The Story of Bubbya (Quart Pot or “Moroviard Golilm”)

The Story of Bubbya (Quart Pot or “Moroviard Golilm”) (c1814 – post-1842) The earliest record located regarding “Quart Pot” notes him living in the district of Brisbane Water during 1831. Three years later, he and Numbo were gaoled for the murder of another Aborigine. The Australian newspaper, 3 February 1834, reported a delay in their being brought to trial and argued it was “unreasonable, oppressive and impolitic” to impose British law on matters best left for Aborigines to deal with among themselves. It advocated that those in authority should let Aborigines use their own punishments as British laws did not protect them. Quart Pot and Numbo were discharged by the Attorney General and returned to their own district. Quart Pot’s name appears in the 1835 Return of Aboriginal Natives taken at Brisbane Water. He is noted as having a wife but no children. His Aboriginal name on this census is “Moroviard Golilm”. In the 1837 Return, Quart Pot is listed, but his Aboriginal name is noted as “Bubbya” and his tribe designated as “Walkeba”. Bubbya was present in district returns during 1838, 1839, 1840 and 1841. In 1842, a change of family circumstances was noted. Bubbya and his wife had a child, a son. That year Bubbya was involved in a disturbance at Brisbane Water. He was reported in the Sydney Gazette as being one of ten Aborigines who broke into a hut on Mr Heley’s land to steal goods, the leader and a “notorious vagabond”. He and others were caught and taken to the lockup in East Gosford. A small number sought to escape and a fray occurred between captives, captors and others nearby. Bubbya and the other Aborigines escaped. No further information has been located as yet to explain the outcome of the skirmish and Bubbya’s history. (Blair, 2003, 62-63).