Pemulwuy

Lore & Background

According to historian Eric Willmot, such a child was expected to be sent back to be reborn, but Pemulwuy became better than everyone else—he could run further, use a spear like no one else, and was considered a clever man dealing with spiritual nature and sorcery. His contemporary Colebee said his left foot was distinctive, damaged by a club, perhaps to mark him as a carradhy. Before his resistance, he would hunt meat and provide it to the food-challenged colony in exchange for goods. A young man with a speck on his left eye—identified as Pemulwuy—speared McIntyre, likely in revenge for McIntyre's violence and hunting of sacred totem animals. Governor Phillip ordered a military expedition to capture or kill Bidjigal, but after three days of searching, no contact was made. Pemulwuy then led raids on colonists at Parramatta, Georges River, Prospect, Toongabbie, Brickfield and Hawkesbury River, burning crops and killing livestock. Pemulwuy was shot seven times and wounded, captured, and placed in the Parramatta hospital. Despite buckshot in his head and body and wearing a leg-iron, he escaped, adding to the belief he was a carradhy.

Reader's Guide

Pemulwuy is significant as one of the most famous Aboriginal resistance fighters in the colonial era, leading a twelve-year guerrilla war against British colonisation. His ability to survive multiple wounds and escape captivity fostered a belief among his people that he was invincible to British firearms, which sustained resistance efforts. The Battle of Parramatta demonstrated the disparity in firepower, yet Pemulwuy's tactics—burning crops and killing livestock—disrupted colonial expansion. His legacy is complex: he is remembered as a carradhy, a spiritual healer and culture keeper, and his story highlights the violent conflict over land and resources. The order for his capture dead or alive and his eventual killing and beheading reflect the colonial authorities' determination to suppress Aboriginal resistance. Dharug activist Uncle Richard Green notes that with simple weapons, Pemulwuy defeated every soldier sent in pursuit except Watkin Tench, underscoring his enduring symbolic power.

Did You Know?

• Pemulwuy was born with a turned eyeball or blemish in his left eye.
• He escaped from Parramatta hospital while wearing a leg-iron and still carrying buckshot in his head and body.
• The meaning of his name Bemul Wagan is debated and not definitively known.
• The identity of his killer is uncertain, with several historical attributions including Henry Hacking.