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Billy Missi'n Wakain Thamai

Free exhibition
25 October 2025 – 22 February 2026

kuril dhagun, level 1

Plan your visit

Black and white vinylcut artwork by Billy Missi titled Untitled | Constellation and Kinship, featuring intricate leaf-like patterns connected by bold circular and linear forms, with a central band of stylised motifs running diagonally.

About the exhibition

Billy Missi’n Wakain Thamai is a profound exhibition honouring the late Torres Strait Islander artist Billy Missi (1970-2012).

Billy Missi’n Wakain Thamai brings together 26 of the artist’s most significant and iconic artworks, including rare and never-before-exhibited monoprints, etchings, and linoprints from Djumbunji Fine Art Press and private collections. Curated by Dr Russell Milledge, this retrospective was developed in close consultation with the Billy Missi Estate, family members and friends, highlighting Missi’s critical role in the emergence of Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait) printmaking as a contemporary art form.

The Billy Missi’n Wakain Thamai exhibition honours Missi’s artistic legacy and his dedication to maintaining the language and culture of his people. The bilingual exhibition features diverse forms of printmaking and a film, presenting an immersive experience into contemporary Torres Strait Islander culture and customs. Audiences will gain a deep appreciation for Missi’s work, reflecting his way of life, traditions, and enduring legacy.

Further showcase information

All artworks are accompanied by bilingual exhibition labels, in both English and Kala Lagaw Ya, the language of the Western Torres Strait Island. The exhibition also offers an audio guide in both languages.

About the artist

Billy Missi was born on Mabuiag Island and was deeply influenced by the storytelling, song, and dance traditions of his Wagadagam Tribe. Beginning in earnest in the 1990s, his artistic journey combined traditional carving techniques with modern linocut methods, creating a unique aesthetic that earned international recognition before his passing in 2012.

Acknowledgements

Billy Missi’n Wakain Thamai is an exhibition developed by NorthSite Contemporary Arts (Gimuy/Cairns) and touring Australia in partnership with Gab Titui Cultural Centre/Torres Strait Regional Authority (Waiben/Thursday Island) and Museums & Galleries Queensland. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program.

Logos of contributing artists, partners, and organisations including Billy Missi.

Torres Strait Islander collections and stories

Torres Strait digital stories collection
Discover the voices, traditions, and experiences of the Torres Strait through this collection of digital stories.
View collection
Blue leaf texture
Hi, I'm Eddie
Hi, I’m Eddie is a six-part series which introduces you to the man behind the headlines.
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First Nations family outside wood building.
Who's Your Mob?
Tracing your First Nations family history and don't know where to start? Discover key resources for family history research.
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From the blog

