"I grew up in both Ernabella and De Rose Hill, where my Mother would take me as a little tjiitji. I was a bush boy and the old people still lived out in the bush then. I never went to school. When I was a young boy, I worked on a cattle station and learnt about cattle. When I grew to be a teenager, I worked hard with the cattle in other stations doing mustering and trucking them ready for travel. As a little boy, I sat there on the station for a long time with a camel and Ernie Bagger who owned camel at Granite Downs (Indulkana). I couldn't say my aboriginal name when I was young so one day I got a new name. I went on a walking trip with Eric and the camel on our way to Tyrone Downs Station. I got my name "Whiskey" from Eric whose camel had that same name. That's what he called me. I didn't drink whiskey and give 'em (that name) to me! I worked at stations all across the lands in all directions in my life. I spent a lot of time at Todmorden Station and another one owned by Iron Bark Jim Davey. Here, I learnt how to work with horses. These men all passed away now. Oodnadatta is where we drove cattle from Granite Downs. I got married on Granite Downs. I've had five children. My first boy passed away in a car accident. My children are all grown up now. Their names are Lippsie Whiskey, Mona Whiskey, Daisy Whiskey, Jennifer Whiskey and Rod Whiskey. Some are good artists like me. I was the first man to start being an artist at Iwantja, so I was the original member. Alec Baker started here with me too. I travelled to lots of places for special meetings. Mostly Adelaide, Alice Springs and I been to Sydney too. I went to a glass workshop in Adelaide. I once took all the young men on a camp out country other side of Adelaide called Curong for culture business. I paint a lot and I learned lino cuts at Iwantja. I remember culture designs that no one else knows."
During the 1990s, Whiskey Tjukangku and Alec Baker became the first ‘art men’ of Iwantja, a community arts organization that had, up until that time, focused on craft-based activities. The centre soon became known for its printmaking through Tjukangku and Baker’s innovative linocuts.
"I grew up in both Ernabella and De Rose Hill, where my Mother would take me as a little tjiitji. I was a bush boy and the old people still lived out in the bush then. I never went to school. When I was a young boy, I worked on a cattle station and learnt about cattle. When I grew to be a teenager, I worked hard with the cattle in other stations doing mustering and trucking them ready for travel. As a little boy, I sat there on the station for a long time with a camel and Ernie Bagger who owned camel at Granite Downs (Indulkana). I couldn't say my aboriginal name when I was young so one day I got a new name. I went on a walking trip with Eric and the camel on our way to Tyrone Downs Station. I got my name "Whiskey" from Eric whose camel had that same name. That's what he called me. I didn't drink whiskey and give 'em (that name) to me! I worked at stations all across the lands in all directions in my life. I spent a lot of time at Todmorden Station and another one owned by Iron Bark Jim Davey. Here, I learnt how to work with horses. These men all passed away now. Oodnadatta is where we drove cattle from Granite Downs. I got married on Granite Downs. I've had five children. My first boy passed away in a car accident. My children are all grown up now. Their names are Lippsie Whiskey, Mona Whiskey, Daisy Whiskey, Jennifer Whiskey and Rod Whiskey. Some are good artists like me. I was the first man to start being an artist at Iwantja, so I was the original member. Alec Baker started here with me too. I travelled to lots of places for special meetings. Mostly Adelaide, Alice Springs and I been to Sydney too. I went to a glass workshop in Adelaide. I once took all the young men on a camp out country other side of Adelaide called Curong for culture business. I paint a lot and I learned lino cuts at Iwantja. I remember culture designs that no one else knows."
During the 1990s, Whiskey Tjukangku and Alec Baker became the first ‘art men’ of Iwantja, a community arts organization that had, up until that time, focused on craft-based activities. The centre soon became known for its printmaking through Tjukangku and Baker’s innovative linocuts.