Broken Back

Broken Back, Fink River near Namatjira, Western MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory, 2017, acrylic on board, 23 x 31 cms.

This broken remnant of a 400 million years old mountain range lies beside the meandering Fink River south of Hermannsburg. The river is believed to be the world’s oldest river system, which today becomes a raging torrent with rain and only a series of waterholes in the drier months. Dotted along its banks are magnificent 20 metre tall ghost gums (Corymbia aparrerinja), unique to Central Australia, as well as mulgas and other acacia, with spinifex growing between every rock crevice.