# Goobalathaldin artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/goobalathaldin/
Profile generated: 2026-08-24T12:39:51.088Z
Quality: medium confidence, thin sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: Australian
- Common media: Children's picture books

## About Goobalathaldin

Goobalathaldin, also known as Dick Roughsey, was an Australian Aboriginal artist and writer who lived from 1920 to 1985. Public identity sources connect him with the Lardil language group of Mornington Island in Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria. His Lardil name is described as referring to the ocean in motion or a rough sea. Goobalathaldin played a prominent role in sustaining and renewing Lardil cultural life, and collectors may also encounter his work through children's publishing. He is particularly associated with picture books that retell traditional Aboriginal stories, including The Rainbow Serpent. His identity therefore spans visual art, writing, cultural storytelling, and book illustration rather than fitting neatly within a single named art movement. Catalogues and databases may use either Goobalathaldin or Dick Roughsey, making careful name matching important when researching a work, edition, publication, or auction record.

## Common works and media

The available sources most clearly document children's picture books that retell traditional Aboriginal stories, including The Rainbow Serpent. Objects encountered in appraisal contexts may therefore be described under his roles as artist, writer, or picture-book creator and may be catalogued under either Goobalathaldin or Dick Roughsey. The collected evidence is not detailed enough to define his usual painting supports, print processes, edition formats, or other auction categories.

## Market and appraisal context

A careful appraisal should first establish whether a work is catalogued as Goobalathaldin, Dick Roughsey, or both. The distinction between an original artwork, an illustration connected with a published story, and a commercially issued book or edition may materially affect the appropriate comparison set. Subject matter and a documented relationship to his traditional-story picture books can also help contextualize an object. This source pack does not contain usable lot-level descriptions, realized prices, provenance, condition reports, or edition details, so it cannot support a price prediction or market trend. Those conclusions require examination of the object and comparison with relevant public auction records.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist-identity research with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For this artist, the collected identity evidence is stronger than the available market evidence.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5273326
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Roughsey
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/5566549/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79066377
- ISNI: https://isni.org/isni/0000000063167220
- IdRef: https://www.idref.fr/168372053
- Appraisily: https://appraisily.com/artist/goobalathaldin/