Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Roughsey, Dick
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- Goobalathaldin
- Roughsey, Goobalathaldin
- Roughsey, Dick, 1920-1985
- Roughsey, Dick, 1923-1985
- Roughsey, Dick, 1924-1985
- Goobalathaldin, 1920-1985
- Roughsey, Dick (Goobalathaldin), 1920–1985
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1924-1985
History
Dick Roughsey was born near Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1924. His name is translated from his tribal name Goobalathaldin, meaning 'water standing on end'. Brought up within the tribe, he was educated at a Presbyterian mission, subsequently returning to his people. Roughsey was assisted in his painting career through the encouragement of an Ansett pilot, Percy Trezise, and has successfully exhibited bark paintings and oils. Roughsey and Trezise collaborated for many years producing picture books which retold traditional stories. These were among the first to introduce Aboriginal culture to children. The stories include The Rainbow Serpent (1975), Banana Bird and the Snake Man (1980), about how the birds outwitted the snakes, The Magic Firesticks (1983) a legend from the Yalanji people and The Flying Fox Warriors (1985). Roughsey's richly illustrated autobiography Moon and Rainbow: the Autobiography of an Aboriginal was published in 1971. He was the first chairman of the Aboriginal Arts Board in 1973.
Places
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Relationships area
Access points area
Subject access points
Place access points
Occupations
Control area
Authority record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Revised
Level of detail
Full
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Revised, AM, 08-Aug-2023.
Revised, JH, 3-Jun-2020
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
'Roughsey, Dick (Goobalathaldin) (1920–1985)', Indigenous Australia, National Centre of Biography, accessed online 08-Aug-2023.