Potory-Minbee (“Jack Jones”)

The Story of Potory-Minbee (“Jack Jones”) c1805 – 1836? “Jack Jones” is listed on the Return of Aboriginal Natives taken at Brisbane Water on 5 May 1835 as one of 16 men committed to gaol for trial for committing robberies at Wyong, Brisbane Water and Lake Macquarie. He has one wife but no children. His Aboriginal name was Potory-Minbee and he was born about 1805 in Brisbane Water. In the first record found of Potory-Minbee dated 7 May 1827, local Police Magistrate, Willoughby Bean noted that he received some “slops”. Distributed among 40 Aborigines in the district, these inadequate “slops” comprised: 13 Frocks, 13 Jackets, 20 pair of Trousers, 15 Shirts, 5 bodices and skirt, 10 blankets and 20 Caps. Bean noted that while “several natives had none from bad behaviour”, Potory-Minbee did receive slops. We can therefore safely assume Potory-Minbee is well-behaved.