Turkey was born Ca 1942 about five miles East of Haasts Bluff. Turkey’s family moved between traditional country around Kintore and Hermannsburg mission, where they could collect rations of flour, tea and sugar, and after Turkey’s birth they remained in the area around Haast’s Bluff.
Only when Papunya was being established and there was work to be had building the settlement, did the family come in from the bush. This was in 1959, which was shortly after Turkey’s initiation into manhood. Turkey was employed as a building labourer, working around the new settlement and also in the Papunya communal kitchen. Later he married and moved to an outstation west of Papunya. He now has an outstation on his traditional lands at Yuwalki, to the south east of Kintore.
Turkey Tolson was one of the youngest of the original group of artists living at Papunya in the early seventies. While some of his Aboriginal Artwork is amongst the most innovative and figurative of that of all the Papunya Tula artists, he also paints in the classical, severely Pintupi style of circles and joining lines.