walala was born in the late 1960s or early 1970s. he was born at marua, near lake mackay. he grew up living a nomadic, traditional way of life in the desert. his family had never come into contact with modern, euro-australian society. he had never seen a white person, and his family always thought the aeroplanes they saw flying overhead were ghosts or spirits. before walala was born, his father lanti had lived for a short time at the mission in balgo. but he had run away after getting into trouble for stealing food. it was his decision to stay in the desert, and kept his family far away from the towns. walala's mother was named watjunka, and he was watjunka's only child. he also had two other mothers, papunya and nanu, who were his father's secondary wives (and his mother's sisters). his father and watjunka both died when he was young. the family finally came into contact with outsiders in october 1984, and were settled at kiwirrkurra. he and his family became known as the last aborigines living a traditional nomadic way of life in australia.