Our Name

Researcherenye Wappayalawangka-Central Australia Academic Health Science Network (CA AHSN) is dedicated to improving the health of people in central Australia, with a focus on Aboriginal health. It is focused on community-driven research and research translation in close collaboration with research, educational and service delivery organisations.

Our name, Researcherenye Wappayalawangka, reflects our place in central Australia—one that goes beyond arbitrary state and territory boundaries.

Researcherenye is an Arrernte rendering of a borrowed word describing a gathering of researchers. Wappayalawangka is made up of the first one or two letters of the fourteen First Nation languages represented in central Australia.

Our Logo

Our logo was designed by renowned Arrernte artist, Marlene Rubuntja, who lives at Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp (Larapinta Valley Town Camp). The work, taken from a print by Marlene is entitled “Landscape”. The logo has been licensed to CA AHSN for non-commercial use.

Marlene was born in Alice Springs in 1961. Her mother’s country is Hermannsburg (Ntaria), west of Alice Springs. Marlene grew up at Amoonguna community, east of Alice Springs where she went to school. Marlene is the daughter of Wenten Rubuntja the well known painter and activist. It was her father who fought for the rights of people to settle Town Camps in Alice Springs. In the 1970s her family, the Rubuntjas, along with the Ebatarinjas and the Lynches were the original families to settle Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp. Marlene has been here ever since and she is proud to call this place home. She is sister to the important watercolour artist Mervyn Rubuntja. Marlene learnt to sew at Yirara College, Alice Springs, however she only began making soft sculptures at Yarrenyty Arltere in 2009. She says she draws inspiration for her soft sculptures from what she sees around her in her daily life at Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp; “some things are good for people and other things make people really mad”.

She also draws inspiration from her husband’s country at Wave Hill. Marlene is interested in telling proudly the stories of her people; her art is helping her to do this. Marlene is a proud spokeswoman for the art centre and is happy to tell people how important it is in her life in helping her stay strong and healthy. 

Marlene has also written the script for both the soft sculpture animations made at the art centre in conjunction with the YALC multi media room. In 2016 Marlene officially opened Desert Mob Exhibition in Alice Springs and in 2017 she was one of three judges for the Portrait of a Senior Territorian Art Award.

In 2016 Marlene won the inaugural Vincent Lingiari Art Award.

http://www.yarrenytyarltereartists.com.au/marlene