Daily News Roundup

FRIDAY 25th September

It’s fourth time lucky for Vincent Namatjira, great-grandson of acclaimed artist Albert Namatjira, who has become the first Indigenous Australian to win the $100,000 Archibald Prize in its 99-year history.

The Western Arrernte artist was an Archibald finalist for the fourth consecutive year in 2020 (having been the runner up in 2018), with a double-portrait featuring himself alongside former AFL player and 2014 Australian of the Year Adam Goodes, entitled Stand Strong for Who You Are.

Accepting the award via Zoom from the APY Lands, where he lives, Namatjira said: “What an honour it is to be the first Indigenous winner of the Archibald Prize. It only took 99 years!”

The win comes off the back of an incredible 18 months for Namatjira, who won the $100,000 Ramsay Art Prize in 2019.

Namatjira first met Goodes in 2018, when he visited Indulkana, where the artist lives, to promote Indigenous literacy.

But he had been a fan of the footballer since childhood, writing in his artist statement:

“When I was younger and growing up in the foster system in Perth, Indigenous footballers were like heroes to me. Goodesy is much more than a great footballer though, he took a strong stand against racism and said, ‘enough is enough’. I stand strong with you too, brother.”

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Wreckage from the boat of missing man Tony Higgins, the Margrel, has been found about three kilometres south-east of the Murray Mouth.

SA Police said local police and water operations officers discovered the bow of the vessel among other debris just before 1:00pm today.

Images were posted on social media showing other parts of the boat along the shore, including its name.

Mr Higgins is yet to be found.

Police called off their search for the 57-year-old after three days yesterday.

He and his friend Derek Robinson had been found after the state’s biggest maritime search about three weeks ago.

But Mr Higgins went missing at sea on the same boat for a second time, putting out a distress call near Victor Harbor early on Tuesday morning.

Part of the back deck of his boat, equipment from it and a wallet containing Mr Higgins’s identification were found washed up near the Murray Mouth on Wednesday.

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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will not extend its support on Queensland’s borders beyond September 30, despite remaining at the New South Wales, Northern Territory and South Australian borders until the middle of October.

The ABC has been told ADF personnel in Queensland and Western Australian would be withdrawn when agreements with each state end on September 30.

In NSW and South Australia, the ADF has advised it will begin “drawing down” on personnel from October 15, and in the NT from October 30.

Queensland authorities have been lobbying the Federal Government for an extension of ADF support beyond September 30 to match agreements with other states.

“I got a letter back from the Minister for Defence where it states very clearly that they will not be moving on Queensland,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“I don’t think it’s fair or reasonable that Queensland has been singled out here.”

Josh Frydenberg says it is “rubbish” to suggest the Federal Government is singling out Queensland for political purposes.

 

ENDS