Cameron Ross Kemarre

The White Kangaroo
‘Nov 1983’ Ambalindum Station, east of Yipirinya (Alice Springs). I was 16 years old, 2 weeks before I was 17. Riding on horses, me and my cousin was horse tailing from 12 noon till 9pm that night. It was a long ride. Just on dark we stopped for water, it was then after mounting up and riding for a few minutes in hilly rock country just there on a ledge, absolutely majestic, unbelievable. There stood a pure white kangaroo. Like in a trance I just stared for some time. This moment felt special to me. It’s like he was waiting for me to arrive. Then I realised this was the Kadatji Man and I best gallop away in a real hurry, very frightened, not knowing what was going to happen to me! That night I got sick, then in 3 days’ time I ended up in hospital in Alice Springs, with boils on my kidneys, both. For 1 month I suffered. Doctors could not explain this. They explained to me that they had never seen nor heard of this before. I told them in our culture the White Kangaroo is a Kadatji Man, he did this to me, for looking at him. Pretty amazing don’t you think. – Cameron Ross.

This painting is a finalist painting in the King & Wood Malleson First Nations Art Award 2023 that launched in Brisbane at the Griffith University Art Museum on Thursday September 14 2023.