Ivan Johnson is a man making a difference with the teacher, artist and playing an important role as member of the Mungo National Park advisory board. Now the proud Barkindji man discusses his life and times with PHIL KETTLE.
IVAN Johnson was born in Bourke in the 1960s and soon after, along with his family, moved to the Wentworth and Dareton area.
His mum was born in Dareton and always wanted to return to where she had family.
Johnson, the third youngest of 11 in the family, was two years old when they returned.
“Our mother was the sole carer of the family and the older I get, the more I am in admiration of the what she did,” he said.
Johnson and his family lived at the Namatjira Avenue mission at Dareton.
“While there are some that might think it wasn’t the best place to spend your formative years, for me it was a great place for me to learn about my culture from my elders,” he said.
“I respected everything that they taught me and learnt so much from them.”
School for Johnson began at Dareton Primary before he went on to Coomealla High and like a lot of boys, his favourite subject at school was sport.
“I was pretty good at football and soon started playing for Wentworth Football Club in the under-14s,” he said.
“It was around this time that an Aboriginal football team was formed in Coomealla that played in the Millewa Football League and I played there for four very enjoyable years.”
With school finished, Johnson moved to Albury, where he had obtained a job at Albury Base Hospital as a storeman.
After four years and missing family and Mildura, Johnson returned in the mid-1990s and enrolled in an art course at TAFE.
“On completing that course, I went on to do my bachelor’s degree in fine art at the La Trobe University Mildura campus, and after graduating I was offered a job teaching Aboriginal art at SuniTAFE which I accepted,” he said.
“Painting for me was a way of expressing myself, it allows you to tell a story, a story in pictures, and sometimes that can be the best story of all.
“I try to tell students that what you create is an expression of who you are.”
After working at SuniTAFE for five years, Johnson left and started working at the KODE School, starting his teacher’s degree while working there.
“It took me four years to get my teaching degree, which required me to spend a month each term in Newport, Melbourne,” he said.
“It was hard work, but I was determined and was so proud when I qualified to teach.”
Johnson began working at Mildura Primary School, teaching Indigenous language, culture and art, and for the past 10 years has become a valuable member of the staff.
Johnson was first appointed to the Aboriginal Advisory Group in 2017 after being elected by the Barkindji community to care for the World Heritage site Mungo National Park.
“I love going to Mungo on country, it’s where I really feel I belong,” he said.
“It feels spiritual when I’m there, I love it.
“I’ve had some great moments in life, but I do think that the repatriation of Mungo Man and Mungo Woman are my major highlights.
“My core focus has been working to create new educational resources and opportunities for students of all ages.
“For those that have been to Mungo, they will tell you that there is no better place in the world to just sit and reflect.
“It is not only a beautiful place filled with a history like no other place, a history for me that is my culture, my past. It is a history that I want others to understand and appreciate.”
Life for Johnson isn’t slowing down as he gets older.
It has, in fact, got busier, with six daughters, 12 grandchildren, a full-time teaching job, being on the Aboriginal Advisory Group and acting as a tour guide, when time permits.
