Stephanie Ngala Ratara

About the artist

Stephanie was born at Hermannsburg in 1969. Her early schooling was at a “bush school” near Palm Valley. Following this Stephanie went to Yirara College in Alice Springs which catered for aboriginal students from the whole Central Australian region. Her early working life was spent as at Mutitjulu (Uluru) as an aged care worker. After returning to Hermannsburg she worked at the local school.

Stephanie has six children of her own and a large extended family. Initially she was encouraged to paint by a sister in law and now that her children are grown up, spends a large part of her spare time painting. She has a creative spirit and this is reflected in the diversity of subject matter in her art. More recently she has joined the Hermannsburg Potters and is learning that craft.

(Bush schools were run by the Lutheran Church. A teacher was assigned to each “school” and lived with the local families, on their country, during the week.)