Pemulwuy: Aboriginal Guerrilla Warrior


Pemulwuy was a member of the Bidgigal Clan, of the Eora nation that inhabit the Sydney Basin on the East Coast of Australia.

When Arthur Phillip arrived in Kamay (Botany Bay) with the First Fleet in 1788, to establish a convict settlement, tensions soon arose between the British and the Aboriginal clans that inhabited the area. Under pressure from expanding settlers, the Aboriginal people found a champion in Pemulwuy, a Carradhy (Cleverman), whose hit-and-run tactics unified a number of independent tribes in the region and put serious pressure on colonial food reserves and security.

His relentless campaign lasted 12 years, and during that time he gained legendary status among his people, and the respect of his enemies, such that today he has become a worthy hero to Australians of all backgrounds.

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