Born c. 1932 at Napperby Station. Language/tribe Anmatyerre. His father was born at the site of Ngarlu (Ngwerritye Alatiye) west of Mt Allan. His mother came from Warlugulong, south west of Yuendumu. The name Possum was given to Clifford by his paternal grandfather. Clifford received no formal education, growing up “in the bush” and then at Jay Creek during the late 1940s. He did stockwork at various stations across the Centre including Hamilton Downs, Glen Helen, Mt Wedge, Mt Allan and Napperby. One of last men to join Geoffrey Bardon’s group of 'painting men’ at the beginning of the 1970s – with the encouragement of his brother Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri.

Clifford Possum was already a woodcarver of reknown, and had been employed at Papunya School teaching woodcarving to the children and was Chairman of Papunya Tula Artists during the early 1980s. During the ’70s and ’80s, he and his family lived at Papunya, Napperby Station, M’bunghara outstation near Glen Helen, and then Alice Springs. Subsequently, Clifford divided his time between Alice Springs amd the homes of his daughters Gabrielle Possum and Michelle Possum (who are both painters) in Melbourne, Adelaide and Kempsey on the NSW Central Coast. He also travelled widely in Australia and to Europe and North America.

Clifford Possum’s country was around Mt Wedge (Kerrinyarra), Napperby station (Tjuirri) and Mt Allan and his vast repertoire of Dreaming stories included Possum, Fire, Water, Kangaroo, Fish, Snake, Man’s Love Story, Lightning, Mala, Goanna etc. He died in Alice Springs on June 21 2002, the day he was to have been awarded his AO.

Writers:

Johnson, Vivien

Date written:

1994

Last updated:

2011