Jo-Ann Driessens taking photographs in Woorabinda, Queensland.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lens perspectives.
This project involved two main components, the first component was to identify the diverse representation of photographs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people taken by various photographers within State Library's collection. Historically the photographs acquired, collected or gifted into the State Library's collection have been captured by a number of early white settler photographers who were capturing the daily life and sometimes portrait (studies) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In more recent times, a number of photographs have been acquired from non-Indigenous photographers and while they still add value to the collection as a whole, this project was aimed towards identifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander photographers throughout regional, remote and urban communities to assist and identify appropriate images from their own body of work into State Library's collection.
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Maino from Yam Island, ca. 1925
Maino – The Last Mamoose of Yam Island, Torres Strait
Maino Kebisu was Mamoose of Yam Island.
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Congregation during a sermon at All Saints Anglican Church, Erub Island, 2011.
The Coming of the Light
In 1871 on 1 July representatives from the London Missionary Society arrived on Erub Island (Darnley Island) accompanied by South Sea Islander evangelists and teachers. Clan Elder and Warrior, Dabad greeted them on their arrival. Ready to defend his land and people Dabad walked to the water’s edge when the Rev Samuel McFarlane dropped to his knees and presented The Bible to Dabad. Dabad accepted the gift, interpreted as the ‘Light’, introducing Christianity to the Torres Strait Islands. The people of the Torres Strait Islands adopted the Christian rituals and ceremonies and continued to uphold their connection to the land, sea and sky, practicing their traditional customs, and cultural identity referred to as ‘Ailan Kastom.’ Each year on 1 July, ‘The Coming of the Light’ or ‘Keriba Lagaw Buiya’ in traditional language is a day of celebration, performance, oral tradition and reverence. State Library of Queensland holds a number of collection items documenting the Coming of the Light and its celebrations within Torres Strait Islander communities.
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Left to Right: Ronnie Nomoa George Mosby Jimmy Morrison Jeffrey Bob Albert .
Diving Into History: Unearthing Queensland’s Forgotten Seafarers
Picture this: Back in the day, around the 1860s, Thursday Island buzzing with activity. Beche-de-mer and mother-of-pearl were being harvested and exported to lucrative overseas markets. Sounds romantic, right? Well, not so fast. While the industry thrived, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers who helped make it happen were paid a pittance. And the conditions under which they worked were anything but sparkling. At one point the Torres Strait region emerged as the world's leading supplier of mother-of-pearl, a treasure trove of marine riches shipped off to England, Europe, and America primarily for button-making, but these shells symbolised much more than commerce; they were woven into the very fabric of life for coastal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. But what really makes this story shine is the people behind it, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, whose homelands, labour, sweat and perseverance were central to keeping the industry afloat. Over its one hundred year history generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander seafarers in Far North Queensland carved their legacy through the tides, they were the mainstay backbone of the pearling and trochus industries in Far North Queensland. Working under the harsh gaze of colonial systems, their labour was not merely survival, it was creation. From their efforts sprang songs, dances, artwork, and oral histories that forged a connection to their ancestors, binding past to present in profound ways. Yet, the voices of these rugged seafarers are fading fast, without recognition. With each passing year, fewer elders remain to share their firsthand memories of “lugger life” and the remnants of an era that shaped individuals and communities alike. Preserving, honouring and celebrating their stories is no longer optional but necessary. Queensland’s marine history is fast fading. The time to act is now, before these invaluable stories are lost forever. Through storytelling, exhibitions, and interactive experiences, initiatives like ‘Lugger Bort’ aim to resurrect this legacy. By weaving oral histories, archival records, and creative expressions, we can showcase, acknowledge and celebrate First Nations contributions in ways that resonate deeply with modern audiences.
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Dugong hunter, [watercolour], creator Kala Waia (1926-1992), 570 x 310 mm. Reproduced and published in Myths and legends of Torres Strait (1970), page 16.
Margaret Lawrie Collection of Torres Strait Islands 1964-1998: treasure collection of the John Oxley Library
Margaret Lawrie (1917 – 2003) travelled to the Torres Strait Islands during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. During her visits to seventeen Torres Strait Islander communities she recorded and documented the history, languages, lifestyle, and culture of the people living in the Torres Strait. This significant collection informed two publications: Myths and Legends of Torres Strait (1970) and Tales from Torres Strait (1972). The Margaret Lawrie collection was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Australian Register in 2008.
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Early Queensland pearl shelling: Swim diving
