Martumili artists Jartarr Lily Long and Yuwali Janice Nixon at Kunkun near Well 33.  Photo: Morika Biljabu, 2008

Acrylic paintings are only one part of the Canning Stock Route collection, and one of the most recent expressions of desert people's innovative traditions. Indeed, the National Museum of Australia's recent acquisition of art and material culture is not even the first 'Canning Stock Route collection'. During the survey of the stock route in 1906–07, Alfred Canning and his men collected various items of Aboriginal people's material culture as ethnographic curios, including boomerangs, spears and sacred boards. (Canning's cook, Edward Blake, later accused the party of 'unfairly' acquiring some of these items.) When Canning went back to recondition the stock route wells in 1930–31, the Western Australian and South Australian museums arranged for an ornithologist and taxidermist, Otto Lipfert, to accompany him for the purpose of making official collections.

The usual objects of ethnographic curiosity - coolamons, spear-throwers, shields, pearl shell, throwing sticks, sandals and boomerangs - were acquired from desert people as a record of their ancient technologies. Yet today these objects tell another story: they cast a light on the innovations in material culture continually made by Aboriginal people as they responded to new influences, materials and ideas.

The ill-conceived placement and construction of Canning's wells made many traditional water sources inaccessible to Aboriginal people. Aboriginal people responded by destroying the wells, part of their attempt to prevent the return of the white men who were colonising their land. But they also did something else, as William Snell, who set about reconditioning the wells in 1929, reported: they creatively incorporated the well materials into desert life by fashioning pieces of metal and wood into everyday items, such as digging sticks and coolamons. At Well 28, Snell noted in his diary, 'the troughing and rope was carried away. Some of the troughing forms their camp several miles to the east'. This creative absorption of new materials is not limited to domestic uses. Snell also noted that people had begun drawing or painting on the well lids themselves.

A metal coolamon was recently discovered near Kalypa (Well 23) by Martumili artists Wokka Taylor and Yanjimi Peter Rowlands. It appears to have been made out of well troughing, the metal edges having been folded over to create a rounded lip. Martumili artist Ngamaru Bidu subsequently recognised the object as having been made and used by her parents.

In the desert, coolamons made of wood, known as piti and ngurti, were among a woman's most important possessions. Deep bowls were used for carrying water and food, and for soaking medicinal plants; shallower dishes were used for separating seed and as cradles for newborn babies. Smaller coolamons also served as tools for digging and clearing. The colourful baskets woven by Martu women today recall these vessels:

We design baskets to remind us of the piti [wooden dishes] we used to carry on our heads. We gather the minari [grass] from our own Country and we like lovely coloured wool.

Nola Taylor, Parnngurr, 2008

Another coolamon, collected by Canning's party in 1930–31, is so roughly hewn it looks as if it had dropped off a tree, but the fluting along its inner surface suggests a convention that emerged in Western Desert material culture through contact with Central Australian traditions. This aesthetic approach to even the most elementary technology reminds us that these objects are part of the enduring and dynamic artistic traditions of the region.

Canning also collected various other items from desert people, both during the first survey in 1906–07, and again when he returned 25 years later. Worn as protection against desert sands, scorched to more than 45°C by the summer sun, yakapiri (woven bark sandals) are unique to the peoples of the Western Desert. They are usually made from the tough inner bark of the yakapiri or 'bird plant', which grows in sandy areas over much of the Western Desert. Women also wore woven manguri (head pads) to cushion the weight of water, food and other items carried in wooden coolamons.

I was away when they started making baskets. I came home to Jigalong and watched my sisterin- law and she taught me. It was really nice. I used to watch Yikartu Bumba and Kumpaya; they really love making baskets. Nalda Searles came to Parnngurr and we coiled baskets all night and all day. All night and all day — no sleep in Parnngurr! Kumpaya, you have to talk because you brought this good idea to us.

Yuwali Janice Nixon, Parnngurr, 2008

When I was in Kurungal [Wangkatjungka] I was learning to make baskets. I learned how to make baskets before I started making painting. It's like weaving manguri [head pads].

