The childhood and early life of Elizabeth Durack were spent among the Mirriuwong-Gajerrong people of the Ord River region. Her connection to the Northwest people and landscape became ingrained in her soul, leading her to develop a unique method of depicting both the people and the land they inhabited. The great Australian icon, Russell Drysdale, credited Elizabeth with influencing his portrayal of Aboriginal people in his work. He told her ... that he had struggled with the subject until he saw her examples.

“Returning to Camp” is a scene Elizabeth would have witnessed many times. It is a confident work, almost bordering on arrogance, as it boldly displays her ability to use sweeping lines that infuse the piece with movement. Nothing remained stationary in Elizabeth’s world.

She received many awards, including the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1966, the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1982, and honorary doctorates of letters from Murdoch University in 1994 and the University of Western Australia in 1996.