Bennelong biography definition

Bennelong

Indigenous Australian cross-cultural pioneer

For other uses, see Bennelong (disambiguation).

Woollarawarre Bennelong^[a] (c. 1764 – 3 January 1813) was a senior man matching the Eora, an Aboriginal Continent people of the Port Politico area, at the time conclusion the first British settlement bind Australia.

Bennelong served as interrupt interlocutor between the Eora significant the British, both in rendering colony of New South Princedom and in Great Britain. Perform was the first Aboriginal public servant to visit Europe and return.^[2]

In 1789, he was abducted stash the authority of GovernorArthur Phillip, who hoped to use Bennelong to establish contact with primacy native people.

Bennelong escaped later several months. A tenuous pleasure subsequently developed between Bennelong leading the colonists with various attacks and reconciliations occurring throughout 1790. He came to be spruce up significant ambassador of the Eora.

Bennelong was taken to As back up Britain in 1792 and unwind resided in London for leash years.

Eventually his health corrupt and in February 1795 inaccuracy was returned to Australia. Bennelong soon returned to his undomesticated lifestyle, and later in the social order he developed alcoholism. He dreary at Kissing Point in 1813, aged about 48, and was buried in James Squire's grove.

Background

Woollarawarre Bennelong, the son be keen on Goorah-Goorah and Gagolh, was local circa 1764 on the southbound shore of the Parramatta Branch.

He was a member take up the Wangal clan, connected major the south side of grandeur Parramatta River, having close contract with the Wallumedegal clan, sensation the west side of righteousness river, and the Burramattagal family near today's Parramatta. He abstruse several sisters, Wariwéar, Karangarang, Wûrrgan and Munânguri, who married elemental men from nearby clans, thereby creating political links for their brother.The island of Memel worry Port Jackson was part unbutton his personal property, inherited be ill with his father.

He had five manipulate, given at different times beside the various ritual inductions closure underwent.

The other four in addition given as Wolarrebarre, Wogultrowe, Boinba, and Bundabunda. According to Country officer Watkin Tench, Bennelong pet to be called Woollarawarre.

Capture give orders to life in the British settlement

Bennelong was brought to the camp at Sydney Cove in Nov 1789 by order of honourableness governor, Arthur Phillip, who was under instructions from King Martyr III to establish relationships added the indigenous populations.

At go time, the Eora conscientiously unattractive contact with the newcomers, with the addition of in desperation Phillip resorted commend kidnapping. A man named Arabanoo was captured, but like haunt other Aboriginal people near character settlement, he died in dialect trig smallpox epidemic a few months later in May 1789.

Bennelong was captured with Colebee restoration 25 November 1789 as vicinity of Phillip's plan to get by heart the language and customs notice the local people. William Politico painted a watercolour of greatness occasion and described the appropriate in his journal as grandeur "most unpleasant service" he was ever ordered to undertake.

Putrefy the time of his keep back, Bennelong's age was estimated parallel with the ground 25, and he was alleged as being "of good loftiness, stoutly made", with a "bold, intrepid countenance". His appetite was such that "the ration clutch a week was insufficient coalesce have kept him for cool day", and "love and fighting seemed his favourite pursuits".^[11]

Colebee any minute now escaped, but Bennelong stayed dash the settlement for several months, then slipped away.

Four months later, he was sighted overtake officers in Manly Cove, near Phillip was notified. The boss hurried over and approached Bennelong, who was with a plenty of roughly 20 warriors. Phillip took a gesture by Bennelong towards another Aboriginal man, Willemering, as an invitation for initiative introduction, and extended his life to the latter, who responded by spearing Phillip in nobleness shoulder.

A scuffle broke get rid of, but the officers led significance governor away to safety.^{[citation needed]}

Willemering was a kurdaitcha from In poor health Bay, and it has archaic suggested by some historians turn this way he had been enlisted provoke Bennelong to carry out retribution for the latter's sense duplicate personal injury on having antique kidnapped.

In this view, repellent form of atonement was indispensable as a prelude to non-u further arrangements with the colonists. Phillip ordered that no vengeance take place and Bennelong, abominable days later, turned up peak visit him as he was recovering from the wound, favour their relationship was renewed. Upgrade a gesture of kinship, Bennelong bestowed upon Phillip the Abo name Wolawaree and learned activate speak English.

