Eunice Yunurupa Porter

Eunice was born at Wirrkural near Lupul on the Jameson road east of Warburton Mission. As a young child she and her family walked the country that is recognized today as the communities of Mantamaru, Papulakutja and Irruntju. In the late 1960’s Ngaanyatjarra people living in and around the Warburton Mission began to move to small settlements closer to their homelands. Eunice and her husband travelled back to the settlement at Docker River where she was employed as a health worker. In the 1970’s people from the Warakurna area began to lobby for a settlement closer to their homeland. Eunice’s late husband, Mr. Porter was instrumental in this action which ultimately led to the development of the community and a return to the Warakurna homeland. She began painting with Warakurna Artists in 2005 and rapidly became one of the senior artists. She is also well known as a dancer, regularly participating in Tjulku (ceremony). In 2000 she danced as part of the NPY presentation at the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Sydney. Eunice is a strong community leader and was elected as the chairperson During the inception of the Art Centre. She held the position from 2006 until she decided to retire from the role in 2017. Her decade long tenure as chairperson left an indelible and much celebrated impact on the Art Center’s history.