Mungurrawuy was a senior Gumatji cultural leader, one of the Yirritja painters of the Yirrkala Church Panels (1963) and a signatory to the Aboriginal Bark Petition presented to the Australian Government in 1963. Amongst his children are the Aboriginal leader and land rights activist, Galarrwuy Yunupingu; recently deceased lead singer of Yothu Yindi, Mandawuy Yunupingu and the celebrated contemporary artists Gulumbu Yunupingu and Nyapanyapa Yunupingu.