Shane Boney

Gamileroi

Shane, also known as ‘Googie’ Boney, is determined to pass on his knowledge and the cultural history of the Gamileroi people, through his art and traditional artifact making. Shane’s work is hard to categorise, ranging from art to story-telling, and even to dance. The main thing, according to Shane, is that the knowledge is passed on.

“We have to pass everything on, we don’t own the land, we don’t own anything on it, we just have to pass it on”.

Shane’s art can be found at the Café 64 Gallery, but he can more often be found out in the country, taking people to experience the land and the way his story relates to the land.

“Whatever people want from me, they contact me for. I can take them out to country and teach them about language, country, even astronomy”.

Shane paints the story of the region from the Narran Lakes and down along the Barwon River, including all the area around Walgett and the traditional Gamileroi lands. His work represents the landscape, the people and the stories.

“I am self taught as a painter, I just heard the stories and I started painting them the way they came to me”.

Shane creates a wide range of artifacts from local timbers using Gidgee, Mulga and other local wood to create a wide range of traditional tools and weapons. The pieces have a beauty all of their own, and carry a weight of cultural significance, but it is the knowledge that underpins the object which is the most powerful.

“I started out just making things to copy old tools and things, but later I learned from my grandfather what the items meant and how to find the best material when I am out in the bush”.

When Shane thinks about the future, it is not himself that he sees, but the continuation of the long long story that he is proud to be a part of.

“I’m not going to be here forever, what tomorrow brings you don’t know, but if you get the information out there then it is passed on”.