Saying goodbye to Yarra
Yarra and Ze had a bond through their art
By Ze
Yarra’s gone, we were so close we’d finish each other’s sentences. People thought we were a couple. We would laugh, he’d say: “Na she’s me sista from another mista.”
Lung cancer took him on September 18. He was only 59. Our friendship grew through art, painting colourful dot paintings and our love of being in nature.
He liked to go worming, fishing and crabbing. Rainbow was an ideal home with Kgari and Tin Can Bay nearby.
Yarra was an amazing dot artist, creating paintings inspired by nature. One large canvas was entirely covered in snakes each a different colour and pattern. It took him three years to paint.
He was an Arakawal Bunjalung man, his tribe is from Byron Bay. He was born May 23, 1960 in Brisbane.
Through our business, Rainbow Dreaming, backpackers from all around the world experienced his culture, making a didgeridoo (yadaki) or painting a boomerang (kylie). They took home a wonderful memento of their Australian adventure. Yarra loved meeting people sharing a drink, smoke and a yarn.
Joel Mak will play a memorial November 16, at the Rainbow Beach Hotel. Sammy will play a didge gathering Carlo Sandblow November 12, full moon weather permitting.
Yarra’s ashes will be scattered at Broken Head Beach NSW 3pm, November 2. His art will be on display at the Rainbow Beach Library from November 1.
Come tell your Yarra story, we will remember him and celebrate his life. I will miss your cheeky smile my brotha from anotha motha.
