Paakantji

Born 1920, Broken Hill, New South Wales

Resides Menindee, New South Wales

Lorraine King is the oldest Paakantji elder living on the Darling River today. Lorraine was born in Broken Hill and was raised in Pooncarie. The family was taken to Menindee mission after her father was killed in an accident on the Darling River. At age 14 she was taken ‘for a holiday’ to the Cootamundra Girls Home and trained for house service. She ran away from the home and made her own way, escaping the police and working as a cherry picker in Young. After living in Cowra, Menindee and Lake Cargelligo, Lorraine returned to Menindee with her family in 1966.

Lorraine has permission to collect eggs from National Parks and Wildlife, and her signature on the base of every egg contains her number. Her carvings depict scenes of hunting, and images from memories of a corroboree dance. This pair of eggs features continuous narratives encircling each egg. While these eggs are quite old, they are good examples of the type of works that Lorraine has continued to carve.