Peggy Griffiths Magij and Peter Ghouse named 2024 WA Cultural Treasures

A Kununurra dancer who hid from welfare officers as a child and a Malaysian-born teacher who has championed music in remote WA have been named among this year’s WA cultural treasures. Multidisciplinary artist Peggy Griffiths Magij and former Fitzroy Crossing music teacher Peter Ghouse were among nine WA residents recognised for their lifelong contribution to the arts at the State Cultural Treasure Awards in Perth this week. Griffiths, a senior artist at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts, has been producing a range of visual arts over a 35-year career which has seen her achieve three solo exhibitions as well as being displayed in 31 other exhibitions in Australia and internationally. Her arts practice includes painting, printmaking, ceramics, textiles, fashion, animation, multidisciplinary installation and performance. Griffiths was born at Newry Station east of what is now Kununurra in 1950. As a child she learnt from cultural leaders and became a celebrated dancer in the community. She said he remembered seeing her “old people” being taken from their camp with chains around their necks and was once hidden from welfare officers so she was not taken away like many others in the Stolen Generations. Her works are in several national collections including the Art Gallery of Western Australian, the National Gallery of Australia and the Parliament House Collection in Canberra. Mr Ghouse arrived in Western Australia from Malaysia in 1968 at 24 and soon moved to Fitzroy Crossing to work as a music teacher. He was behind award-winning country rock group Fitzroy Xpress which formed under his mentorship while still in school. The Aboriginal band went on to win the 2005 Deadly Award for Album Release of the Year for Home Sweet Home. Mr Ghouse was also the organiser behind Kimberley Roundup, which showcased music talent in schools across the North West. Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman said 46 West Australians had been honoured to date since the Cultural Treasures Awards began in 1998. “Our recipients for 2024 represent a diverse range of arts practice, but the clear connecting thread woven between these astonishing artists is a deep commitment to community,” he said. “These extraordinary people have gone above and beyond to support and champion emerging artists and take care of their communities.”