Eddie James

My name’s Eddie, but my nickname is ‘All of a sudden’. All of sudden, he just turns up! It just went from there.

I come from the Bardi tribe - the People around Ardyaloon. My mum is from Pannawonica - near Karratha. I’ve still got family down there, so I go visit them sometimes. I was born in Broome, and did Primary School there, then moved up the coast to Beagle Bay in 1972, then further up to One Arm Point (Ardyaloon) to be with dad’s family. Ardyaloon is North West of Broome, 220km, maybe more. It’s a small community, between Lombadina and Cape Leveque.

We live in a place that’s hard to leave - it’s good living out here by the water, fishing and what-not, camping.

I used to do a lot of work - various jobs. Landscaper, labourer, machine operator, all sorts, for One Arm Point Aboriginal Corporation. I’m just starting art now; I picked up a canvas one day and started painting! I like to paint - lots of things that come into my mind: turtles, dugong, landscape, birds. Turtles are one of the main food source for the Bardi people - I paint them a lot.

I live with my partner Annette. We have three grown up sons, and 10 grandchildren. Some live in One Arm point, one in Djarindjin, one in Kununurra, one in Perth.

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“My name’s Eddie, but my nickname is ‘All of a sudden’. All of sudden, he just turns up! It just went from there.”

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