Albert Namatjira

Albert Namatjira (1902–59) was one Australia’s most notable artists. His work, primarily watercolour landscapes of Central Australia, is represented in all Australian State art galleries.

Namatjira was born into the Arrernte community at the Hermannsburg Lutheran Mission, near Alice Springs, Northern Territory. He was first named Elea but then christened as Albert when his parents adopted Christianity. At 13 years of age Namatjira was initiated into the Arrernte community and taught the traditional laws and customs. At 17 he married Ilkalita (Rubina) of the Luritja community. Namatjira met Australian artist Rex Battarbee who visited Hermannsburg in 1934. Battarbee tutored Namatjira in the western tradition of painting and helped him to organise his first exhibition in Melbourne in 1936. This exhibition was a success and Namatjira was encouraged to exhibit his work in Adelaide and Sydney. Other exhibitions of his work followed, especially during the 1950s.

Success brought Namatjira money, which he used to lease a cattle station. Granted in 1949, the lease was cancelled in 1950 when it was realised that cattle grazing in the area would not be viable. Namatjira then attempted to build a house in Alice Springs, but was hampered under the terms of the Aboriginals Ordinance (NT) 1918–1947. Namatjira was granted full citizenship rights in 1957. Unlike many other Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory, Namatjira was then entitled to vote, to live where he wished and to purchase alcohol.

In 1958 the Alice Springs Police charged Namatjira with supplying alcohol to Aboriginal people. He denied the charge and fought the sentence he received in both the Supreme Court and the High Court. His appeals were unsuccessful and he was sentenced to two months in prison. Albert Namatjira died in 1959.

Records relating to Albert Namatjira held by the National Archives

The National Archives holds many records relating to the life and work of Albert Namatjira. Most of these records are held in Canberra or Darwin, but scattered material may also be found in other National Archives' offices. Issues such as the questions over Namatjira’s citizenship rights and his 1958 imprisonment resulted in many personal protests to the Minister responsible for the Northern Territory. These are held in the Department of Territories’ records series A451, and can be identified on RecordSearch by searching on series 'A451’ and narrowing the result by the keyword ‘namatjira’.

Examples of records relating to Albert Namatjira

Records held in Canberra
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Grazing licence – Albert Namatjira – artist 1949 A89, 1377
Namatjira, Albert – question of ownership of land in NT 1951–52 A431, 1951/1200
Albert Namatjira – general 1951–57 A463, 1957/17
Government House – acquisition of painting by Namatjira for Government House 1953–54 A462, 163/3
A Namatjira – general welfare 1958 A452, 1958/1070
Albert Namatjira – prosecution and sentence on liquor charge 1958 A463, 1958/3861
Albert Namatjira – imprisonment for alleged supply of liquor to Aborigines 1958–61 A452, 1958/3670

Photographic records
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Albert Namatjira with one of his paintings 1946 A1200, L7838
Rex Battersby [Battarbee] displays a Namatjira painting – Alice Springs 1954 A1200, L17573
Albert Namatjira 1957 A1200, L23737

Records held in Melbourne
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Namatjira, Albert (welfare case file) 1958 B337, 561

Records held in Darwin
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Department of Aboriginal Affairs – Register of Wards – census – Hermannsburg 1928–51 E745, C2
Finke River Mission, Hermannsburg – reports 1937–42 F1, 1942/286, Part 1
Finke River Mission, Hermannsburg – reports 1937–42 F1, 1942/286, Part 2
Finke River Mission, Hermannsburg – reports 1937–42 F1, 1942/286, Part 3
Welfare Branch – Finke River Mission, Hermannsburg 1944–45 F1, 1944/325
Albert Namatjira – grazing licence – 1377 Areyonga Copper Deposit 1949–53 F1, 1952/496
Aranda Arts Council 1951–54 F1, 1952/445
Albert Namatjira – grazing licence 1953–59 F1, 1955/651
Finke River Mission reports 1948–66 F133, 63/536
Finke River Mission reports 1948–66 F133, 63/537
Finke River Mission reports 1948–66 F133, 63/540
Finke River Mission – Lutheran Hermannsburg – policy and development 1953–60 F1, 1954/76
Finke River Mission – Lutheran Hermannsburg – policy and development 1953–60 F1, 1955/254
Finke River Mission – Lutheran Hermannsburg – policy and development 1953–60 F1, 1957/1881
Conditions of Aboriginals – Hermannsburg Mission – correspondence from Mrs N Dore 1956–58 F1, 1956/1213
Welfare Branch – Namatjira, Albert – enquiries and offers of assistance 1956–59 F1, 1956/2637
Welfare Branch – Namatjira, Albert – financial matters 1956–60 F1, 1956/2691
Hermannsburg 1956–61 NTAC1976/23, 22

More information on Commonwealth records relating to Albert Namatjira can be found in the National Archives’ guide: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Commonwealth Records: A Guide to Records in the Australian Archives ACT Regional Office (compiled by Ros Fraser, AGPS, Canberra, 1993). The guide is out of print, but copies are available in National Archives' research centres and many libraries.