Painting Back Block Priest

Back Block Priest began in 1989 during a drive from Brisbane to Perth. When I reached the Nullarbor Plains—an immense landscape where there is seemingly nothing to see—my car began to overheat, which caused real concern. After some time, I came across a mission and pulled in, lifting the bonnet to let the engine cool.

As I looked up, I found myself surrounded by curious, smiling First Nations children. Standing slightly apart was a lone priest, quietly caring for them. I topped up the radiator, replaced the cap, waved goodbye, and continued on toward Kalgoorlie, still another day’s drive away. The image of that priest stayed with me. Later, I drew him, and that drawing became the foundation of the painting.

Thirty five years later composition continued to take shape after a visit to Silverton, NSW—an old ghost town best known as a filming location for the Mad Max films. I wanted the work to reflect the struggle between good and evil. At the time, the war in Ukraine was in full force and showed no sign of abating—a situation that, as I write this, still endures.

I often watch magpies defending their nests, and their behaviour can be unexpectedly fierce. This observation informed the fighting birds in the painting.

I have also frequently used power poles as a symbolic reference to the cross; in this work, the poles are positioned behind the priest, reinforcing that association.