# Coloured Stone

Coloured Stone is an Aboriginal Australian band whose members originate from the Koonibba Mission, west of Ceduna, South Australia. They first became known for their 1984 single, "Black Boy". The band performs using guitar, bass, drums, and Aboriginal instruments – didjeridu, bundawuthada (gong stone) and clap sticks – to play traditional music.

## Background and members

The original Coloured Stone band members were three brothers, Bunna Lawrie (drums, lead vocals, songwriter), and Neil Coaby (rhythm guitar and backing vocals) and Mackie Coaby (bass guitar and backing vocals), and their nephew, Bruce (aka Bunny) Mundy (lead guitar and backing vocals). All are from the community of Koonibba, South Australia.
Lawrie is a member and respected elder of the Mirning people coastal Nullarbor region in South Australia. He is known as a whale-dreamer, songman, medicine man and storyteller. He is Coloured Stone's founding member and chief songwriter.
The band's single, "Black Boy" was a success when first released in 1984. It became the number one song in Fiji, and sold 120,000 copies. The lyrics included the line "Black boy, black boy, the colour of your skin is your pride and joy", which was a somewhat revolutionary sentiment for Aboriginal people in the 1980s. Four decades after its release, the single still inspires hope and inspiration for generations of Aboriginal people. The song was used in Warwick Thornton's 2021/2 vampire TV series, Firebite.
Lawrie's son, Jason Scott, played guitar, bass, drums and didgeridoo for Coloured Stone from the age of 13 years. His first major gig was "Rock Against Racism" in Adelaide. Scott has also performed at the Sydney Opera House and he toured the US in 1994 with the Wirrangu Band as part of a cultural exchange program. With his band Desert Sea, Scott released an album in 2002 titled From the Desert to the Sea.
The current members of Coloured Stone are: Lawrie (vocals, rhythm guitar, didgeridoo, gong stone), Selwyn Burns (lead guitar, vocals), Peter Hood (drums), Cee Cee Honeybee (backing vocals) and guest musicians (bass guitarist, didgeridoo player, keyboard player.

## Support for Aboriginal causes

On the first day of an April 1998 outdoor gig, Wild Water opened for Coloured Stone and Regurgitator at Brown's Mart Community Arts Centre. On the third day the band went to Jabiru, Northern Territory, to play at the Sports and Social Club. At dawn on day four, Coloured Stone travelled to Jabiluka to play on a makeshift stage in support of the Mirrar people's protest blockade of the road to a uranium mine on Mirrar land.
From March to August 2001, Lawrie and fellow Aboriginal musician Barry Cedric took part in a songwriting workshop for Aboriginal youth at Yarrabah. The young people learned to play musical instruments, compose a song and set it to music. At the end, six youths went to Cairns to record their song, "One Fire", in a recording studio.
Four of Coloured Stone's songs have been recognised as important resources for Australian teachers and educators to employ when discussing topics such as reconciliation, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, contributions and histories. These pieces include, Island of Greed, No more boomerang (based on Oodgeroo Noonuccal's poem of the same name), Black Boy and Human Love.

## In the media

"A Rare Gem: Coloured Stone" is an episode of 2013 TV series Desperate Measures, which features the band.

## Awards and recognition

* 1978: Perth's 3rd National Aboriginal Country Music Festival Talent (Western Australia) – First Prize for Best Band
* 1978: Perth's 3rd National Aboriginal Country Music Festival Talent – Best Original Song for "Dancing in the Moonlight"
* 1995: Brian Syron Scholarship Award (Australia) – Contribution to Aboriginal music
* 2012: National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award (Australia) to Bunna Lawrie

### ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Coloured Stone has one ARIA Award and been nominated for three, as follows:
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 1987 | Human Love | Best Indigenous Release | Won |
| 1989 | Wild Desert Rose | Best Cover Art | Nominated |
| 1990 | Crazy Mind | Best Indigenous Release | Nominated |
| 1993 | Inma Juju | Best Indigenous Release | Nominated |

### Deadly Awards

The Deadly Awards, (commonly known simply as The Deadlys), was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. It ran from 1995 to 2013
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 1999 | Coloured Stone | Outstanding Contribution to Aboriginal Music | awarded |

### Don Banks Music Award

The Don Banks Music Award was established in 1984 to publicly honour a senior artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia. It was founded by the Australia Council in honour of Don Banks, Australian composer, performer and the first chair of its music board.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2000 | Bunna Lawrie | Don Banks Music Award | awarded |

### Music Victoria Awards

The Music Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
| 2014 | Dance to the Sun | Best Global or Reggae Album | Nominated | |

### National Indigenous Music Awards

The National Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. It commenced in 2004.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2011 | Coloured Stone | Hall of Fame | inducted |

### South Australian Music

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2024 | Coloured Stone | Hall of Fame | awarded |

## Discography
### Albums

| Title | Details |
| Koonibba Rock | Released: 1984 Label: Imparja Records (IMLP 1001) Format: Vinyl |
| Island of Greed | Released: 1985 Label: Imparja Records (IMLP 1002) Format: Vinyl |
| Human Love | Released: 1986 Label: Powderworks (POW6122) Format: Vinyl |
| Wild Desert Rose | Released: 1988 Label: RCA Victor (VPL10714) Format: Vinyl |
| Crazy Mind | Released: 1990 Label: RCA Victor (VPCD0821) Format: CD |
| Inma Juju Dance Music | Released: 1991 Label: BMG (VPCD0847) Format: CD |
| Rhythm of Nature | Released: 1998 Label: CAAMA Music (M306) Format: CD |
| I Dance to the Sun | Released: 2013 Label: Coloured Stone Format: DD |

#### Compilation albums

| Title | Details |
| Black Rock from the Red Centre | Released: 1986 Label: Powderworks (POW6123) Format: Vinyl, CD Compilation of Koonibba Rock & Island of Greed |
| Bunna Lawrie's Best of Coloured Stone | Released: 1997 Label: CAAMA Music (CAMMA 313) Format: CD |
| Bunna Lawrie's Best Of Coloured Stone | Released: 1997 Label: CAAMA Music (CAMMA 313) Format: CD |

### Singles

| Year | Title | Album |
| 1978 | "Dancing in the Moonlight" | |
| 1984 | "Black Boy" | Koonibba Rock |
| 1985 | "Island of Greed" | Island of Greed |
| 1987 | "Dancing in the Moonlight" | Human Love |
| 1987 | "Human Love" | Human Love |
| 1988 | "Stay Young" | Wild Desert Rose |
| 1988 | "Kiss the Days Goodbye" / "Dreamtime Stories" | Wild Desert Rose |
| 1988 | "Wild Desert Rose" | Wild Desert Rose |
| 1989 | "Crazy Minds" | Crazy Mind |
| 1992 | "Love is the Medicine" | Inma Juju Dance Music |
| 2000 | "Australia" | non album single |
| 2011 | "Black Boy" (featuring Yung Warriors) | non album single |