Description
Artist Statement:
This image depicts the story of a massacre that took place at Bluff Rock outside Tenterfield in Northern NSW. The artist was driving past Bluff Rock one day on a trip to Armidale to meet with his family, when the sky lit up in a burst of rainbow colour. This rainbow coloured sky followed him all the way to Armidale. Having never seen anything like this he asked his cousin, what was it? His cousin Colin asked where it happened originally, and Lloyd said near that big rock outside Tenterfield. Lloyd and Colin believe it was an omen for him to paint the image you see today. Back in the 1840’s, back then it was known as Swithins Bluff, there were reports of a tribe of local Aborigines killing a shepherd on Bolivia Station that borders the bluff. The story says that after the killing, four armed men set off from the station to track down the tribe and when found, they fled to the top of Bluff Rock where they were chased off the edge, killing most of them and injuring the rest. The tribe of Aborigines was never seen on the station again.
On settlement the sheep ate the traditional foods of the local Aboriginal people. This caused conflict between the settlers and the local Aboriginals.
Size: 123cm Deep x 123cm Wide