One of the finest actors this country has produced has left us.
Ever since I was a boy, he has trod lightly but indelibly through my dreams. His presence was ghostly, beautiful. He imbued the cinematic narrative of our nation with an ancient wisdom and an understanding of colonial sorrow that challenged and enriched us at every turn.
He was a sublime screen presence. I swear to God, in Rabbit Proof Fence, there is a scene where you can feel the moment his character makes a furtive decision solely through the controlled movement of his shadow.
A witty man, a family man, a man who struggled yet defied the struggle for so long. And above all else, was a man of the Mandjalpingu (Djilba) clan of the Yolngu people.
With his eyes, his extraordinary gifts and the very essence of his life, he welcomed us.
Long may we listen. Long may we learn.