Stumpy Brown (Nyuju) Australian, Wangkatjungka, b. c. 1924

Nyuju Stumpy Brown is a Wangkajunga woman who was born in 1924 on the Canning Stock Route at a place called Ngapawarlu. She lost her mother and father at an early age and was brought up by her uncle Jamali who was droving bullocks on the Canning Stock Route. He took Nyuju to Balgo when she was a little girl and returned to Fitzroy Crossing where Nyuju grew up and lived most of her life. She married Pukulu who has since passed away. He was a leader in the church at the old Fitzroy Mission. He was the father of their three daughters, now grown up. She worked on the Emmanuel Station around Fitzroy Crossing doing domestic work, cooking and cleaning.
She says of her early life:"I was born along the Canning Stock Route. I came to Balgo on a camel. This was the first time I came in from the bush. I was a young girl with no breasts. Later I worked in the kitchen at Bohemia Downs Station. We got no money for work. We got tea, meat and tobacco." 
In later life she married her second husband, Hitler Pampa. They lived at Mindi Bardi in Fitzroy Crossing where Nyuju was an important woman in the community for Law and culture. At Nyanpi (corroboree) time she ran the ceremonies for young children. 
"No sleep, all night making Nyampi right through to daylight. Then we go back to sleep."
Stumpy said that her country, Kukapunyu "is desert country. There are no rivers, we never see running water like rivers, only creeks after the rain; only jlji (sandhills)." Nyuju carried the Women's Law from the Wangkatjunga side right through to the desert side at Balgo. Rover Thomas was her full brother. After a stroke in 2007 Stumpy no longer practised as a painter. She died in 2011.