Therese Ryder

Therese Ryder (born 1946) (skin name: Ngale – Perrule) is an Eastern Arrernte artist from Ltyentye Apurte Community, 82 km south east of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia. Ryder, part of the Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands Art Centre, is primarily a landscape artist and paints her traditional lands in the Central Desert. Ryder is also a linguist who significantly contributed to the Central and Eastern Arrernte Dictionary and also wrote a book, Ayeye thipe-akerte: Arrernte stories about birds (2017).

Life and work

Ryder was born at Todd River Station where her father Jack worked mustering cattle and her mother Nancy as a cook. Ryder's father's country is Loves Creek, N'Dhala Gorge, Trephina Gorge, Corroboree Rock and Williams Well; the Arrernte name for this country is Pwanya. Ryder's mothers country is Titjikala but she was born at Maryvale Station. The family travelled frequently until, when Ryder was between the ages of 6 and 7, they moved to Santa Theresa Mission (which is now the Ltyentye Apurte Community). It is not known what caused the move to the mission but, while there, Ryder had to live in the dormitories with the other children, away from her parents.

About her painting Ryder states that: Ryder has achieved success as an artist and her works are part of many major national collections and she has been exhibited throughout Australia.

Ryder has worked with other linguistics to supply language information and expertise.