As an artist, Ron Murray is widely regarded as a wood sculptor specialising in sculpting snakes, coolamons and shields, and as a maker of fine mallee didgeridoos and returning boomerangs. His boomerang-making (and throwing) continues a tradition passed down from his father, Besley Murray and his grandfather, John Jack Murray using redgum tree roots, and demonstrates the fine craftsmanship of south-eastern Australian Aboriginal people.  Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Ron incorporates traditional Victorian Aboriginal line etching into his work.

 

Ron has exhibited in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards in Canberra (1997) and has made art pieces for high profile clients such as world boxing champion Muhammad Ali; US composer Philip Glass; Sir Bob Geldof; Indigenous Australian Athlete, Cathy Freeman; British supermodel Naomi Campbell; members of the Harlem Dance Company, US soul band Junglefunk and the AFL (Australian Football League).   As a Boomerang thrower, Ron has also been recognised - as winner of the Queensland Indigenous Boomerang Championship (Laura Festival 1999).

 

Ron developed a love for wood at a young age, and is certainly always happiest with a piece of redgum, boxgum or mallee in his hands. Ron takes great pride in the preparation and preservation of each piece of timber.   To ensure the finished piece lasts forever, he cures the timber using the traditional method of soaking the wood in the river. To harden the piece, Ron uses a sacred boomerang stone.  For preservation, Ron uses the techniques of oiling, French polishing or lacquering.

 

Ron’s philosophy is that he prefers to keep his work at the top of the range, by custom making and creating only a limited number of personal orders each year.  He prefers to establish a relationship with the buyer and encourages the personal choice of the design that he then etches onto the art piece.  Ron’s etchings focus on the totems important to Victorian Aboriginal river tribes which include the long neck turtle, platypus, brown snake, goanna, and the Murray cod.

 

The boomerang that Ron has made for Australia Remembers has three shields etched on the front of the boomerang. The four sections inside each shield represent clans coming together. The shields are a sacred symbol of protection and healing for Aboriginal people. Inside each shield, line etching is used as reflective of the traditional style of south-eastern Australian Aboriginal tribal art. This style celebrates Ron’s Wamba Wamba heritage, a tribute to the survival of Victorian Aboriginal culture.