Who they were
An Arrernte man of central Australia, Namatjira grew up at the Hermannsburg mission and learned Western watercolour technique.
What they did
He painted the red earth and ranges of his country in vivid watercolours, and his work won popularity across the nation — the first Aboriginal artist to gain wide fame.
Legacy
In 1957 he was granted Australian citizenship ahead of most Indigenous people. His life also laid bare the unequal position of Indigenous people of the time. He is remembered as a pioneer of Australian art.