Yidaki Performance with Paul Girrawah House

For thousands of years the yidaki has been played in ceremony. Join us for a truly special yidaki performance by Paul Girrawah House in celebration of our latest exhibition Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia.

Paul Girrawah House has a distinguished career and close association with the didjeridu (yidaki) and cultural performances since the mid-1980s. he has performed on the didjeridu for current and former Australian Prime Ministers at the 42nd, 43rd, 44th and 47th openings of the Parliament of Australia, National Apology, 20/20 Summit, for the King and Queen of Spain, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, US Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, Commonwealth Nation Presiding Speakers, Governors General of Australia and tours of Russia and Vietnam. Since 2016, Paul has been mentored and works closely with master glass worker, Tom Rowney on producing glass yidaki, coolamon and boomerang at the Canberra Glass works.

Paul has multiple First Nation ancestries from the South-East Canberra region, including the Ngambri-Ngurmal (Walgalu), Pajong (Gundungurra), Wallaballooa (Ngunnawal) and Erambie/Brungle (Wiradyuri) family groups. He particularly identifies as a descendant of Onyong aka Jindoomang from Weereewaa (Lake George) and Henry ‘Black Harry’ Williams from Namadgi, who were both multilingual, essentially Walgalu-Ngunnawal-Wiradjuri speaking warriors, and Ngunnawal-Wallaballooa man William Lane aka ‘Billy the Bull’-Murrjinille. Paul strongly acknowledges his First Nation matriarch ancestors, in particular his mother Dr Aunty Matilda House-Williams and grandmother, Ms Pearl Simpson-Wedge. He completed a Bachelor of Community Management from Macquarie University, and Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage and Management from Charles Sturt University. Paul works on country with the ANU, First Nations Portfolio as a Senior Community Engagement Officer.

Date: Sat 19 Aug 2023

Time: 12.30–1pm and 3.30–4pm

Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia is presented by the National Gallery of Australia and Wesfarmers Arts in partnership with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and supported by the Australian Government.

Image courtesy and copyright of the artist.