Paul Murabuda Wurramarrba

Paul Murabuda Wurramarrba is the son of Old Charlie Galiowa and Bugwaraba Garnaja Ngalmi. He was born about 1934, had little formal education but worked faithfully for the Mission most of his life. He has extensive knowledge of the people and places of the Groote Archipelago having worked on the Holly. The Holly was a 45 food ketch which the Angurugu mission used for ferrying supplies between Roper River, Groote Eylandt and Thursday Island.

He is a staunch Christian and was a lay reader at Angurugu. He also worked as a valued member of Gemco’s security team. Murabuda learnt the traditional ways of making spears and woomeras as a child from his father and watching elders. Murabuda is senior elder for Angurugu community. He still hand carves his spears today and paints using traditional ochre’s found on Groote Eylandt.

The traditional song lines for the Wurramarrba clans are of boats, sails, ropes, coconuts, dolphin’s and the brown pigeon.