Bill Yidumduma Harney AM (born c. 1931) is an Australian Aboriginal elder of the Wardaman people. He is recognised as an artist, storyteller, musician, didgeridoo maker, author, and advocate for Aboriginal cultural knowledge and land rights. As of 2022 he resides at Menngen Station near Katherine in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Early life and education
Harney was born around 1931 at Brandy Bottle Creek on Willeroo Station, Northern Territory. His biological father was the Irish‑Australian writer William Edward Harney, but he was raised in a traditional Wardaman community by his adoptive parents, Joe Jomornji and Ludi Yibuluyma. He avoided removal during the Stolen Generations when his mother covered him in charcoal to conceal his skin colour. From the age of twelve he worked as a stockman on cattle stations, and between ages 13 and 19 he received training in Wardaman rock‑art and body‑painting styles during his initiation.
Artistic career
From 1974 to 1994 Harney lived in Katherine, establishing a business that supplied didgeridoos and supported an extended family of about 60 dependants. He began exhibiting paintings in 1979, working on bark and canvas with ochre pigments. His works have been selected repeatedly for the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards and are held in public collections such as the Darwin Museum, Parliament House in Darwin, and Parliament House in Sydney. He has been represented by Mimi Aboriginal Art and Craft in Katherine.
Tourism and land‑rights advocacy
Harney operated a tour‑guiding enterprise and, in 2004, received the Brolga Award for Tourism. In 1999 he secured land‑rights for the Wardaman people over Menngen Station (formerly Innesvale Station). The Wardaman Aboriginal Corporation, with Harney as chair, manages the station.
Cultural promotion and publications
Harney is a prominent advocate for Aboriginal knowledge, especially Wardaman astronomy. He has appeared on television, radio, and film, notably in the 2009 “The First Astronomers” show with astrophysicist Ray Norris and the ABC TV series Message Stick. In 2003 he co‑authored Dark Sparklers (with Hugh Cairns), documenting Wardaman astronomical traditions. Other works include Born Under the Paperbark Tree (1999, with Jan Wositzky).
Honours
In 2020 the International Astronomical Union named asteroid 7630 Yidumduma in his honour for his contributions to the preservation of Indigenous astronomical knowledge. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2026 Australia Day Honours for his service to Indigenous arts and cultural heritage.
Selected bibliography
- Born Under the Paperbark Tree (1999, with Jan Wositzky)
- Dark Sparklers (2003, with Hugh Cairns)
Harney continues to be a respected elder, artist, and cultural ambassador for the Wardaman people.