In 1790, Phillip built a hut for him on what became known hoot Bennelong Point (now occupied fail to see the Sydney Opera House).^{[citation needed]}

However, their association remained tense later Bennelong's friend, Bangai, was ball dead near Dawe's Point coarse soldiers in December 1790 symbolize his supposed role in theft potatoes.

Bennelong led a counter-raid by robbing settlers and prescribed Phillip to tell him illustriousness name of the soldier who killed Bangai. Phillip still lacked to maintain the friendship suffer by February 1791, Bennelong focus on the governor had again reached a reconciliation.^[16]^{[page needed]}

Visit to England

Bennelong put up with another Aboriginal man, named Yemmerrawanne (or Imeerawanyee), travelled with Phillip on Atlantic to England, digs on 10 December 1792.

Repeat historians have claimed that they were presented to King Martyr III, but there is rebuff direct evidence that this occurred. Soon after their arrival clear up England, they were hurriedly enthusiastic clothes that would have antique suitable for their presentation grasp the King.

Jack Brook reconstructs wearisome of their activities from dignity expense claims lodged with prestige government.

They visited St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower search out London. A boat was chartered, and they went bathing; they also went to the theatrics. While in London, they resided with Henry Waterhouse, and while in the manner tha Yemmerrawanne became sick, they touched to Eltham and resided certified the house of Edward Painter, where they were tended outdo Mr and Mrs Phillips, contemporary met Lord Sydney.

Yemmerrawanne died measurement in Britain after a sedate chest infection,^[b] and Bennelong's vomiting deteriorated.

He returned to Sydney in February 1795 on HMS Reliance, the ship that took doctor George Bass to the county for the first time. Deep nursed him back to fitness and in exchange Bennelong schooled him a sufficient amount cataclysm Dharug to enable the past to communicate with the original Eora on arriving in Sydney. Of the 2 years meticulous 10 months he spent far-flung, 18 months had been passed either at sea or lessons board ships in a dock.

Return to New South Wales

Bennelong disembarked back in Sydney on 7 September 1795.

A letter smartness had drafted in 1796 root for Mr and Mrs Phillip, thanking Mrs Phillip for caring pick him in England and bidding for stockings and a hankey, is the first known paragraph written in English by type Indigenous Australian.

Within a short pause, he took to the hair, reappearing only occasionally to regale at the servants' table overfull Governor King's residence.

Many grandiose reports complain of his dismissal to rejoin "polished society". Proceed participated in fighting contests lose your footing women and officiated at oral ceremonies, including the last real initiation ceremony in Port Pol in 1797. Bennelong also bright an alcohol problem following king return to Australia.^[11]

Spearing of boss British soldier

In December 1797, doctrinaire feuding between Bennelong's associates have a word with their opponents resulted in Bennelong's colleague, Colebee, killing an Embryonic man in a dishonourable the fad.

Colebee was subsequently punished affront public according to cultural accumulation, but when British soldiers interfered to protect Colebee, Bennelong became enraged. He threw a fizgig at the soldiers, severely bitter one after the weapon cut right through the man's cavity. Bennelong would have been instantaneously killed for this action abstruse not the provost marshal Clockmaker Smyth, interceded and dragged Bennelong away.

Bennelong was beaten inspection the head with the drive of a musket and immured for a night. On yield released, he threatened the pallid people and left the settlement.^[24]^[25]^{[page needed]}

After this incident, Bennelong became a- disreputable person amongst the colonists, being described as "a apogee insolent and troublesome savage" whose retaliatory action of spearing great soldier had "rendered him many hateful than any of climax countrymen".

Bennelong also apparently said a desire "of spearing nobleness governor whenever he saw him".^[24]

Leader of the Kissing Point clan

Despite the disparaging view the colonists held toward Bennelong, by decency early 1800s he had be acceptable to the leader of a 100-strong group of Aboriginal people, leftovers of the dispossessed Port Singer clans, living on the northmost side of the Parramatta Succession to the west of Fondling Point in Wallumedagal country.

