Billy Benn Perrurle

Place: Harts Range

Born: 1943

Death: 2012

Biography:

Billy Benn Perrurle or Billy Benn (c. 1943 - 14 October 2012) was an Alyawarre landscape artist, with a disability, who worked with the Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists. His paintings celebrate the land of his people, near Harts Range in the Northern Territory, and his personal knowledge of it. He was born in Artetyerre (Harts Range) and passed away on 15 October 2012. Billy Benn Perrurle's father, Jimmy Kemerre, was also an artist, making traditional artifacts, wooden sculptures, boomerangs and spears. Bill worked extensively in his country, beginning as a young boy in the mica mines of Harts Range with Simon Reef’s younger brother Norman. He later began pumping water for cattle, being paid in flour, sugar and tea. Billy Benn Perrurle spent most of his working life in the North Eastern area of Central Australia, droving sheep and cattle for Pastoralists, Cameron Chalmers, Joe Mangel and Peter Hayes. Since 1981, he worked at Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists.