The sisters behind Red Ridge the Label on how they share culture and traditions through art
Feature
By Jennifer Johnston
Gentle wind gusts rustle the red roof of the pop up pavilion and agitates the dry red dust from the caked earth surrounding the tent’s perimeter. Three women sitting on a raised wooden platform in front of the tent are not bothered by the wind. One has tied a scarf loosely around her hair, an attempt to hold back her greying tresses. Her untamed fringe moves as she turns to talk to the woman in the centre, who has casually draped two scarves around her neck. Big Red, the tallest sand dune in the Simpson Desert, forms a stunning backdrop behind the trio.
I’m standing on country, listening to sisters, Anpanuwa Joyce Crombie, 74, and Aulpunda Jean Barr-Crombie, 68, proud Wankanguru/Yaruyandi Aboriginal women from Outback Queensland’s Birdsville Diamantina country, sharing stories about their culture. The Q&A session is taking place in the Simpson Desert, 36 kilometres outside of Birdsville at Australia’s most remote music festival, the Big Red Bash. Jean and Joyce are sitting with Struth (one of the Crackup Sisters from Winton) who is acting as MC.
Jean and Joyce refer to themselves as ‘Two Sisters Talking’ and are the founding artists of Red Ridge the Label, a not for profit charity that is creating a pathway for Aboriginal art and fashion to be shown to the world.
Jean and Joyce, co-founders of Red Ridge the Label, at their Big Red Bash pop-up
Discovering Red Ridge
A few months earlier, I was in Longreach visiting one of the town’s iconic attractions, the Qantas Founders Museum. I met the Museum’s CEO, Tony Cullen and commented on his eye-catching business shirt. He explained it was designed by an Indigenous artist under Red Ridge The Label and they had a store in Longreach’s main street.
Chatting with Tony in the museum’s cafeteria, his passion for Longreach was palpable. “I like supporting Australian-made products, and highlighting local talent, so I purchased five Red Ridge shirts, one for each day of the week,” he explains. “My aim is to cross-promote their retail store in Longreach, so more people can discover and appreciate the essence of Outback Queensland through their artistic creations. The patterns on the shirts showcase the beauty of the region, and the colours represent the changing seasons and rich cultural heritage.”
I didn’t take much convincing to drop into the Red Ridge Store where I met Joyce’s daughter-in-law Sharon, who was managing the store. The fresh, modern and bright designs hanging on the racks had me completely enamoured. I was drawn to a blue shirt, Meeting in the Sky design, part of the Andrawilla collection designed by Jean. Sharon explained the story behind this design: Women gathering in the sky, sharing stories, teaching and guiding family from above to follow culture on homeland below.
Just a few days later I was fortunate enough to spend time with Joyce on the veranda of the home she shares with her son and Sharon – just a few streets from the centre of Longreach. Joyce reveals she was always interested in art from her childhood, but only began drawing again later in life, in 2000 when floodwaters left her stranded in the regional town of Winton.
As the Economic Development Officer for the Blackhall Tambo Regional Council, Louise knew the value of the arts and what it can do for communities, socially and economically, and so Red Ridge was initiated as a community project.
Giving back to community
Red Ridge (Interior Queensland) Ltd was officially established in 2009, with much of the label's projects and programs working with marginalised and disadvantaged sections of the community, providing both skills and education.
In 2009 the sisters began creating sculptures. One is located in Bedourie and two are in Birdsville. The Dreamtime Serpent, designed by Joyce, sits on a hillside just outside Betoota, a ‘ghost’ town in the Diamantina Shire. Created using locally sourced gravel and gibber stones, the hillside artwork represents a series of pathways through Country, connecting the Channel Country river systems in the Diamantina Shire.
Joyce and Jean then turned their talents to writing children’s books. Using their Wangkangurru language of the Munathirri (Simpson Desert), Birdsville and Wirrari regions, they published Looking For Tucker, a first-of-its kind Aboriginal language book, drawing on stories of their childhood. The sisters are currently working on a new book, a dictionary of their language. Three years in the making, their passion project is due to be released to the public very soon.
From canvas to catwalk
Louise Campbell, is the manager for Red Ridge. She met the sisters 15 years ago when they were starting out. Louise recalls, a few years ago, while travelling with Joyce across country on the gibber plains towards Birdsville, she suddenly said, “I want to see my artwork come to life in fashion. I want to share stories for the younger generations to hear.”
The two sisters hoped to somehow bring to life the ancient stories that were passed down to them from their ancestors. Art would be the vehicle to bring the culture of their country alive, but they needed it done in a modern way, to create something valuable and something reputable that would also appeal to the younger generation.
And so came Red Ridge fashion, with the sisters producing Australian made limited edition prints. Each capsule collection features special prints that represent the artist’s connection to country. When a line is finished, people know they have something that is unique – a collector’s item. Proceeds from the garment’s sale goes back into the organisation, creating circular sustainability.
The Red Ridge label is multi-faceted, with teaching at its core. Other Indigenous artists are encouraged to join Red Ridge, to experience the journey of a fashion label, learning the process of print design through to how to promote the garment. Five artists from the central west Queensland town of Barcaldine have already joined Red Ridge, and they’re reaching out to other Indigenous artists across the regions. “All of our artists come together as one under the Red Ridge Label,” Louise explains. “We are gathering people, and we are walking and talking together.”
The Big Red Bash
At the Big Red Bash, a fashion parade on the main stage features Red Ridge designs. The models are Joyce and Jean’s grandchildren and a few punters from the crowd. People swarmed to the Red Ridge tent when the fashion parade finished. Louise was run off her feet with sales – everyone wanted a piece of country to take home with them.
The best bit? Those buying items were asking about the garment’s history because they wanted to share the story of the clothing when they wear them - the sister’s dreams are being realised. Their stories are being shared, people are discovering who they are, where they come from and their culture is being preserved for future generations.
Melanie and Brendan wore Red Ridge the Label designs at their wedding at the Big Red Bash
At midday on the last day of the Big Red Bash, a celebrant married a couple on top of the red sand dune. Melanie brought a wedding dress with her to wear, but when she and her fiancé Brendan saw the Red Ridge fashion parade, they wanted a part of country in their nuptials. They visited the tent and purchased a dress and a shirt. After the ceremony, the newly married couple returned to the Red Ridge tent to share their happy news with the sisters.
But it’s not only ‘ordinary' people who are wearing Red Ridge. Narelda Jacobs, TV Presenter and journalist, wears Red Ridge while presenting, as does Mia Freedman, co-founder of women’s media company Mamamia. Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk even wore the P’riti P’riti dress (part of Jean’s recently released Andrawilla collection) as she introduced laws into parliament to achieve a Path to Treaty.
From Birdsville to Paris to the Brisbane Olympics
The sisters dream of going to Paris. But really, they don’t care which international stage they appear on - it could be Milan, New York, Tokyo, or London. Joyce and Jean describe their creations as ‘made in the outback for the stages of the world.’
And perhaps one of the biggest stages to come is the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, where the duo hope that Jean’s wattle print scarf - the yellow wattle is Jean’s favourite to paint - will be part of the athlete’s wardrobe.
While it's hard to sum up the magic the sisters instill in their work, perhaps Tony Cullen says it best, "With every item they create, they instil the spirit of the Outback and pay homage to their cultural roots, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those who come across their remarkable creations."
Two sisters from the small town of Birdsville, sharing their culture with Australia and the world.
