Pemulway declared an outlaw

Pemulwuy is declared an outlaw by Governor King. He is identified as a member of the Bidgigal people whose country stretches up Georges River and Salt Pan Creek, from Botany Bay towards Prospect. They are also known as the Woods people, ‘an inland group’.

The frontier war continues. Governor King orders that all Aborigines be “driven back from settlers’ habitations by firing on them” except for Sydney people and those on Parramatta Road known to be friendly. The situation is still very fluid when Reverend Samuel Marsden orders his convict servants to join soldiers on reprisal raids. At least one refuses to go because he gets on well with Parramatta Koori people and does not want to fight against them. Marsden has him goaled and is said to have stated “there will never be never any good done until there is a clear riddance of the natives”. Karskens, The Colony, p. 479.

  • Reverend Samuel Marsden
  • Samuel Marsden's house Mamre, his son Charles allowed Koories to camp nearby

Governor King realises that reprisal raids either are unproductive or they result in horrific payback. According to Karskens (p. 481), he borrows from the tactics used against Irish rebels, that is, to identify and remove the leaders and try to be friendly with the others, He does better by exploiting tribal differences and rivalries and by playing off one tribe against another. He hopes to attract Koori people who are unwilling to join with Pemulwuy.