‘First Aussie’ on Display at Lake

HE is known as the first Aussie.

Bungaree, a famous Australian Aborigine, was the first of his people to have his life story documented.

In a similar vein, Birabahn was the first Newcastle Aborigine to be recorded in the history books.

Both men feature in an exhibition, Bungaree: The First Australian, to open today at Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery.

The gallery’s Aboriginal reference group member Donna Fernando said Bungaree circumnavigated Australia in 1802 with explorer Matthew Flinders.

Flinders relied on Bungaree as a go-between with Aborigines during the six-week voyage.

”Bungaree was central to life in colonial Sydney Town,” Ms Fernando, of Belmont, said.

”He had a strong connection to governor Lachlan Macquarie.”

In 1815, Governor Macquarie designated Bungaree ”chief of the Broken Bay tribe”.

”Bungaree was the first Aboriginal person in Australian history to have his life story documented,” Ms Fernando said.

He was a leader of his people, facing a ”devastating and changing world”.

The University of Newcastle’s Professor John Maynard said in the exhibition’s catalogue that Bungaree ”sought to occupy a third space at the intersection between black and white”.

”He and his retinue of wives greeted ships arriving in port, climbing on board to welcome newcomers to the country,” Professor Maynard said.

Like Bungaree, Birabahn mediated between white settlers and Aborigines.

Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council chief executive Michael Green said Birabahn was born at Bahtabah (meaning Belmont) about 1800 and died about 1850.

”He was the first well-known Aborigine from the Hunter,” Mr Green said.

”He was a tribal elder, scholar and leader of his people for 20 years.”

He translated the Awabakal language into English and taught other natives the colonists’ language.
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”He was famous for working with the first settlers, so everyone should be proud of him,” he said.

”There should be a monument of him in a Belmont park, opposite the lake.”

Gallery director Debbie Abraham said it was ”important to look at history” through the eyes of such Aborigines, particularly their relationship with the early settlers.

Ms Abraham said the exhibition offered indigenous perspectives on the effect of early colonial society on their lives.