Barrupu (Rita) Yunupingu Australian, Yolgnu, b. 1948
Barrupu is a daughter of Munggurraway. Her siblings include Australians of the year, Galarrwuy and Mandawuy and Gulumbu Telstra Prize Winner. Her mother from the Marrakulu clan was Bunay Wanambi, who was a cow herd for the mission at Yirrkala.
Barrapu has always lived at Yirrkala . As a child and with her father and family she went to the Yirrkala Mission School, taught by Mr Ron Croxford. With the school she travelled to Darwin with the Yirrkala netball team recalling also her athletic talent as a high jumper. At the Yirrkala clinic (now from where Buku-Larrnggay Mulka operates) Barrupu trained and worked as a nurse for many years till its closure in 1975.
Her closest sister is Nyapanyapa with whom she has worked as a print artist through Buku-Larrnggay since 1996.
Barrupu's output of bark paintings increased in 2007. The rise in prominence of Nyapanyapa's bark painting and subsequent successes in 2008 was catalyst in developing her own painting style that gained signature and firm interest from her art centre. In 2008 and into 2009 Barrupu has been working at her painting almost daily at the artcentre, the same place she worked as a nurse in the 60s and 70's.