Coloured Stone was formed in 1978 at a little community called Kooniba, 50 km west of Ceduna, South Australia. Over the years they have been based in Katherine, Alice Springs and Darwin in the Northern Territory, and Townsville in Queensland.
Awarded the Don Banks Music Award in 1999 for his outstanding contribution to Australian Music - the first time this award has ever gone to a rock musician, let alone an indigenous one
- Bunna Rupert Lawrie is the original founding member. From the start he was the original drummer for the band, but went onto rhythm, when his brother, Neil left the band over ten years ago. He then became the lead singer/songwriter and rhythm guitarist.
The band has had many changes in line up over the years. Presently, the other members of the band include Bunna's son, Jason Scott, playing lead guitar, while another young relative, nephew Duane Lawrie, is on drums, with brother, John John Miller, handling the bass. Joseph Williams and Darwin-born Ash Dargan, who is from the Larrakia Aboriginal Nation, alternate on didjeridu and percussion.
Constantly touring Coloured Stone has been a big drawcard at festival throughout the year, including the Woodford Folk, Big Day Out and were headliners at the Laura Cultural Gathering on Cape York.
At a recent gig Bunna Lawrie sat cross-legged on the stage as he began the Coloured Stone set with "Mouydjengara", a traditional whale-dreaming song of his people - the Mirning.
Playing what he described as the oldest musical instrument on the planet - the bundawuthada or gong stone - Bunna created an eerie, ringing percussion, over which the wailing lead guitar feedback simulated the song of the whale.
