Julie Gough is an artist, writer and curator who lives in Hobart, Tasmania. She was born in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia) in 1965, and has lived mostly in Tasmania since the end of 1993.
Julie’s research and art practice involves uncovering and re-presenting subsumed and often conflicting histories, often referring to her own and her family’s experiences as Tasmanian Aboriginal people. Current work in installation, sound and video provides the means to explore ephemerality, absence and recurrence.
Julie is Trawlwoolway through her maternal family, and her Traditional homeland is Tebrikunna in far north eastern Lutruwita / Tasmania, with her extended family living in the Latrobe / East Devonport region since the 1840s. Julie’s paternal heritage is mostly Scottish and Irish. Trawlwoolway Ancestor Woretemoeteyenner, also known as Margaret and Bung, was one of the four daughters of east coast leader, Mannalargenna and was born in the late 1790s on Country. She lived much of her adult life in the Furneaux Islands, including on Preservation, Clarke and Cape Barren Islands, where at least four of her children to then sealer / straitsman George Briggs were born, including Julie’s ancestor Dalrymple Briggs (aka Dolly) born c.1808-1812, according to her obituary, on (little) Kangaroo Island near Flinders Island. Julie is descended from their 9th child of 13, Charlotte Johnson who married James Gower.
In 1841 Dolly petitioned the Government for the release of her mother from incarceration at Wybalenna on Flinders Island, where her grandfather Mannalargenna had died six years earlier (TAHO, CO280/133, 171-171a). With the support of influential Port Officer and Dunorlan neighbour, William Moriarty, the petition was successful and Woretemoeteyenner lived her final years with her daughter, son in law, and grandchildren.
Julie holds a PhD from the University of Tasmania (2001), Masters degree (Visual Arts) University of London (Goldsmiths College)(1998), BA (Visual Arts) Curtin University West Australia (1994), BA Honours (Visual Arts) First Class, University of Tasmania (1995) and BA (Prehistory/ English Literature), University of West Australia (1987).
She has held over 20 solo exhibitions and exhibited in more than 130 group exhibitions since 1994 including The Clemenger Award, NGV (2009), Biennale of Sydney (2006), Liverpool Biennale, UK (1999), Perspecta, AGNSW (1995).
Her work is held in many private and public collections including The National Gallery of Australia, The National Gallery of Victoria, The Art Gallery of New South Wales, The Art Gallery of South Australia, The Art Gallery of West Australia, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, National Museum of Australia, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery Launceston.