Pamela Tjanara Williams b. 1958

  • Artist (Photographer)
Photographer of the Goreng Goreng/Waka Waka peoples of Queensland. Pamela Williams became politically active in the Land Rights movement during the 1980s and in 1985 she photographed the Uluru hand-back of land to the Katajuti/Mutitujula people.
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Goreng Goreng/Waka Waka photographer, Pamela Williams was born in 1958 in Longreach, western Queensland. During her school days Williams took up trampolining and became the Women’s Queensland Open Champion in 1972 and 1973. After leaving school Williams enrolled in Teachers College where her interest in drama, music and visual art developed. It was also during this time that Williams became politically active in the Land Rights movement and in protesting against what she describes in the “Narragunnawali” catalogue, the “oppressive policies of the Queensland government toward my people.”

After college Williams travelled Australia and began taking photographs, learning the technical aspects of photographic processing and printing from a school friend. In 1985 Williams was present at the Uluru hand-back to the Katajuti Mutitujula people and photographed this historical event. It was this that lead Williams to look at photography as a career. In 1986-1987 Williams was a board member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies Steering Committee for the publication, “After 200 Years Photo-essays of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People”.

Writers:
Allas, Tess
Date written:
2008
Last updated:
2011

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