had an official art centre nearly two decades after its first internationally recognized paintings were created.
In his later years, Rover collaborated with various organizations, often visiting Maxine Taylor in Wyndham, where their artistic partnership began. He affectionately referred to her as Nyumun (auntie), a term he also used for Macha, with whom he began working two decades earlier. Rover Thomas passed away on April 11, 1998, and was posthumously awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Western Australia.
His artistic influence was undeniable, with a steady demand for his works since he first exhibited in 1987. Today, his paintings are represented in all major galleries across Australia, cementing his status as a leading figure in contemporary Australian Indigenous art. Rover's legacy comprises a significant collection of paintings that offer profound insights into the Kimberley region’s landscape and its intertwined human narratives.
ARTIST CV
Selected Collections:
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth.
Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Western Australia.
Canning Stock Route Project Collection, National Museum of Australia, Canberra.
The Holmes a Court Collection, Perth.
The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, U.S.A.
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane.
Selected Solo Exhibition:
2004 - Rover Thomas: I want to paint, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
2003 - Rover Thomas - I want to paint, The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne, Victoria.
2002 - The Paintings of Rover Thomas, Utopia Art Sydney.
1994 -Roads Cross, The Paintings of Rover Thomas, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. 1994 - Rover Thomas, Utopia Art Sydney, Stanmore.
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2016 - Outback to Abstract, featuring: Rover (Julama) Thomas, Thomas (Yannima) Watson, Gloria Tamerre Petyarre, Mitjili Napanangka Gibson, Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, Lorna Fencer Naparrula and Tjurupara Watson, Cooee Art and SOHO Galleries, Chifley Plaza, Sydney.
2016 - Cooee Art at Australian Galleries, featuring Albert Namatjira, Alma Webou, Bill Whisky Tjapaltjarri, Daniel Walbidi, Djirrirra Wunungmurra, Dorothy Napangardi, Elizabeth Nyumi, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Emily Kngwarreye, Freddie Timms, George Hairbrush Tjungurrayi, Gloria Petyarre, Jan Billycan, John Mawurndjul , Johnny Warangkula, Kathleen Petyarre, Makinti Napanangka, Milliga Napaltjarri, Minnie Pwerle, Naata Nungurrayi, Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa (Mrs Bennett), Owen Yalandja, Prince of Wales , Queenie Nakarra McKenzie , Rover Thomas, Sally Gabori , Suzie Bootja Bootja, Timothy Cook , Tjapartji Bates, Tommy Watson, Trevor Nickolls , Yirawala, at Australian Galleries, Sydney.
2015 - Indigenous Art: Moving Backwards into the Future, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
2013 - Australia, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK.
2010 - East Kimberley Painting Revisited: Rover Thomas, Freddie Timms, Rusty Peters and Jack Britten, Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney. 2009 - Abstraction, including the artists Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Gloria Petyarre, Rover Thomas, Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, Joseph Jurra Tjapaltjarri, Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri, David Aspden, Liz Coats, Peter Maloney, Angus Nivision and Peter Upward at Utopia Art, Sydney.
2008 - Unearthed - Stories Written in the Land, featuring works by Freddie Timms, Jimmy Nerrimah, Kathleen Petyarre, Rover Thomas, Walangkura Napanangka, Jock Mosquito and works by emerging artists Helen S Tiernan, Joanne Currie and Lloyd Kwilla at Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney.
2006-2007 - Gifted: Contemporary Aboriginal Art: The Mollie Gowing Acquisition Fund, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
2004 - North by North-West: Contemporary Indigenous Art from the Queensland Art Gallery Collection, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane; EXPLAINED, A closer look at Aboriginal art, Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
1997 L’Art des Aborigènes d’Australie, Arts d'Australie • Stéphane Jacob / Galerie de Stassart, Bruxelles; L’Art des Aborigènes d’Australie, Arts d'Australie • Stéphane Jacob / Espace Paul Riquet, Béziers.