Kumpaya Girgaba, Parnngurr, 2008

Desert shields were used principally during fighting and ceremonial occasions. An integral part of male hunting technology, spear-throwers were used to launch spears with great speed and accuracy. The designs engraved on the weapons made them powerful. Certain styles of engraving entered the Western Desert from Central Australia and from the coastal people to the west. They reveal longstanding trade routes and cultural interactions.

Innovations in material culture continue to be made. Desert women produce a variety of woven forms that fuse traditional weaving techniques with the wooden vessels so vital to their cultural life. Such baskets are made from coiled desert grasses wound with brightly coloured yarns that reveal subtle variations. Some are even constructed on the metal bases of tin cans, or embellished with beads, their shapes and design evolving in step with the imagination of their makers.

Today the most important innovation occurs in the realm of ceremonial activity - the dances, songs and ritual items that are central to desert culture. Ceremonies arising from the Jukurrpa are performed to revitalise both the desert people and their Country. But Aboriginal people today also create new songs, dances and ceremonial materials; these are drawn from dreams and from the stories that are critical to the historical and cultural identity of desert people.

Old people were happy because all the young ones been dancing and learning artefact making and collecting materials for ceremony. They been passing down to their grandkids so they can carry on that dancing.

Putuparri Tom Lawford, Fitzroy Crossing, 2008

Top row, left to right:

Ngurti (coolamon) 2007 by Kuji Rosie Goodjie and Nora Tjookootja, Ngurra Artists
wood
72 x 22 x 17 cm

Ngurti (coolamon) 2007 by Mayapu Elsie Thomas, Ngurra Artists
wood
75 x 28 x 18 cm

Coolamon 2008 by Pampirla Hansen Boxer, Short Street Gallery
wood and clay
83 x 29 x 18 cm

Bottom row, left to right:

Ngurti (coolamon) 2007 by George Tuckerbox, Ngurra Artists
wood
73 x 25 x 19 cm

Coolamon collected by Alfred Canning's party about 1930
northern Canning Stock Route
wood
68.5 x 15.5 x 19.5 cm
South Australian Museum

Metal coolamon late 1950s
made by Ngamaru Bidu's parents
metal troughing
47 x 24 x 8.2 cm
Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa Collection

Top row, left to right:

Spear-thrower collected by Alfred Canning's party about 1930
Northern Canning Stock Route
wood
47 x 6.2 cm
South Australian Museum

Shield collected by Alfred Canning's party about 1930
Northern Canning Stock Route
wood
71 x 13.5 x 4.5 cm
South Australian Museum

Bottom row, left to right:

Manguri (head pad) collected by Alfred Canning's party 1930
plant fibre
26.7 x 12 x 4 cm
South Australian Museum

Manguri (head pad) collected by Alfred Canning's party 1930
plant fibre
30 x 16 x 5 cm
South Australian Museum

Top and bottom, left:

Yakapiri (bark sandals) 2008 by Penny K-Lyons, Mangkaja Arts
plant fibre
15.5 x 10 x 5 cm (child's sandals)
18 x 11 x 4 cm (adult's sandals)

Top right:

Yakapiri (bark sandals) collected by Alfred Canning's party, 1930
plant fibre
25.5 x 11.5 x 4 cm
South Australian Museum

Yuwali Janice Nixon, Martumili Artists, 2008, plant fibre and yarn on a metal base, 20 x 17 cm (diameter)

Top row, left to right:

Basket 2008 by Yuwali Janice Nixon, Martumili Artists
plant fibre and yarn on a metal base with bead trim
16 x 20 cm (diameter)

Basket 2008 by Yuwali Janice Nixon, Martumili Artists
plant fibre and yarn on a metal base
20 x 19 cm (diameter)

Bottom row, left to right:

Basket 2008 by Yikartu Bumba, Martumili Artists
plant fibre and yarn on a metal base with bead trim
8 x 23 cm (diameter)

Basket 2008 by Lily Long, Martumili Artists
plant fibre and yarn on a metal base with bead trim
8 x 22 cm (diameter)