Gracie Green Austrlain, Kukatja; Wangkajunga, b. 1949

Gracie was born on the original Billiluna Station, where her mother and father worked. When she was still a girl, her parents moved to the second of three mission sites, which was about 20 km west of present day Balgo. She lived in the girl?s dormitory in the old Mission during the 50s and 60s, before marrying and having four children, two of whom, Anita and Edith, also paint.

Gracie was one of the early Balgo painters, though she has also lived for extended periods at Christmas Creek (Wangkajungka), near Fitzroy Crossing. She mostly paints stories from the womens skin groups, the Wati Kutjarra (two men) Dreaming and Ngamarlu Rockhole site, which is close to Balgo. Gracie is very talented and has worked teaching ochre painting at the Adult Education Centre in Balgo and has also written and illustrated a book called Tjarrin Rough Tail Lizard and her second book Murrnkurr. She also has great knowledge about Dreamtime stories and bushtucker found around the country. She was one of the main steering group members for the new Culture Centre at Balgo.