About Selma Hoosan

Selma Marrbarmarnyar Hoosan's mother Nancy McDinny was flown up to Darwin in 1980 as there was no hospital Borroloola. She was born just as her father Stewart Hoosan arrived on the bus! It was their first time to Darwin. Selma grew up on Wandangula outstation until she was about 16, then lived at Sandridge outstation near Borroloola. She grew up in the mustering camps on her grandfather's country. Always out in the bus, hunting for turtle with the old ladies. Her parents were always mustering and she dedicates her paintings to her elders including her father, her grandfather Danny McDinny, great uncle Billy Kid, uncle Gordon, her mother and aunties Myra and Linda. They would dance every night, with her mother Nancy the best teacher of all the dance, songs and culture. Now, Selma is the lead of her mother's Ngabaya Dance and teaches all the young kids. At Wandangula, they went to a bush school with Nancy as the assistant teacher. School was in the bush and the mustering camps. Later, she attended boarding school in Darwin until Year 10. She saw her grandfather and parents paint. At first, she didn't want to paint. Instead, she was an assistant teacher at Wandangula after finishing school. She was a Board Member at Mabunji and worked at the Malandirri Store. Now she likes painting the stories and memories of her country.