1995, Stories, Eine Reise zu den grossen Dingen, touring, Sprengel Museum Hannover, Museum fur Volkerkunde Leipzig, Haus der Kulteren der Welt Berlin, Ludwig-Forum fur Internationale Kunst Aachen; 1995, The Twelfth National Aboriginal Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.
1994, Power of the Land, Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria; 1994, Identities: Art from Australia, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan, Wollongong City Gallery; 1994, Australian Heritage Commission National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Old Parliament House, Canberra.; 1994, This Land: A Celebration, Utopia Art Sydney, Stanmore.; 1994, Yiribana, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
1993, Trevor Nickolls and Paintings by Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Ginger Riley Manduwalawala and Rover Thomas, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney; 1993, The Tenth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin; 1993, Images of Power, Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; 1993/4, ARATJARA, Art of the First Australians, Touring: Kunstammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Dusseldorf; Hayward Gallery, London; Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark; 1993, After The Field, Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Sydney
1992, Crossroads-Towards a New Reality, Aboriginal Art from Australia, National Museums of Modern Art, Kyoto and Tokyo.
1990, Contemporary Aboriginal Art 1990: From Australia, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow and touring UK.; 1990, Anatjari Tjampitjinpa, Dini Campbell Tjampitjinpa and Rover Thomas, John Weber Gallery, New York, USA.; 1990, The Seventh National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin; 1990, Venice Biennale: Australian Representative, with Trevor Nickolls ; 1990, Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, Art Gallery of South Australia; 1990, Balance 1990: views, visions, influences, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane; 1990, Contemporary Aboriginal Art from the Robert Holmes a Court Collection, Harvard University, University of Minnesota, Lake Oswego Center for the Arts, United States of America; 1990, L'ete Australian a Montpellier, Musee Fabre, France; 1990, Innovations in Aboriginal Art, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney; 1990, The Singing Earth, Chapman Gallery, Canberra; 1990, Abstraction, Art Gallery of New South Wales.
1991, Aboriginal Art and Spirituality, High Court, Canberra; 1991, Flash Pictures, National Gallery of Australia; 1991, Walkabout in the Dreamtime, Virginia Miller Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA.
1988, ANCAAA and Boomalli, Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Ko-operative, Sydney; 1988, Art from the Kimberley, Aboriginal Artists Gallery, Sydney; 1988, Innovative Aboriginal Art of Western Australia, University of Western Australia, Perth; 1988, Recent Aboriginal Painting, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.; 1988, Creating Australia: 200 Years of Art 1788-1988, International Cultural Corporation of Australia, Touring; 1988, Australian Art Post-1960, Deutcher Gallery, Brunswick.
1989, On the Edge, five contemporary Aboriginal artists, AGWA, Perth; 1989, Turkey Creek: Recent Work, Deutscher Gertrude Street, Melbourne; 1989, A Myriad of Dreaming: Twentieth Century Aboriginal Art, Westpac Gallery, Melbourne; Design Warehouse Sydney [through Lauraine Diggins Fine Art].; 1989, Masterpiece Fine Art Gallery, Hobart.; 1989, l'ete Australien a' Montpellier, Musee Fabre Gallery, Montpellier, France.
1987, Aboriginal Art from the Kimberley, Goolarabooloo Gallery, Broome.; 1987, Art of the East Kimberley, Birrukmarri Gallery, Perth; 1987, Recent Aboriginal Art from Western Australia, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
1986, The Third National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.
Bibliography:
Aboriginal Artists of Western Australia, [n.d.] - [folios of works and biographies], Aboriginal Education Resources Unit, Western Australia.
Aboriginal Arts Management Association, 1990, Contemporary Aboriginal Art 1990 - from Australia (presented by the Aboriginal Arts Committee, Australia Council and Third Eye Centre, Glasgow), exhib. cat., Redfern, New South Wales. (C)
Brody, A., Krempel, U., Bahr, E., (eds.), 1995, Stories, Eine Reise zu den grossen Dingen, exhib. cat., Landeshauptstadt Hannover Der Oberstadtdirektor Sprengel Museum Hannover and Autoren.
The Bulletin, May 10, 1994, 'An affirmation of black visual power', review of NGA solo exhibition, p. 92
Caruana, W., 1987, Australian Aboriginal Art, a Souvenir Book of Aboriginal Art in the Australian National Gallery, Australian National Gallery, Parkes, Australian Capital Territory. (C)
Caruana, W. (ed.), 1989, Windows on the Dreaming, Ellsyd Press, Sydney. (C)
Caruana, W., 1993, Aboriginal Art, Thames and Hudson, London. (C)
Crossman, S. and Barou, J-P. (eds), 1990, L'ete Australien a Montpellier: 100 Chefs d'Oevre de la Peinture Australienne, Musee Fabre, Montpellier, France. (C)
Crumlin, R., (ed.), 1991, Aboriginal Art and Spirituality, Collins Dove, North Blackburn, Victoria. (C)
Diggins, L. (ed.), 1989, A Myriad of Dreaming: Twentieth Century Aboriginal Art, exhib. cat., Malakoff Fine Art Press, North Caulfield, Victoria.
1993, Aratjara, Art of the First Australians: Traditional and Contemporary Works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists, exhib. cat. (conceived and designed by Bernard Luthi in collaboration with Gary Lee), Dumont, Buchverlag, Koln. (C)
Isaacs, J., 1987, 'Waiting for the mob from Balgo', Art Monthly Australia, June 1987, No.1 p.20-22.
McCulloch, A., & McCulloch, S., 1994, The Encyclopedia of Australian Art, Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd, St Leonards, New South Wales.
Neale, M., 1994, Yiribana, exhib. cat., Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. (C)
O'Ferrall, M., 1989, On the Edge - Five Contemporary Aboriginal Artists, exhib. cat., Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth.
O'Ferrall, M., 1989, 'Painting the country, Rover Thomas,' Tension 17, 43,45. (C)
Ryan, J., 1993, Images of Power, Aboriginal Art of the Kimberley, exhib, cat., National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
Smoker, J., 1989, Turkey Creek recent work, exhib. cat., Deutscher Gertrude Street, Melbourne
Stanton, J.E., 1988, Innovative Aboriginal Art of Western Australia, Occasional Paper 1, The University of Western Australia Anthropology Research Museum, Nedlands, Western Australia. (C)
Stanton, J., 1989, Painting the Country: Contemporary Aboriginal Art from the Kimberley Region, Western Australia, University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands, Western Australia. (C)
Thomas, R., with Akerman, K., Macha, M., Christensen, W., and Caruana, W., Roads Cross, the paintings of Rover Thomas, exhib. cat. National Gallery of Australia, The Craftsman Press Pty. Ltd., Victoria
Wallace, D., Desmond, M., Caruana, W., 1991, Flash Pictures, exhib. cat., National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
1988, ANCAAA and Boomalli, exhib. cat., Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Ko-operative, Sydney. (C)
1990, Balance 1990: Views, Visions, Influences, exhib. cat., Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. (C)
1990, Contemporary Aboriginal Art from the Robert Holmes a Court Collection, exhib. cat., Heytesbury Holdings Ltd., Perth.
1992, 'Aboriginal Art', National Gallery News, 10th Birthday edition, September/October 1992, p. 5-7.
Sylvia Kleinert and Margo Neale, Oxford Companion to Aboriginal Art and Culture, Melbourne, Oxford University Press 2001, ISBN: 0195506499.
MARKET ANALYSIS
After the 2022 acquisition by the National Museum of Australia (NMA) of Jabanunga aka Goorialla (Rainbow Serpent) (1996), a significant Rover Thomas Julama’s painting valued at A$1.2 million, a positive reaction in the art market is expected, with growing confidence in both the value and prominence of works by the artist. This key acquisition, accepted through the federal government’s Cultural Gifts Program following thorough due diligence, is anticipated to increase public interest in Thomas' work, further strengthening the NMA’s standing as a cultural leader.
