Draft:Jim "Boongar" Edwards

Jim "Boongar" Edwards (1953–) is an Aboriginal artist and author known for his vibrant oil paintings and woodworking.

Biography
Boongar was born in Cherbourg Aboriginal Mission near Murgon, S.E. Qld), is a descendant of the Wakka Wakka (through his father) and the Kabi Kabi (through his mother). "My Granny Elsie took me to the bush and showed me the foods and fruits ("bush tucker"). My uncles taught me to make boomerangs and how to paint. When I was small, my great-grandfather "natja" Willie McKenzie ("Geerbau", honey-bee), a storyteller, and songmaker, used to come to Cherbourg and tell Dreamtime stories ("ninangura") to us kids. I have painted nearly all my life and painted the stories that have been told to me as my tribal heritage."

- Jim "Boongar" Edwards

Career
In 1983, Boongar had the first of many exhibitions in Brisbane. He has had exhibitions in Amsterdam, Nijmegen, Cologne and Mainz. He sells aboriginal arts and crafts in his shop in Kuranda, where he paints and autographs his work.

Previously, his son Brian Dada Fisher ("Winjejla") and he are working on a collection of prints and a bush-tucker calendar, indicating the best foods for each season.