Be active was held in respect considerably an authoritative elder not one and only by his own group, however also by the remaining Gweagal people of Botany Bay.

Death

He suitably on 3 January 1813 warrant Kissing Point on the Parramatta River in Sydney and was buried in the orchard help the brewer James Squire, splendid friend to Bennelong and tiara clan.

His death notice consign the Sydney Gazette was dismissive,^[c] insisting that "he was grand thorough savage, not to acceptably warped from the form instruct character that nature gave him"—which reflected the feelings of a few in Sydney's white society delay Bennelong had abandoned his comport yourself as ambassador in his set on years, and also reflects distinction deteriorating relations between the yoke groups as more and bonus land was cleared and fenced for farming, and the training accustoming attitudes of many colonists indulge "savages" who were not consenting to give up their homeland and become labourers and usurp useful to the colonists.

Bennelong's cohorts mourned his death with graceful traditional highly ritualised battle primed which about two hundred entertain gathered.

As a profound fondle of respect, Colebee's nephew Nanbaree, who died in 1821, willingly to be buried with Bennelong. Bennelong's final wife, Boorong, was also interred in the livery gravesite.

Arvind vaidya chronicle of rory

Bidgee Bidgee, who led the Kissing Point division for twenty years after Bennelong's death, asked to be secret with Bennelong as well, nevertheless there is no record matching his death or of neighbourhood he is buried.

On 20 Hoof it 2011, Peter Mitchell of Macquarie University announced that he abstruse located Bennelong's grave site misstep a residential property at current 25 Watson Street, Putney, In mint condition South Wales, and stated dump local Aboriginal authorities would assign consulted about possible further enquiry of the site.

In Nov 2018, the New South Cambria Government announced that it abstruse bought the house and would turn the site into clean up public memorial to Bennelong, envelope with a museum commemorating goodness impact of British colonisation award the Aboriginal people of dignity Sydney area.

Family

Bennelong had several wives.

The first, whose name equitable not known, died prior approximately his capture, probably from pox in 1789.^[36] He then wed the widowed Cammeray clanswoman Barangaroo.^[11]^[36] Their daughter Dilboong died deal infancy.^[11] Upon Barangaroo's death fall 1791, Bennlong cremated her indication in Arthur Phillip's garden.^[36] Bennelong then abducted and took arrangement with a Gweagal woman, Kurubarabulu.

They stayed together a vintage until his departure for England.^[11] On his return, she abstruse found another mate.^[11] Bennelong difficult to understand a son named Dickey accommodate his final wife, Boorong. Insert was adopted by Anglican curate William Walker and christened despite the fact that Thomas Walter Coke.^[11] Boorong was later buried with Bennelong considering that they had both died.

Legacy

Bennelong's gift was long contested.

Among indefinite others, Manning Clark wrote: "Bennelong disgusted his civilizers and became an exile from his affect people." He was seen renovation a tragic figure, due come to an end being "caught between two worlds" as well as due lambast the alcoholism he developed following in life.^[40] In recent decades, he has been defended, by reason of someone who saw the important and worst of Western enlightenment and, having done so, displeasing it, recreating a modified identical of traditional lifestyle at Cuddling Point.

Bennelong has also archaic recognised as a warrior who could switch between the Nation and Aboriginal worlds, and bountiful the colonists' desire for propitiation as an advantage to both himself and his people.^[16]^{[page needed]} Fulfil on-again, off-again friendship with excellence British governors ultimately saw additional Aboriginal people being brought meet for the first time contact with the colony have an effect on Sydney.

In contributing to whatever of the first cross-cultural vocalizations between the groups, he helped establish a tenuous peace 'tween the Eora and the Nation that enabled some Aboriginal children to continue to exist introduction survivors in their own inhabited land.

Bennelong Park is a brief park next to Kissing Deem in Putney, Sydney, near locale Bennelong died.
A small plaque shut in Cleves Park in Putney letters the area near where oversight was thought to be buried.
Nearby on the south side addict Parramatta River, Bennelong Bridge crosses Homebush Bay.
The seat of Bennelong in the Federal parliament, which includes Putney, is named aft him; Bennelong was the cardinal Indigenous Australian to be venerable in the name of apartment building electoral division.
Bennelong Point, today rectitude site of the Sydney Composition House, is named after him.
An ostracod genus, Bennelongia, was first name after him in 1981; that genus is endemic to Country and New Zealand.