Over the past decade, the market for works by Thomas has shown mixed results, with fluctuating auction volumes, varying success rates, and inconsistent total values. While his works remain sought-after, recent years indicate a downward trend in overall market activity.
In 2015, 24 works were offered, with 63 % clearance rate, generating a strong total of A$1,170,494. However, in 2016, both the number of works offered and total value dropped sharply, with 14 works offered and 58% clearance rate resulting in just A$573,445 in sales. This volatility continued in 2017, where 22 works were offered, 11 of which remained unsold, but the total value still managed to rise to A$802,317. The following year, 2018, saw a further reduction in volume with only 17 works offered and 9 unsold, leading to a significant drop in total sales to just A$258,021. 2019 showed a slight improvement in both the number of works sold and value, with 13 works offered and 70 % clearance rate, totalling A$166,504. In 2020, the market rebounded somewhat, with 16 works offered, with 82% clearance rate and a total of A$785,691—indicating renewed interest in Thomas' works.
In 2021, 21 works were offered with 81% clearance, and the total value held steady at $728,738. By 2022, the market appeared to stabilise further with 12 works offered and 100% clearance rate resulting in a strong total of $767,039, reflecting an improvement in demand. 2023, however, the market experienced another downturn, with 21 works offered, less than 50% clearance rate and a total value of $496,759. As of 2024, 13 works were offered, 4 unsold, and the total value fell to $274,744, reflecting further softening.
In summary, Rover Thomas' market has seen considerable volatility, with both auction volumes and total values fluctuating sharply. While there were strong years like 2015 and 2022, the trend in recent years has been a decline in both the number of works sold and overall value. This suggests that while interest in Thomas' work remains, the market may be experiencing reduced demand or supply issues, leading to inconsistent performance across the auctions. Historically, demand for Rover Thomas's work has been consistently high, with a major boost after his inclusion in the 1990 Venice Biennale and his solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1994. His art became so sought after that acquiring pieces from the primary market became increasingly difficult. Thomas was widely regarded as a world-class contemporary painter remaining the most expensive Indigenous painter on the secondary market until 2007, with his works being highly collectible.
In 1994, there was no formal art centre in the community where Thomas lived. He only produced work for Waringarri Arts when visiting Kununurra, or when the art coordinator, Joel Smoker, was able to visit him. Independent dealers, recognising the escalating demand, often commissioned works from Thomas, frequently spending time with him in Turkey Creek. Some dealers even facilitated trips for the artist to produce larger bodies of work to meet market demand.
The first Rover Thomas painting appeared at auction in 1995, and despite high prices at auction compared to the primary market, they remained under A$20,000 at the time. However, the market rapidly accelerated. In 1998, the year of Thomas' death, his auction record surpassed A$100,000 for the first time, and by the following year, two more of his paintings exceeded that threshold. Works from the 1980s, with provenance from Mary Macha or Waringarri Art Centre, continue to be the most sought after by collectors.
Between 2000 and 2002, prices for Thomas' work surged, continuing to climb through 2003 before plateauing in 2005. This surge was driven, in part, by the National Gallery of Australia's purchase of All that Big Rain Coming Down Top Side (1991) for A$778,750 in 2001, which set a record for the highest price ever paid for an Aboriginal work of art at the time. This record held until 2007 when it was eclipsed by Emily Kngwarreye’s Earth’s Creation (1995) and later by Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri’s Warlugulong (1976).
Although unseated by Emily Kngwarreye as the market leader in 2008, Thomas remains a dominant force, second only to Kngwarreye. More than a decade later, while the gap between their markets has widened considerably, Rover Thomas continues to hold his place as a blue-chip artist in the Australian market. Despite recent market fluctuations, his significance to the history of Australian art ensures ongoing interest and value.
Rover Thomas’ career, shaped by diverse conditions and circumstances, has had a lasting impact on the Australian art landscape. Though overshadowed by Kngwarreye, his legacy endures, and his works continue to attract high levels of interest from collectors, institutions, and investors alike
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