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Biographies of Hope Vale Artists

Below are some brief biographical details of artists who work with the Hope Vale Community art and culture. Paintings by these artists are available in our Hopevale Paintings section.

Roy McIvor
Evelyn McGreen
Derek Rosendale

Roy McIvor

Born: 1934
Location: Cape Bedford Mission
Clan Group: Binthi
Language: Guugu Yimithirr
Themes: Stories of my country

Roy lives at Hope Vale. His mother was Rachel McIvor from Stonehenge, near Longreach and his father was Paddy McIvor from McIvor Country, near McIvor River, north of Hope Vale.

Roy was born at Cape Bedford Mission in 1934 and later moved to Spring Hill. Both were Lutheran sites north of Cooktown in Far North Queensland. In 1942, Roy his family and the Cape Bedford Community were forcibly removed from the mission by the military to Woorabinda, near Rockhampton.

Roy spent the final years of his formal schooling in Woorabinda. He recalls being inspired by the wife of a teacher, Mrs Jarrett. She was always complimenting him and supportive of his artistic ability and was, "a jolly good artist herself," said Roy.

Mrs Jarrett said, "I hope you keep doing art," and these words were the springboard into a life time interest and working in art for Roy. His curiosity and explorative nature has shown up through the development of his artwork. Roy has experimented with many techniques and concepts for over 40 years, leaving him with a truly unique Indigenous style.

Roy is the Chairman of Hopevale Community Art and Cultural Centre and a stalwart figure in the promotion of Indigenous art and culture at Hope Vale
His work is currently in the following collections: Queensland Art Gallery and the Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane.

Evelyn Mc Green

Born: 1942
Location: Woorabinda
Clan Group: Binthi
Language: Thupi Warra
Themes: Sea and land

I am the daughter of Roy and May Dick. I was born in Woorabinda in 1942, and moved to Hope Vale in the early 1950s, where my parents were originally from.

My father was a pioneer of this place, and helped build the church here. In my early years I loved helping my dad with his carpentry. I was a bit of a tomboy. I loved working with tools. I spent my school years here and married Benny McGreen in 1962. We had five children.

I started painting in about 2002. My early paintings were of sea animals, fish and flowers. When I started, I was a bit lost, but now I know what I'm doing and what I want to achieve. I'm using different shapes and backgrounds.

I am also a basket-weaver, I weave with sisal hemp, pandanus, beach hibiscus and bajin [lomandra longifolia], and collect bush dyes to colour the fibre.

Derek Rosendale

Derek is a member of the Binthi clan of the Guguu Yimithirr people from the McIvor River area near Hope Vale. He also has family ties to the Western Guguu Yalanji people from the Quinkan Reserve, Maytown and Split Rock areas near the township of Laura. He grew up in Hope Vale Aboriginal Community speaking the Guguu Yimithirr language of his mother’s people.

Derek says: "My artworks are heavily influenced by the spirituality of my people. I was never taught to paint in the traditional fashion but draw my inspiration from the stories and depictions of the many spirit creatures and entities that inhabit the country of the Guguu Yimithirr and Guguu Yalanji peoples. I was told many of the stories of these spirit beings by my tribal grandfathers and other elders while growing up in this region. I remember many happy days and evenings seated at the feet of my grandfathers as they told their stories of the spirit beings and their roles in creating, forming and shaping the world of my peoples in the time referred to as the ‘Dreamtime’. Some of my artworks also depict the hunting and gathering stories told by my grandfathers and grandmothers of long ago."