Dadda Samson

Dadda was born around 1933 at Old Jigalong, a ration depot situated on the Rabbit Proof Fence before the Jigalong Mission was established. She walked around the country east of Jila Kurru with her mother, father and three brothers. Her parents were both Kartujarra. Dadda's old father heard that there were rations at Jigalong and took his family there for flour, tea and sugar. When the family left the desert and walked to Jigalong they met up with the Samson, Kelly, Jeffries, Atkins, Sammy and Kadibil families who are also all Kartujarra people.

Dadda went to school for a short time and was taught by Mrs Battye who she says was a very good teacher and Jigalong's first school teacher. Her husband worked with camels at Old Jigalong and he and his brother were bosses for Jigalong Station. Dadda worked on stations including Sylvania Station with her first husband who was a camel handler. Her second husband was an excellent horseman and a drover for cattle who also worked as a rancher, looking after Martu country. She has outlived both of them.

She stayed around Jigalong and continues to live there with her children and many grandchildren. Dadda is a very senior woman in Jigalong and manages the community's art shed while maintaining her own consummate arts practice.

Photograph courtesy and copyright Tobias Titz.