Grandchildren of the legendary Aboriginal painter Albert Namatjira have met the Queen at Buckingham Palace, nearly 60 years after their grandfather met the monarch in Canberra in 1954.
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Lenie Namatjira and her cousin Kevin were in London as cast members of the international premiere of Namatjira, a play about their grandfather that premiered in Canberra two years ago.
They are also both accomplished painters and presented the Queen with two of their watercolours, which can be added to the Namatjira works already in the royal collection.
Albert Namatjira, who died in 1959, was one of Australia's most prominent Aboriginal artists when he met the Queen during her coronation tour of Australia in 1954.
The play Namatjira is a production by Big hART, a group that has been resident at the Canberra Theatre Centre for the past three years.
Its production developed as part of this year's centenary celebrations, Hipbone Sticking Out, was the third in a trilogy that began with Namatjira.
The royal audience with his grandchildren was described by Big hART as ''momentous and symbolic, reaffirming the international significance of Albert Namatjira and the Central Australian desert watercolour tradition''.
Creative director of the Centenary of Canberra Robyn Archer said this was just one more accolade for the group, which was dedicated to drawing attention to the need for supporting indigenous art centres across the country.
''Congratulations to Big hART for 20 years of remarkable projects, and thank you for playing such a key role in the Centenary of Canberra celebrations,'' Archer said.
''They are one of the biggest employers of indigenous people in the nation, and they support the very best of internationally acclaimed artists such as Lenie and Kevin Namatjira, and Lena Niyadbi from Warmun Arts Centre, whose Barramundi Scales now graces the roof of the Musee du Quai Branly and is seen by all who ascend the Eiffel Tower.''
