Topics: People: North Coastal
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1835 - view
Liggamy,
a Koori man is convicted of stealing a pipe and sentenced to seven years gaol.
1835 - view
Little
Dick, an ‘Aboriginal native’, is convicted of robbing the dwelling house of Mr
William Bloodstock. Death of another Koori is recorded.
1835 - view
Mickey
and Merjey are charged with committing rape on Margaret Hansball.
1835 - view
Central
Coast Aborigines including Jack Jones, Jago and Nimbo attack a settler’s hut
near Wyong. Jack Jones escapes, while three men are taken to Sydney goal. “At
Duralong (Wyong), Constable Moses Carroll [and his men] … were concealed in
Adam Riley’s hut … for the purpose of apprehending some of the black natives
concerned in the late robberies … they entered the hut … the blacks being so
resolute and seizing hold of their firearms … they (Constables) were obliged in
self defence to fire at Jack Jones who is a very powerful man, and wounded him
in the neck. … During the scuffle, three made their escape.” Nimbo and Jago
seized a constable at the lock-up and Jack Jones escaped.
1836 - view
Bowen
(Toura Bungaree) and his wife Maria, and daughters Jonza, Nan, Theda (Jane),
and son Mark, move to Pittwater, near Barrenjoey. Bowen has perhaps decided to
lead his clan away from the destruction and poverty of Sydney life back to a
semi traditional existence.
1836 - view
Bowen
may also have been disappointed in British justice. Bowen had requested the
Reverend Threlkeld to make representation to the NSW Attorney General for the
unsuccessful prosecution of two Aboriginal men, Murrell and Bummaree for the
murder of his brother-in-law Jabinguy and another man. His appeal to the
Attorney General was unsuccessful. Bowen returned to find his country much
altered with traditional coastal fishing grounds blocked off to them and
borders from farms and roads.
1836 - view
Bowen
and other members of his clan find work employed as black trackers and also
catch and trade fish with settlers. He works beside Customs Officer Howard and
is friends with local farmer John Farrell. He is described as a valuable asset
to the force. The Sydney Herald
reports that Bowen has given information that leads to the capture of three
bush rangers. “A black fellow named Bowen told Brophy that the other bushrangers
were on another island near Mooney Mooney Creek”.
1836 - view
Bowen
is a very effective black tracker in detecting illegal stills in the upper
reaches of McCarrs Creek, Church Point. He leads John Howard from the Customs
House at Barrenjoey, Pittwater, up the creek to where a man William Farr is
detained. Howard recognizes Bowen’s skills and recommends to the Collector of
Customs in Sydney that he should ”have a second boat which would cost about
four hundred pounds and enable him to get a living for himself and family
consisting of two daughters and a son. … as he will be liable to insult and
oppression for having aided me”. Later Howard writes “I am reluctant to employ
(Bowen) … without the protection of a constable as I have reason to believe
that violence would be used towards him.”
1839 - view
The poor creature “Whippem-up” or Newton … lay for some
days with no shelter from the late rain storms under some sugar bags. He was
attached to the Bungaree Tribe having originally been brought from Broken Bay
by a gentleman named Newton. … When Bungaree … fell sick … he was not received
into the hospital till an order had been received from the Colonial Secretary.
1840s - view
He visits an Aboriginal camp near Camp Cove where “about a dozen
natives of the Sydney and Broken Bay tribes were encamped”, and persuades ‘Old
Queen Gooseberry’, Bungaree’s widow, to explain to him what she knew of the
North Head carvings. She initially objects, saying that these places were
‘koradjee ground’ or ‘priests’ ground’ that she must not visit. After she was
encouraged to row across the harbour with them in a whale boat, she “consented at the last to guide us to
several spots near the North head, where she said the carvings existed in great
numbers, as also impressions of hands upon the sides of high rocks”.
1841 - view
Birth of James Lewis at Marramarra Creek. He marries Elizabeth Breach.
1842 - view
Another
inquest was held on Saturday on the body of Toby an Aboriginal native, who had
been convicted of murder and had been conducted to Cockatoo Island, “until the
pleasure of Her Majesty should be known”. He had died from inflammation of the
lungs
1842 - view
Boio
(Long Dick). son of Bungaree and Cora Gooseberry, gives a Broken Bay vocabulary
to John Mann.
1843 - view
Birth of James Ashby, son of Charlotte Ashby. Marriage of Charlotte to James
Ashby. They receive a land grant at Dora Creek, (Wyee). After Charlotte’s
husband dies her children are taken away and put into the Benevolent Society
Institution and her land is confiscated.
1844 - view
Queen
Cora Gooseberry is drawn by Charles Rodius as she camps with her family on the
footpath outside The Cricketer’s Arms hotel at corner of Pitt and Market
Streets Sydney. She is also known as One Eyed Poll and and Onion-head from the way she wore her hair high on her head. She survives her husband
Bungaree by 20 years. She makes a living by begging outside the hotel where the
publican gives her a room to sleep in.
1844 - view
Her (known) children are ‘Miss Diana
Bungaree’, Long Dick and Young Bungaree.
1845 - view
According
to correspondence from Howard, Maria and Bowen have a son and two daughters all
baptised at St Mary’s Church Sydney.
1846 - view
Birth of twins John and James to Elizabeth and Israel
Rose at Marramarra Creek.
1849 - view
Bowen Bungaree, Bungaree’s son, sails with other Koories to the Californian gold
fields with Richard Hill because of their skill in sailing boats and in the
hope to be given jobs to carry the crowds of gold seekers flocking to the
Eldorado. Black Bowen is the only one to return. He speaks with ridicule about
America, “That country! No wood for fire, but plenty cold wind … no good for
me! No good for blackfellows!”
On
his return Bowen resumes his duties as a Police Tracker and reports to police
the activities of two assigned servants (convicts) who had escaped and are
petty thieves on the Northern Beaches. The men are captured and sent to prison.
Bowen’s reputation is now well established, for example he tracks and uses his
gun to hunt the bush-ranger Casey. Bowen wear grand clothes, Farrell describes
him: “He was in full rig with dress coat, his hair knotted up behind with three
feathers stuck in it”.
1853 - view
Bowen
is shot by four white bushrangers at Newport.
He is 56 years old. John Farrell relates that a bushranger Casey, who
frequented Bushranger’s Hill, had murdered Bowen as he sat by his fire at
night.