Collection Details

Name/TitleSelection of Poems

About this objectUncle Wes was a living treasure of Aboriginal storytelling wisdom. Through his poems, Uncle Wes invites the reader to join him by the fire as he generously shares his reflections and reminiscences on one hundred years. When he arrived in Sydney in the 1960s, Uncle Wes was not allowed to tell his stories at schools. He set up a fire bucket in his backyard and invited families and children from the local Aboriginal community to come to sit around the fire and share his stories. It did not take long for the police to arrive and arrest him for hosting an unlawful gathering – he spent two days in lock-up for sharing his stories.

The two poems in this series are large-scale prints from Uncle Wes’ book, ‘Through Old Eyes’, that was published in 2022 to coincide with his 100th birthday and was launched in Blacktown.

Uncle Wes Marne was a Bigambul man and senior community elder who lived in Mount Druitt for the past 50 years. When he was 9 years old, the government walked his family off tribal lands from the Stanthorpe Hills to Deadbird Mission, Queensland. At 101, he was committed to sharing the traditional knowledge of his grandfather’s creation and dreaming stories, and his personal experiences of his life as an Aboriginal man over the last century. Uncle Wes comes from a long line of storytellers. His show 'Fire Bucket' premiered at the 2016 Sydney Festival and played to sell out audiences.

Uncle Wes was a regular at Blacktown Arts’ weekly Elders in Residence program in which he shared his knowledge with visitors from all backgrounds and continued his practice of jewellery making.

MakerMarne, Uncle Wes

Maker RoleArtist

Date Made2022

Medium and MaterialsInkjet print on paper

Place MadeAustralia

MeasurementsEach panel / paper: 84 h x w 59 cm

Named CollectionBlacktown City Art Collection

Credit Line© Uncle Wes Marne
Acquired 2022, 'Proper Way' exhibition
Blacktown City Art Collection

Object TypeWritten word

Object numberBCC MRE 001.1-2