Lyla Joan Hume

Lyla Joan Hume was born on 6th May, 1934 in Greenbushes, Western Australia, one of six children to Emily Alice Burford. She is the daughter of Jack Hume, a noongar descendant of the Bibbulum tribe in South Western Australia. Lyla`s heritage was verified in 1978, though she always had an affiliation and love for the Aborigines of Western Australia long before then.

In the late1960`s Lyla did a long stint operating the general store at Warburton Aboriginal mission. Warburton was the centre of a very large Aboriginal reserve, Ngaanyatjarra which is extremely isolated, stretching east to the Northern Territory border. Beyond there the first major settlement is Yulara, near Uluru. The closest town is Laverton 560 km south west along the Great Central Road. Lyla had a deep sense of belonging with the Wongi  people and was accepted as one of them, even though at the time she was unaware of her heritage, which became known in 1978 and was verified by Aboriginal elders and government authorities. Always a crafts person, she took on serious painting in her early seventies. She draws on her recollection, understanding and dreamings of her Wongi people, past and present, and paints with her heart and soul, expressing the Wongi language and symbols.

Though these days severely hampered by persistent pain and injuries as a result of her other passion, a life time of caring for Indigenous children who needed short term fostering or respite. Having raised four of her own children, she has also singularly adopted and raised two others, Agnes (Nessie) Fraser and Adam Anderson, whilst fostering over one hundred indigenous children. Lyla Joan Hume still continues to produce beautiful raw Indigenous art.