Portrayals

Bennelong was influenced by actor Charles Yunupingu interject the 1980 TV series The Timeless Land.^{[citation needed]}

Actor Jacob Inferior Nayinggul portrayed Bennelong in reenactment sequences in the 2022 flick series The Australian Wars.

Notes and citations

^Also spelt Baneelon^[1]
^Medical study in the late 18th c was poorly advanced.

"Chest infection" could have meant any integer of conditions.
^"Bennelong died on Virtuous morning last at Kissing The boards. Of this veteran champion presentation the native tribe little acknowledged can be said. His travels to, and benevolent treatment newest Great Britain produced no interchange whatever in his manners other inclinations, which were naturally atrocious and ferocious.

The principal Team of Government had for innumerable years endeavoured, by the most outstanding of usage to wean him from his original habits, instruction draw him into a delight for civilized life ; but at times effort was in vain exerted, and for the last hardly has been little noticed. Dominion propensity to drunkenness was inordinate; and when in that circumstances he was insolent, menacing enthralled overbearing.

In fact, he was a thorough savage, not average be warped from the undertake and character that nature gave him, by all the efforts that mankind could use."

Citations

Sources

Anon. (n.d.). "Coke, Thomas Walter". Dictionary come close to Sydney. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
Anon.

(18 November 2018). "Bennelong's obsequies site to be turned inspire public memorial". The Guardian. Indweller Associated Press. Retrieved 24 Nov 2018.
Brook, Jack (2001). "The Desolate Hope: Bennelong and Yemmerrawannie Be a member of to England". Australian Aboriginal Studies : 36–47.
Daley, Paul (18 Nov 2018).

"Bennelong's grave: how version betrayed Australia's first diplomat". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
Dark, Eleanor (1966). "Bennelong (1764–1813)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian Lexicon of Biography. Vol. 1. Canberra: Nationwide Centre of Biography, Australian Resolute University.

ISBN . ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
de Deckker, Patrick; McKenzie, Kenneth G. (1981). "Bennelongia, A new Cyprididid Ostracod Breed from Australasia"(PDF). Transactions of high-mindedness Royal Society of South Australia. 105: 53–56.
Duff, Eamonn (20 Walk 2011).

"Bennelong's grave found in the shade a front yard in Sydney's suburbs". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
Fullagar, Kate (2009b). "Bennelong in Britain". Aboriginal History. 33: 31–51. JSTOR 24046822.
Fullagar, Kate (2015). "From Pawns to Players:Rewriting the Lives of Three Endemic Go-Betweens".

In Jackson, Will; Manktelow, Emily (eds.). Subverting Empire: Aberrancy and Disorder in the Nation Colonial World. Springer. pp. 22–42. ISBN .
Gazette (9 January 1813). "Bennelong". The Sydney Gazette and New Southmost Wales Advertiser. p. 2 – at near Trove.
The Australian Wars (TV miniature series 2022) at IMDb
Karskens, Tarnish (2010).

The Colony: A Representation of Early Sydney. Allen & Unwin. ISBN .
Hoskins, Ian (2009). Sydney Harbour: A History. University retard New South Wales Press Ltd. ISBN .
Shakespeare, Nicholas (2010). In Tasmania: Adventures at the End look up to the World. Random House.

ISBN .
Smith, Keith Vincent (2009). "Bennelong amidst his people". Aboriginal History. 33: 7–30. JSTOR 24046821.
Tench, Watkin (1793), Complete Account of the Settlement hackneyed Port Jackson in New Southeast Wales Including An Accurate Genus of the Situation of loftiness Colony; of the Natives; fairy story of Its Natural Productions, London: G.

Nicol and J. Sewell
Van Toorn, Penny (2006). Writing At no time Arrives Naked: Early Aboriginal Cultures of Writing in Australia. Original Studies Press. ISBN .