Peter Gooloou Thomas / Daiwul Ngarranggarni (Barramundi Dreaming) (19942)

Peter Gooloou Thomas was born in 1975 in Wyndham, Western Australia, and grew up on Gija Country in the East Kimberley. His father, Paddy Thomas, passed away when Peter was still a young boy, and much of his upbringing was guided by his mother, Mary Thomas, and by the respected Warmun elders Madigan and Sandy Thomas.

Peter’s mother, Mary, was renowned in the community as a gifted bush medicine expert and healer. She carried an extraordinary depth of knowledge of Gija Country – every plant, its name, its medicinal properties, and its preparation and use. Her wisdom and cultural teachings left a profound impression on Peter and continue to inspire his life and art.

As a child, Peter and his brothers were often taken out bush by the old people. These trips sometimes lasted weeks and were a vital part of their education. They learned language, Dreaming stories, songs and dance, as well as the skills needed to live on country – tracking, reading the land, survival skills, and traditional bush medicine. Peter’s cultural journey began early; at just five years old, he performed the Joonba dance for the first time during the celebrations for the opening of the Warmun school.

Today, Peter is a cultural leader in his community, committed to passing on the knowledge, traditions and stories that were entrusted to him. He continues to guide younger generations, ensuring the strength and continuity of Gija culture and law.

Peter and two of his brothers also served their country as part of the all-Gija Kimberley Squadron in the Australian Army. In 2019, the service of Gija men in the military was formally recognised in a special medal ceremony at Warmun, presented by war hero Mr Keith Payne VC AM and Major Mac Jensen OAM RFD JP – a moving moment for Peter and his community.

Peter began painting in March 2024 and has quickly established himself as an exciting new voice in contemporary Gija art. His work has a raw, naïve energy that feels immediate and unfiltered, with bold ochre colours, strong silhouettes and dotted borders that speak to both tradition and personal storytelling. His paintings draw on Joonba stories, Juwari (Devil Spirit) figures, ancestral narratives and the rugged landscapes of his country. He also honours the memory of his late mother by depicting the stories she shared with him. Peter’s innovative style has resonated strongly with collectors, and his works have been in high demand since his debut.

In his first year as an artist, Peter achieved remarkable recognition:

• 2024 – Finalist, Lester Prize
• 2024 – Honourable Mention, Napier Waller Art Prize

In 2025, Peter was selected as one of the Rising Stars at the prestigious Outstation Gallery exhibition in Darwin, further cementing his reputation as one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary Aboriginal art.

Beyond painting, Peter has created a line of wearable art showcasing his creativity and connection to culture in new ways.

This painting depicts the Ngarranggarni (Dreaming) story of the barramundi, as told to Peter by his aunty, the late Madigan Thomas, a senior Gija Law woman from Violet Valley.

In the Dreaming, a barramundi is pursued by a group of old women and seeks refuge in a cave near the place now known as Barramundi Gap. The women prepare to catch the fish using traditional spinifex-grass fishing nets, a method known to the Gija people as Kilkayi.

Realising she is trapped in the shallow, muddy water at the cave entrance, the barramundi attempts to escape by swimming through the cave towards Nunbung (Wesley Spring). Unable to find a way through, she returns to the entrance where the women are waiting.

In a final effort to escape, the barramundi leaps over the women and their nets. As she jumps, her scales scatter across the ground. These scales are said to have become the colourful diamonds that are found in the area today.

The barramundi then passes through a gap in the rocks and reaches the deep waters of Kowinji. As she dives beneath the surface, she transforms into a white stone. Three of the old women who followed her to Kowinji look into the water searching for the fish and are also transformed into stone. Their forms remain in the landscape today as rock formations overlooking the creek.

According to Gija tradition, barramundi are absent from this area because the Ngarranggarni barramundi continues to reside there, forever connected to the Country through this ancestral story.

In this painting, Peter focuses on the moment the barramundi escaped from the old women, shedding her scales as she leapt to freedom. In Gija tradition, these scales became the diamonds found in the Country today. Through the use of ochre colours and repeated scale-like forms, Peter connects the Ngarranggarni story to the landscape where these events took place.

Story shared by the late Madigan Thomas and passed on through Gija cultural knowledge.