Richard Walley
Encyclopedia
Dr Richard Walley OAM is a Nyoongar man, one of Australia's
leading Aboriginal
performers
, musician
s and writer
s, who has been a campaigner for the Indigenous
cause.
, spent much of his childhood at Pinjarra, 80 km south of Perth. began his work in social justice
for Indigenous Australians
in the Perth region, the Nyoongars, at a young age. By 23 he was chairing Western Australia's Aboriginal Advisory Board, while also involved in the formation or operation of the Aboriginal Housing Board, Aboriginal Medical Service, Aboriginal Legal Service, Aboriginal Alcoholism Committee, Aboriginal Sports Foundation and the New Era Aboriginal Fellowship.
In 1978, he founded the Middar Aboriginal Theatre with three friends, including Ernie Dingo
, who he had met playing basketball
. Richard had realised early the powerful potential of theatre
to raise issues and bring messages to the broader community, black and white.
Aiming to take the Nyungar culture from the south-west corner of Australia to as many people as possible, the Middar group went on to perform in 32 countries, on every continent, to live audiences totalling almost ten million people.
After acting in theatre and TV, Richard went on to further develop his theatre skills, holding the role of either director or assistant director in 10 productions in theatre and TV from 1982 to 1993. Several of these productions took place in the United States
and the UK. During this period Richard also wrote several screenplay
s.
Richard is also a renowned didgeridoo
player and has produced a six CD collection of didgeridoo music that is inspired by the six seasons of the Nyungar calendar.
He has played didgeridoo live at London's
Royal Albert Hall
, as well as in Greece
, Slovenia
, Japan
, Mexico
, the U.S.
, and Canada
, to name just a few.
In 2001 he performed in Westminster Abbey
for dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II
, as part Australia's Centenary of Federation celebrations.
In the same year, he worked with Carlos Santana
with music for his Supernatural Evening with Santana and contributed to the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
.
Richard is also a visual artist, with his works in much demand by collectors in Australia and overseas. In 1993 Richard was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his contribution to the Performing Arts and Nyungar culture.
From 2000 he served as Chair of the Australia Council's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board, a position he had held previously between 1992 and 1996. In 2001, Murdoch University
in Western Australia recognised his contribution to Nyungar culture and the wider community with an honorary Doctorate of Letters
.
In 2003, he released Two Tribes, a collaboration with a group of artists; an eclectic selection of songs combining traditional Indigenous music with contemporary styles such as rap and hip hop
.
Richard has been involved as director, designer, writer, musician, dancer and actor with a range of stage and television productions including The Dreamers (1982), A Fortunate Life (1984), Bullies House (1985), Coordah (1985), Australian Mosaic (1988), Jackaroo
(1990), Balaan Balaan Gwdtha (1992) and Close to the Bone (1993).
Most recently, he has toured with the John Butler Trio
delivering a unique Indigenous and spoken word
performance, Son of MotherEarth.
Richard says, "through music, dance and art we can achieve natural highs and core inner strength without the use of artificial stimulants, thus enhancing the spirit, strengthening the mind and invigorating the body which brings a feeling of self worth and holistic respect."
Richard is a fluent speaker of the Nyungar language. He is Director of Aboriginal Productions and Promotions.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
leading Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
performers
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
s, who has been a campaigner for the Indigenous
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
cause.
Biography
Richard Barry Walley, born in 1953 in Meekatharra, 750 km north of Perth, Western AustraliaPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, spent much of his childhood at Pinjarra, 80 km south of Perth. began his work in social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
for Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
in the Perth region, the Nyoongars, at a young age. By 23 he was chairing Western Australia's Aboriginal Advisory Board, while also involved in the formation or operation of the Aboriginal Housing Board, Aboriginal Medical Service, Aboriginal Legal Service, Aboriginal Alcoholism Committee, Aboriginal Sports Foundation and the New Era Aboriginal Fellowship.
In 1978, he founded the Middar Aboriginal Theatre with three friends, including Ernie Dingo
Ernie Dingo
Ernie Dingo AM is an Indigenous Australian actor and television presenter originating from the Yamatji people of the Murchison region of Western Australia.-Background:...
, who he had met playing basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. Richard had realised early the powerful potential of theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
to raise issues and bring messages to the broader community, black and white.
Aiming to take the Nyungar culture from the south-west corner of Australia to as many people as possible, the Middar group went on to perform in 32 countries, on every continent, to live audiences totalling almost ten million people.
After acting in theatre and TV, Richard went on to further develop his theatre skills, holding the role of either director or assistant director in 10 productions in theatre and TV from 1982 to 1993. Several of these productions took place in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the UK. During this period Richard also wrote several screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
s.
Richard is also a renowned didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
player and has produced a six CD collection of didgeridoo music that is inspired by the six seasons of the Nyungar calendar.
He has played didgeridoo live at London's
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, as well as in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, to name just a few.
In 2001 he performed in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
for dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, as part Australia's Centenary of Federation celebrations.
In the same year, he worked with Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
with music for his Supernatural Evening with Santana and contributed to the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Richard is also a visual artist, with his works in much demand by collectors in Australia and overseas. In 1993 Richard was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his contribution to the Performing Arts and Nyungar culture.
From 2000 he served as Chair of the Australia Council's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board, a position he had held previously between 1992 and 1996. In 2001, Murdoch University
Murdoch University
Murdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It began operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975...
in Western Australia recognised his contribution to Nyungar culture and the wider community with an honorary Doctorate of Letters
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
.
In 2003, he released Two Tribes, a collaboration with a group of artists; an eclectic selection of songs combining traditional Indigenous music with contemporary styles such as rap and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
.
Richard has been involved as director, designer, writer, musician, dancer and actor with a range of stage and television productions including The Dreamers (1982), A Fortunate Life (1984), Bullies House (1985), Coordah (1985), Australian Mosaic (1988), Jackaroo
Jackaroo
-Vehicle:* Holden Jackaroo, an Australian 4WD utility or wagon for rough ground * Thruxton Jackaroo, a 1950s British four-seat biplane-Other:* Buddy Williams , known as the yodeling jackaroo...
(1990), Balaan Balaan Gwdtha (1992) and Close to the Bone (1993).
Most recently, he has toured with the John Butler Trio
John Butler Trio
The John Butler Trio are an eclectic roots and jam band from Australia led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler. They formed in Fremantle in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums and Gavin Shoesmith on bass guitar...
delivering a unique Indigenous and spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
performance, Son of MotherEarth.
Richard says, "through music, dance and art we can achieve natural highs and core inner strength without the use of artificial stimulants, thus enhancing the spirit, strengthening the mind and invigorating the body which brings a feeling of self worth and holistic respect."
Richard is a fluent speaker of the Nyungar language. He is Director of Aboriginal Productions and Promotions.
Discography
- Bilya (1996)
- Kooyar (1996)
- Yoowintj (1996)
- Waitch (1996)
- Carda (1996)
- Boolong (1996)
- Two Tribes - SunMusic/MGMMGM DistributionMGM Distribution is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise and was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase....
(SMACD35) (2003) - Two Roads - SunMusic/MGM (2005)