Topics: People: North Coastal

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1835 - view

Liggamy, a Koori man is convicted of stealing a pipe and sentenced to seven years gaol.

1835 - view

Little Dick, an ‘Aboriginal native’, is convicted of robbing the dwelling house of Mr William Bloodstock. Death of another Koori is recorded.

1835 - view

Mickey and Merjey are charged with committing rape on Margaret Hansball.

1835 - view

Central Coast Aborigines including Jack Jones, Jago and Nimbo attack a settler’s hut near Wyong. Jack Jones escapes, while three men are taken to Sydney goal. “At Duralong (Wyong), Constable Moses Carroll [and his men] … were concealed in Adam Riley’s hut … for the purpose of apprehending some of the black natives concerned in the late robberies … they entered the hut … the blacks being so resolute and seizing hold of their firearms … they (Constables) were obliged in self defence to fire at Jack Jones who is a very powerful man, and wounded him in the neck. … During the scuffle, three made their escape.” Nimbo and Jago seized a constable at the lock-up and Jack Jones escaped.

1836 - view

Bowen (Toura Bungaree) and his wife Maria, and daughters Jonza, Nan, Theda (Jane), and son Mark, move to Pittwater, near Barrenjoey. Bowen has perhaps decided to lead his clan away from the destruction and poverty of Sydney life back to a semi traditional existence.

1836 - view

Bowen may also have been disappointed in British justice. Bowen had requested the Reverend Threlkeld to make representation to the NSW Attorney General for the unsuccessful prosecution of two Aboriginal men, Murrell and Bummaree for the murder of his brother-in-law Jabinguy and another man. His appeal to the Attorney General was unsuccessful. Bowen returned to find his country much altered with traditional coastal fishing grounds blocked off to them and borders from farms and roads.

1836 - view

Bowen and other members of his clan find work employed as black trackers and also catch and trade fish with settlers. He works beside Customs Officer Howard and is friends with local farmer John Farrell. He is described as a valuable asset to the force. The Sydney Herald reports that Bowen has given information that leads to the capture of three bush rangers. “A black fellow named Bowen told Brophy that the other bushrangers were on another island near Mooney Mooney Creek”.

1836 - view

Bowen is a very effective black tracker in detecting illegal stills in the upper reaches of McCarrs Creek, Church Point. He leads John Howard from the Customs House at Barrenjoey, Pittwater, up the creek to where a man William Farr is detained. Howard recognizes Bowen’s skills and recommends to the Collector of Customs in Sydney that he should ”have a second boat which would cost about four hundred pounds and enable him to get a living for himself and family consisting of two daughters and a son. … as he will be liable to insult and oppression for having aided me”. Later Howard writes “I am reluctant to employ (Bowen) … without the protection of a constable as I have reason to believe that violence would be used towards him.”

1839 - view

The poor creature “Whippem-up” or Newton … lay for some days with no shelter from the late rain storms under some sugar bags. He was attached to the Bungaree Tribe having originally been brought from Broken Bay by a gentleman named Newton. … When Bungaree … fell sick … he was not received into the hospital till an order had been received from the Colonial Secretary.

1840s - view

He visits an Aboriginal camp near Camp Cove where “about a dozen natives of the Sydney and Broken Bay tribes were encamped”, and persuades ‘Old Queen Gooseberry’, Bungaree’s widow, to explain to him what she knew of the North Head carvings. She initially objects, saying that these places were ‘koradjee ground’ or ‘priests’ ground’ that she must not visit. After she was encouraged to row across the harbour with them in a whale boat, she “consented at the last to guide us to several spots near the North head, where she said the carvings existed in great numbers, as also impressions of hands upon the sides of high rocks”.

1841 - view

Birth of James Lewis at Marramarra Creek. He marries Elizabeth Breach.

1842 - view

Another inquest was held on Saturday on the body of Toby an Aboriginal native, who had been convicted of murder and had been conducted to Cockatoo Island, “until the pleasure of Her Majesty should be known”. He had died from inflammation of the lungs

1842 - view

Boio (Long Dick). son of Bungaree and Cora Gooseberry, gives a Broken Bay vocabulary to John Mann.

1843 - view

Birth of James Ashby, son of Charlotte Ashby. Marriage of Charlotte to James Ashby. They receive a land grant at Dora Creek, (Wyee). After Charlotte’s husband dies her children are taken away and put into the Benevolent Society Institution and her land is confiscated.

1844 - view

Queen Cora Gooseberry is drawn by Charles Rodius as she camps with her family on the footpath outside The Cricketer’s Arms hotel at corner of Pitt and Market Streets Sydney. She is also known as One Eyed Poll and and Onion-head from the way she wore her hair high on her head. She survives her husband Bungaree by 20 years. She makes a living by begging outside the hotel where the publican gives her a room to sleep in.

1844 - view

Her (known) children are ‘Miss Diana Bungaree’, Long Dick and Young Bungaree.

1845 - view

According to correspondence from Howard, Maria and Bowen have a son and two daughters all baptised at St Mary’s Church Sydney.

1846 - view

Birth of twins John and James to Elizabeth and Israel Rose at Marramarra Creek.

1849 - view

Bowen Bungaree, Bungaree’s son, sails with other Koories to the Californian gold fields with Richard Hill because of their skill in sailing boats and in the hope to be given jobs to carry the crowds of gold seekers flocking to the Eldorado. Black Bowen is the only one to return. He speaks with ridicule about America, “That country! No wood for fire, but plenty cold wind … no good for me! No good for blackfellows!” On his return Bowen resumes his duties as a Police Tracker and reports to police the activities of two assigned servants (convicts) who had escaped and are petty thieves on the Northern Beaches. The men are captured and sent to prison. Bowen’s reputation is now well established, for example he tracks and uses his gun to hunt the bush-ranger Casey. Bowen wear grand clothes, Farrell describes him: “He was in full rig with dress coat, his hair knotted up behind with three feathers stuck in it”.

1853 - view

Bowen is shot by four white bushrangers at Newport. He is 56 years old. John Farrell relates that a bushranger Casey, who frequented Bushranger’s Hill, had murdered Bowen as he sat by his fire at night.