Roy Marika

Roy Dadaynga Marika MBE (c.1925–1993) was an Aboriginal Australian artist and Indigenous rights activist, who appeared in two films. He was a member of the Marika family, brother of Mawalan 1 Marika, Mathaman Marika, Milirrpum Marika and Dhunggala Marika.

Early life

Dadaynga Marika, known as "Roy", was born around 1925,[1] a member of the Rirratjiŋu clan. Among his brothers were Mawalan I, Mathaman, Milirrpum, and Dhunggala Marika.[1][2]

Leadership and activism

In 1963, Roy Dadaynga, along with Mawalan, Mathaman, Dhunggala, and Milirrpum, led 13 clans in their bid for establishing land rights for the Yolngu people of the Gove Peninsula, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, when they created the Yirrkala bark petitions, which were presented to the Australian Parliament in August 1963.[3][4] In December 1963, Roy Dadaynga organised a farewell bunggul for mission supervisor Edgar Wells and his wife Ann Wells three days after Christmas. The Wellses had supported the people in their bid for land rights, for which Edgar was punished by the Methodist Overseas Mission by ordering him to leave the mission.[5]

Roy Dadaynga assumed the role of leader of the Rirratjiŋu clan from 1970 onwards, and became the president of the Yirrkala Village Council in 1974 when the mission closed. The Marikas were involved in Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd (named after Roy's older brother Milirrpum, also known as the Gove land rights case). All five were politically active for the rights of the Indigenous Australians, and four of them were well-known Aboriginal artists.[1]

Roy Dadaynga founded Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation in 1984.[2]

In film

Roy Dadaynga acted in two films: Werner Herzog's Where the Green Ants Dream (1984), and Banduk (1985).[6][7]

Death and legacy

Roy Dadaynga died in 1993.[1]

His daughter (with Djerrkngu (Eunice) Marika) was Raymattja Marika[8] and his son is Banula Marika.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The Marika family [Exhibition notes from Yalangbara: Art of the Djang'kawu]". National Museum of Australia. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2020. Includes short bios of: Mawalan 1 Marika (c. 1908–1967), Mathaman Marika (c. 1920–1970), Milirrpum Marika (c. 1923–1983), Roy Dadaynga Marika MBE (c. 1925–1993), Wandjuk Djuwakan Marika OBE (1929–1987), Banduk Marika (1954–2021), Dhuwarrwarr Marika (born c.1946), Wanyubi Marika (born 1967),Yalmay Gurrwun (Marika) Yunupingu (born 1956), Mawalan 2 Marika (born 1957), Jimmy Barrmula Yunupingu (born 1963) (son of Dhuwarrwarr Marika).
  2. ^ a b "Our History". Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Leaders in law, business and community". Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. Retrieved 28 July 2021. ...five Rirratjingu brothers took action. Mawalan Marika, Mathaman Marika, Milirrpum Marika, Dhunggala Marika and Roy Dadaynga Marika led the 13 Yirrkala clans to create the Yirrkala bark petitions.
  4. ^ Wright, Clare (2023). "1963 - The Yirrkala Bark Petitions". Australian Dictionary of Biography. The Quest for Indigenous Recognition. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  5. ^ Wright, Clare (1 October 2024). Näku Dhäruk: The Bark Petitions: How the People of Yirrkala Changed the course of Australian democracy. Text Publishing Company. p. 537, etc. ISBN 978-1-922330-86-4.
  6. ^ Roy Marika at IMDb
  7. ^ Guest, Sarah (22 September 2016) [1986]. "The parakeet connection". Cinema Papers: 52. Retrieved 25 July 2021 – via Issuu.
  8. ^ "[award of the Degree of Doctor of Education Raymattja Marika]" (PDF). Charles Darwin University. Retrieved 14 January 2026. She is the oldest child of Dadaynga (Roy) and Djerrkngu (Eunice) Marika
  9. ^ "Banula Marika". Bangarra Knowledge Ground. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
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