Spearing fish and black swan

Tommy McRae lived with his family in the upper Murray region of New South Wales/Victoria, on a reserve at Lake Moodemere near Mahgunhah and Corowa. He began drawing late in life, and his drawings, made using readily available commercial ink, pens and sketchbooks, depict aspects of Aboriginal life, the impact of British colonialism, and the incursion of European and Chinese people onto Aboriginal land.

Spearing fish and black swan c.1880 has a lightness that echoes the extreme stillness required when a spear is poised in anticipation. In the upper image, a long fishing spear almost reaches its intended prey, while a shorter hunting spear is evident in the lower image. The subtle differences detailed by McRae, such as with these spears, are deliberate, and skilful, and offer great insight into specific practices that are no longer prolific within the southeast of Australia.