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Harold Joseph Thomas
Bundoo
Harold Thomas with Jane Lomax-Smith in Adelaide commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Australian Aboriginal flag, 8 July 2001
Born 1947 (age 77–78)
Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Alma mater South Australian School of Art
Notable work
 Australian Aboriginal flag

Harold Joseph Thomas, also known as Bundoo, is a famous Aboriginal Australian artist. He is best known for creating the Australian Aboriginal flag. He designed the flag in 1971 to represent the Aboriginal land rights movement. In 1995, this flag became an official "Flag of Australia".

Later, Harold Thomas's ownership of the flag's design was confirmed by the Federal Court. In January 2022, he gave the copyright of the flag to the Commonwealth of Australia. This means the flag can now be used freely by everyone.

Early Life and Learning

Harold Joseph Thomas, or Bundoo, was born in 1947 in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. His father was from the Wombai group, and his mother was from the Luritja group. He loved drawing and painting from a very young age.

When he was seven, Harold was taken from his family. This was part of a sad time in history called the Stolen Generations. He was then raised in South Australia by a foster family.

In 1966, at age 17, Harold won a special scholarship. This allowed him to study at the South Australian School of Art. He finished his studies with high honors in 1969. He was the first Aboriginal person to graduate from an Australian art school. While studying, he became involved in the civil rights movement. In 1968, he had his first art show in Adelaide.

Harold Thomas's Art Career

In 1970, Harold Thomas became the first Aboriginal person to work at the South Australian Museum. He worked there as a survey artist. This job gave him access to many Aboriginal artworks and objects.

Some of his biggest art inspirations include famous painters like Caravaggio, Francisco Goya, and Eugène Delacroix.

In 1972, he moved to Humpty Doo, near Darwin. There, he started painting landscapes and wildlife, often using watercolours. In 2016, his art changed a lot. He began painting about the first meetings between Aboriginal people and European settlers. He also painted about the frontier wars, which were conflicts that happened during this time.

Australian Aboriginal Flag
The Australian Aboriginal flag, designed by Harold Thomas.

The Australian Aboriginal Flag

Harold Thomas says he designed the Aboriginal flag in 1970. He wanted it to be a symbol for a protest march. The flag was first flown on 9 July 1971 in Adelaide, South Australia. It was used at a rally for Aboriginal land rights. In 1972, the flag was adopted by the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra.

In 1991, Harold created special watercolour paintings. These were made into limited edition prints to celebrate 20 years of the flag.

On 14 July 1995, the Aboriginal flag became an official "Flag of Australia". In 1997, Harold Thomas went to court to protect his design. The Federal Court and the High Court decided that he owned the copyright to the flag's design.

In 2010, Harold had a disagreement with Google. Google wanted to use a young girl's artwork that included the Aboriginal flag in its logo. Harold did not allow Google to use the image. He explained that he allowed free use for non-commercial groups that helped Aboriginal people. But he charged a fee for commercial businesses.

Harold Thomas later gave special commercial rights to three companies. One company could make flags. The others could put the flag's image on objects and clothes. One of these companies, WAM Clothing, sent legal notices to many groups. This included the AFL, NRL, and Aboriginal non-profit groups.

On 25 January 2022, Harold Thomas made a big decision. After three years of talks, he gave the copyright of the flag to the Commonwealth of Australia. This means the flag is now free for anyone to use. He hoped this would bring comfort to all Aboriginal people and Australians. The Morrison government paid Harold Thomas A$13.75 million for the copyright. They also paid A$6.3 million to two other businesses that had licenses to use the flag.

Other Creative Work

Harold Thomas has also illustrated books. In 1972, he drew pictures for Tales told to Kabbarli. This book shared Aboriginal legends. He also illustrated Jagardoo: Poems from Aboriginal Australia (1977) and a children's picture book called Kurkali the Lizard (1994).

In 1973-74, he created and directed a play called Pelicans Dream. It was based on Aboriginal myths.

In 1995, he was the head of the Northern Territory Stolen Generation Committee. This committee worked to help those affected by the Stolen Generations.

Awards and Recognition

Harold Thomas has received many honors for his art and activism:

  • 1971: He received an honorary degree in social anthropology from the University of Adelaide.
  • 1984: His art was chosen for the first NATSIAA award exhibition.
  • 1985: His art was chosen again for the 2nd NATSIAA award exhibition.
  • 1987: He became the official portrait artist for the Northern Territory Government. His paintings of leaders are displayed at Parliament House, Darwin.
  • 2016: His painting Tribal Abduction won an award at the 33rd NATSIAAs.
  • 2017: His painting Myal Creek Massacre was a finalist in the NATSIAA Awards. This painting showed the 1838 Myall Creek massacre in New South Wales.
  • 2017: Tribal Abduction was displayed at Charles Darwin University.
  • 2023: He received an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Charles Darwin University. This was to honor his contributions to art and Aboriginal rights.

Personal Life

Since the 1990s, Harold Thomas has lived in Humpty Doo, near Darwin, in the Northern Territory.

Selected Art Exhibitions

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