Albert Namatjira's house was constructed by the great artist himself with the help of other local men in 1944, after the success of an exhibition in Melbourne. Albert Namatjira’s eldest son was born ‘out bush’ and his exact date of birth is unknown. Built of local materials, the house reflected the style, materials and techniques used at Hermannsburg Mission over many years. Albert Namatjira was born at Hermannsburg in 1902. Albert Namatjira in his pick-up truck. He was born at Hermannsburg Lutheran Mission, Ntaria, near Alice Springs in 1902, the son of Namatjira and Ljukuta. He often framed his landscapes with an iconic gum tree placed on either side of the composition to produce the shallow space leading the eye to the scene beyond. Albert Namatjira held his first exhibition in Melbourne in 1938 and his fine watercolour paintings of the dramatic Australian landscapes around his home community at Hermannsburg created great interest and instant sales success. H However he also positioned himself for close encounters. In a second Namatjira painting, Albert’s Camp near Mount Hermannsburg, 1941, a tiny tent can be seen in the middle ground, again dwarfed by the mountain and the mighty landscape in which it sits. 1902 – 1959 Albert Namatjira was the pioneer and founder of the Hermannsburg School. Ghost gums with luminous white trunks, palm-filled gorges and red mountain ranges turning purple at dusk are the hallmarks of the Hermannsburg school. … Albert (Elea) Namatjira was born on the 28th July 1902 at Hermannsburg (Ntaria) to Namatjira (later baptised as Jonathan) and his wife Ljukuta (Emilie). Picture by Ern McQuillan. Albert turned eighteen in July of 1920, the year of Enos’ birth and his mother Rubina turned seventeen.
He attended the mission school and lived with other boys in the dormitory which is located at the western end of the historic precinct as it is today. Even though he was christened, he maintained his Arrernte spiritual beliefs and often went “walkabout” in the outback with his relatives, disappearing for weeks at a time. Albert Namatjira became renowned for his panoramic images. Enos Namatjira was a founder and master of the Hermannsburg School. They were Western Arrernte people. Albert became its first master painter. Although not the first Aboriginal artist to work in a European style, Albert Namatjira is certainly the most famous. Stockley has clearly responded to the mountain, its impressive presence and scale, in the oil on paper works, 71, 72, 89 (pictured below).