Guest blogger: Toni Massey – 2017 Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame FellowThe first reported discovery and commercial exploitation of pearl shell in Queensland was made by Captain William Banner in 1868, aboard the vessel Julia Percy of Sydney, at Tutu (Warrior) Island (80 miles North East of Thursday Island)¹. Within a few years over 100 boats and luggers worked in the Torres Strait. While pearls were prized, the basis of the industry was the pearling shell, which was used for buttons, combs, jewellery, insets in furniture and cutlery set handles. Pearling lugger in the waters of Thursday Island, Queensland. Undated. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 1611Frank Jardine was considered to be the first Queenslander to operate in the industry, the others being mostly from New South Wales. Jardine established his pearling station at Somerset, far north Queensland, in 1872. Shell was plentiful and no restrictions were felt to be necessary. Jardine’s swimming diver boats operated in waters up to seven fathoms² (over 12 meters). Crew of a pearling lugger off the bow of the vessel, ca. 1914. John Oxley Library, State LIbrary of Queensland. Neg 27672In the early days shell was gathered by free-divers (breath hold) from what were known as ‘swimming boats’. The divers would swim for shells in the shallower waters that surrounded the islands and reefs. The boat, under jib and mizzen sail, would make a series of short tacks through the divers, who would toss the shell into the boat. At the windward end of the ground the men were picked up and the process repeated until the tide grew too strong to work³. The free diving method was very successful, and divers were assisted by wooden goggle-shaped glasses which fitted tightly around the eyes for protection and to prevent water interfering with the diver’s vision. Pearl Divers, Torres Strait 1920. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image 29819-0001-0002The swimming boats were from four to eight tons, carvel built with two standing lug sails and a jib, and drew about a metre and a half of water. They were partly decked and were able to accommodate between ten and fifteen men who had provisions and supplies for a week. They operated from shore stations and were sailed to a pearl shelling ground. Between 700 and 1000 pairs of shell made a ton, and twenty pairs were considered a fair day’s work ³. Two species of pearl-shell formed the mainstay of the industry; the gold-lipped pearl oyster Pinctada maxima and the black lipped pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera. Other commercial species of lesser importance also existed. Pearling boat at sea in North Queensland, 1899. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image APA-050-0001-0022The loss of life from shark attacks did occur among the swimmers who were the most exposed to attack. Often sharks would follow the diving boats, attracted by the fat from the slat beef that the divers ate and tossed overboard from the boats. The apparatus divers, who were entirely encased in canvas suites, except the hands, were not as troubled by sharks. If a shark did approach too close they would suddenly release air from the escape value which would frighten the shark away⁴.A report to the commissioner in 1899 wrote that ‘the divers, as a body of men, do not fear sharks, but they are dreadfully frightened of groper. These fish are found on rocky bottoms, and in tropical waters attain a large size. If a diver suddenly comes near a groper, the fish opens its immense round mouth as wide as possible, and puffs its head up to an unnatural size, in a defensive attitude. This is magnified by the face glass in the diver’s helmet, the spectacle presented to the man being like a horrible apparition. The diver immediately ascends to the surface, and by signals to other boats that may be working near, advises them that he has seen a horrible sea monster. The whole fleet will sail away, and nothing will induce a diver, who knows of the marine ghost, to work in the vicinity again’⁴.Toni MasseyFurther reading from Toni Massey: Diving into the history of Queensland’s pearl shelling industry – The first pearling trade in AustraliaReferences¹ Saenger, P & Stubbs, BJ, 2012. The Australian pearl-shell and pearl industries; from resource raiding to sustainable farming’, in FS Al-Muhairii (ed.), Abu Dhabi and pearls: a story with a history, Al Hosn Research & Studies Centre, Abu Dhabi, pp. 503-513.² Bach, J. 1955, The pearling Industry of Australia: An Account of its Social and Economic Development. The Department of Commerce and Agriculture, NSW University of technology, Newcastle.³ Mullins, S. 1995. Torres Strait: a history of colonial occupation and culture contact 1864-1897. Central Queensland University Press: Rockhampton.⁴ The pearling disaster 1899 a memorial (1899), Outridge Printing, John Oxley collection, Brisbane.Could you be one of State Library’s 2018 Fellows?Applications for a range of research fellowships and awards totalling $100,000 are now open, as part of the Queensland Memory Awards. The Awards recognise the valuable contribution of individuals and organisations across Queensland to the investigation, preservation and celebration of Queensland’s memory – past and present.State Library invites applicants to imaginatively respond to our unique collections and resources including manuscripts, maps, music, newspapers, oral histories and rare printed material. Researchers and creatives from all backgrounds and disciplines are encouraged to apply.
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Shop the showcase

Book cover of Myths & Legends of Torres Strait

Myths & Legends of Torres Strait

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Book cover of Our Flag, Our Story: The Torres Strait

Our Flag, Our Story: The Torres Strait

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Landscapes of Indigenous Performance: Music and dance of the Torres Strait and Arnhem Land

Landscapes of Indigenous Performance

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Growing Up Torres Strait Islander in Au

Growing Up Torres Strait Islander in Au

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 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

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Nganga: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Words and Phrases

Nganga: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Words and Phrases

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