Topics: People: Community leaders: North Coastal

Birth of Theda Bungaree, father: Bowen Toura Bungaree, Mother: Maria.

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.

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”.

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

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”.

Death of Queen Gooseberry, at 78. Her father was from the southern Sydney area. After Bungaree’s death she has settled around Camp Cove with other displaced Aboriginal people. She wears a breast plate with her name on it. Wrapped in a blanket, her head covered by a scarf and with a clay pipe in her mouth, she is a familiar Sydney personality. Her grave is in the Presbyterian section of Botany Cemetery. “In memory of Gooseberry Queen of the Sydney Tribe of Aborigines”.

Thomas Booker

Biddy Lewis dies and is buried at Bar Island near Brooklyn.

‘Black Lucy’ lives in Milling Street Gladesville until she dies in late 1920s. She is referred to by Europeans as the last (traditional) member of the Gamaraigal tribe and is buried in the Field of Mars Cemetery.