Joe Timbery spent much of his life at La Perouse near Sydney and his family ancestry included Timbery, King of the Five Islands and his Dharawal grandmother, Emma, a gifted craftsperson with shells.

He was renowned for his creativity with the boomerangs he made, carving fauna and flora, and even the Sydney Harbour Bridge onto the wooden surfaces. His prowess with boomerang throwing took him overseas demonstrating his abilities beneath the Eiffel Tower in France. During the 1954 visit to Australia of Queen Elizabeth II, Timbery presented the Queen with boomerangs he had made. Timbery wrote poetry and was a storyteller within his community.