Albert Namatjira's House
| Location | |
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Part of NT Portion 2079 designated NT Portion 6059(A). About 5km west of the junction of the Larapinta and Hermannsburg roads on the road to Areyonga. |
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| Gazettal Date | |
| 19 April 2001. Northern Territory Government Gazette S20. |
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| Description | |
| The house is a two-roomed cottage constructed of handcut local sandstone bricks with a corrugated galvanised iron roof. A fireplace and chimney are located at the eastern end of the structure. The floors are flagged and it appears that the house is built on a random rubble base. The exterior and interior walls have been rendered. On the northern side of the structure concrete footings of incomplete rooms to the house remain, and rock edging to a path leading to a gate has recently been laid. | |
| Statement of Heritage Value | |
Albert Namatjira's House was constructed by Albert and some assistants in 1944, following the success of an exhibition of his paintings in Melbourne. Built of local materials and by local men, the house reflected the style, materials and techniques used at Hermannsburg Mission over many years. The house was lived in by Namatjira and his family for only five years before the death of a child saw them move out for cultural reasons. Relatives have cared for the house over many years since and following renovation in 1971 and conservation work in 1986, it was used as a small museum and craft outlet. The house is significant for its associations with the man who gained national and international fame. That fame and its many obligations eventually took its toll of his health and life, however his works remain a vital part of the heritage of the Northern Territory and Australia. |
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| Further Reading | |
Anon. 1987. House that Albert built. Territory Digest, June 1987. Barlow, A. 1991. Albert Namatjira: An Arrernte Man. Macmillian: Sydney. Batty, J.D. 1963. Namatjira: Wanderer between two worlds. Hodder and Staughton: Sydney. Dewar, M. 1992. Namatjira, Albert Kngwarraye. In Carment, D. and B. James (eds.) NT Dictionary of Biography vol 2, Pp.139-141. Northern Territory University Press: Casuarina. Tucker, P. n.d. Albert Namatjira's House. Privately published by the author. |
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