The Yunupingu family, and people all over Australia, are today mourning the loss of senior Gumatj man and ceremonial leader, Mr B Yunupingu.
A Gumatj Elder, Mr Yunupingu was the son of Mungurrawuy Yunupingu and Yamayi, a Rirratjingu woman. Two of his many brothers were Dr G Yunupingu AC and Dr M Yunupingu AC. He was beloved of his sisters who he cared for and loved deeply.
In a statement on Friday, the family noted that Mr B Yunupingu was a ceremonial man of high degree.
"As a custodian of sacred knowledge and ceremony, he leaves a gift to the Australian nation in passing that knowledge on to the younger generation. He was a founding member of the Gumatj Association and led the Gumatj clan's drive to self-determination, economic development and prosperity in the modern world," they said.
"He was a lead figure in the establishment of the Gunyangara Township Lease and in the Gulkula Mining Company, being a founding director of both. He was a founding member and director of Yothu Yindi Foundation, and a lead presence at every Garma Festival. He oversaw the ceremonies and like a Rock, he was always present in the hosting of Prime Ministers and the conduct of important business.
"Less than eight weeks ago he received the decision of the High Court in Commonwealth v Yunupingu. Under the leadership of Dr G Yunupingu and with his brother Djawa he led that case for a decade.
"Mr Yunupingu had a deep love of his family and his land. He was a man of loyalty and patient determination. Schooled at Yirrkala and then Batchelor College, he was a friend to all. He loved Creedence Clearwater Revival and country music, he was an expert hunter, and he never left his Gumatj homelands.
"On 8 May 2025 over a hundred of his clansmen and kin gathered at Darwin Hospital to farewell him with full traditional honours and ceremony. The family thanks the Hospital staff and the doctors and nurses of ICU who cared for him so carefully and enabled the final ceremonial rites to be performed."
Djawa Yunupingu said: "My brother was a strong and decent man who walked tall in all worlds. Words cannot say how much he will be missed."
"He starts his journey now to be reunited with our fathers, mothers and kin, who wait for him now, on our sacred land. He will be received by our ancestors with great respect and honour," he said.
The Yothu Yindi Foundation expressed profound sadness at the passing of one of their "cherished leaders".
"A softly-spoken family man, Mr Yunupingu led the evening bunggul each day at the Garma Festival, calling the mighty Yolngu clans and families together on the ceremonial grounds at Gulkula," the Foundation said on Friday.
"He was a founding member of the Dhupuma Barker school in Gunyangara, and an ambassador for YYF's education work. Mr Yunupingu was also a founding delegate of the Empowered Communities initiative, which supports the 13-clan Dilak Council and its traditional governance model.
Yothu Yindi Foundation CEO Denise Bowden said Mr Yunupingu had been a YYF board member since the Foundation's inception.
"I was fortunate to work alongside Mr Yunupingu for many years," she said.
"He was a gentle soul with a strong presence, and a quiet, dignified demeanour. "He had great love for his grandchildren – they meant the world to him. They were the reason he was so passionate about education and schooling.
"As a senior ceremonial leader for the Gumatj clan, he has been an intrinsic part of the Garma Festival throughout its history, the master of ceremonies for the nightly bunggul.
"Despite his many commitments during Garma, he always set aside time to talk to the media about Yolngu customs and the significance of the Gulkula site, ensuring that knowledge could be shared with a national and international audience.
"The YYF and Garma families will miss him deeply, and his strong and thoughtful leadership."
