Doris Bush Nungarayi was born in about 1942 at Haasts Bluff. Her father, who was Warlpiri, came in to the ration depot from his country west of Nyrripi and around Kintore after the birth of Doris’s eldest brother Wirri Tjungurrayi. Her mother, Yalkutjari Nakamarra, was a Pintupi woman from the Kintore region whose father was 'boss’ for the Kintore region and is buried there. Doris is a contraction of Dorothy – she is also known by her 'bush name’, Darinji.

Doris grew up at Haasts Bluff and there met and married George Bush Tjangala, a Luritja/Amnatyerre speaking man whose family came from just west of Alice Springs. Together they had three sons, Kenny, Christopher and Simon. Doris has six granchildren, granddaughters Stephanie, Benita, Verina and Chelsea-Anne and grandsons Gavin and Joshua.

George Bush was one of Papunya Tula Artists’ original shareholders, though he did not paint much for the company apart from a brief period in the early 1980s. After that the family went to live on an outstation at Nuyumanu in Doris’s mother’s country out towards the WA/NT border. Later the couple divided their time between Papunya and Alice Springs, where George painted for the 'government gallery’ (Centre for Aboriginal Artists and Craftsmen) in Alice Springs.

Doris’s only surviving sibling, her brother Willy Nakanbala, lives in Papunya. After her husband’s death in 1997, Doris spent increasing amounts of time in Papunya, although she was also a familiar figure in some of the Aboriginal art galleries of Alice Springs, asking for canvas and paints, although she received no encouragement. After Papunya Tjupi Arts was established in Papunya in late 2007, Doris quickly became one of the most prolific and enthusiastic painters in the community and is usually the first to arrive each morning when – or even before – the doors open.

Writers:

Papunya Tjupi Arts

Date written:

2009

Last updated:

2011