Sadie Singer

Sadie was born at Lambina Station near Indulkana and her mother's Country is Watjapila (Yankunytjatjara) and her father's country is west of Indulkana in the Pitjantjatjara Lands.Sadie says:

"I spent my childhood in Coober Pedy, attended school there and as a teenager worked at the Reserve washing clothes for the local children. I first married in Coober Pedy. I worked at the Roadhouse working for Mrs. Jack and Mary Brewster. I lived in Coober Pedy with my family for the majority of the 1960's and then in 1975 I traveled to Indulkana, back home to where I was born. I was a teacher at the Indulkana School from 1975 for one and a half years. I taught the three languages; Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and English to the children. I then moved to Fregon and continued teaching there. I started my Certificate of Teacher's Education at Batchelor College and graduated two years later. We left Fregon in 1983 and returned to Indulkana. I began work at the community clinic as a health worker and worked for two and a half years. In this time I traveled to Adelaide to obtain my Health Worker's certificate.For something different, I worked in the Old Store as a salesperson and at the time worked as a Night Warden for the community to try and look after the children and stop petrol sniffing. In 1984 I began my career as an artist at Iwantja, assisting the coordinator at the time, Beverly Old. I worked as a member of the Indulkana Community Council for seven years. I then worked as a Police Aid. Now, I live on my homeland, 10kms outside of Indulkana and today I am semi-retired. I now teach my grandchildren how to make paintings and how to do Inma (dancing) and make artefacts. I tell them how to continue stories about special bush-tuckers, honey ant and jukurrpa (dreamings). I look after my boys and grandchildren. I teach them how to follow the fresh tracks to get emu, perenteye, and kangaroo. They have to hear about their great,