In the late 1820s, numerous central coast Aboriginal men become famous for their assistance to the colony, particularly as trackers of runaway convicts . In the late 1820s, numerous central coast Aboriginal men become famous for their assistance to the colony, particularly as trackers of runaway convicts . They incude M’Gill, Jemmy Jackass and Bob Barret from Newcastle:
“The Newcastle natives, and all the coast tribes northerly, are docile, obliging, and very willing to do occasional work, if it be not hard; but Johnny M'Gill, and Jemmy Jackass, from the Newcastle settlement, are certainly a remarkable exception to the general body, as these individuals cleared ten acres of heavy-wooded land for the missionary at Reid's Mistake as well and as quickly as could be done by white people. These two natives, and another named Bob Barret, accompanied Captain Allman, the former humane commandant of Port Macquarie, to that settlement, where he had been despatched to establish a penal station; and they proved of eminent service to him as bush-constables in tracing and apprehending runaways. Certainly three more powerful intelligent men he could not have selected, and such good marksmen were they…Their names having been given to these three men by the whites, they, like all our blacks, are proud to be known thereby, - the first request they make of a white, being, to name them. A brass or tin plate with an inscription, is also a great desideratum in their eyes, to hang round their necks, giving them much additional consequence in the estimation of their tribes; but, as I have already said, no one possesses authority farther than what his own arm or greater intelligence can command”. (NMA)