Moriarty was born around 1938 in
Borroloola in the
Northern Territory of Australia, to a tribal Aboriginal woman, Kathleen (Morr-my-bina), and an
Irishman from
County Kerry, John Moriarty. Up until that age, he spoke only the
Yanyuwa language. His Aboriginal name is Jumbana and his ceremonial name is Kundareri. He explained that Kundareri is a formal name, linking him to culture and
sacred and other ceremonies, while Jumbana is more informal, like a
given name, which is allocated by the older people in the community and sometimes called a "bush name". After being removed from his school at
Roper River (after the
bombing of Darwin It was also at St Francis where he started playing football. His talent was recognised, and as it became his passion, he was given a pair of football boots and a new goal in life. In 1970 Moriarty graduated from
Flinders University with a
Bachelor of Arts, the first Aboriginal person to do so. ==Activism==