Coreen Reading

I am a Kaiadilt woman from Bentinck Island, having grown up mostly on Mornington Island on Lardil land. My Father is a European of English/Irish/Swedish descent. My Mother was a strong and proud Kaiadilt woman from the Rukathi/Wuldunuthi people. My Grandmother & Grandfather spoke Kaiadilt and were part of the original 60 inhabitants of Bentinck island that were taken to Mornington Island during the missionary days, 1947-1948. We are now known as the ‘Loogatha’ family, a distortion of our original ‘Rukuthi’. As a child, we traveled around Australia with our Father during school holidays for work, but our roots have always been maintained in the Wellesley Islands. My heritage is a mix of western perspective, with my heart and spirit coming from my Kaiadilt roots intertwined with Lardil experiences. Now having my own family and ready to travel, I have started painting to keep my own and my children’s connection to country alive. With inspiration from my Loogatha Mothers, I try to capture the vibrant landscape using colours and shapes; I hope to portray the deep emotional sense of connection to my people, land and sea.