Ned was born around 1941 near Papatatjara in the NE quadrant of Spinifex Country in the Great Victoria Desert of Western Australia.
During the Aboriginal Evangelical Mission sweep through Spinifex in the late 1950s, Ned was taken into Cundalee Mission with older brother Ted (dec) and younger brother Fred. Ned was a nyiingka (segregated bush boy) when he came in and was inducted into Men's Law in the ranges north west of Laverton.
A senior man by the early 1980s, Ned helped drive the return to Spinifex country and is now the main ceremonial leader of the Tjintu (sun side) of Spinifex society.
He has been painting with the Spinifex Arts Project since its 1997 inception, including as one of the 17 men who collaboratively painted their particular estates which formed the Men's Native Title painting. Since then, his collaborative contributions and individual works have been included in major exhibitions nationally and internationally and he was selected as a finalist in the 2025 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards.