Who was Pemulwuy?
Pemulwuy was a Bidjigal warrior who led Aboriginal resistance against British colonization around Sydney from about 1790 until his death in 1802. He is remembered as one of the first leaders of Aboriginal resistance.
Pemulwuy lived in the Botany Bay area. In 1790, he speared John McIntyre, Governor Arthur Phillip's gamekeeper, who was believed to have mistreated Aboriginal people. McIntyre later died.
Over the following years, Pemulwuy led raids on farms and settlements around Parramatta and the Hawkesbury River, targeting crops and livestock.
Resistance and death
In 1797, Pemulwuy led an attack on Parramatta and was badly wounded, but he survived. Colonists said he could not be killed by bullets.
In 1802, Governor Philip Gidley King declared him an outlaw. Pemulwuy was shot and killed by settlers later that year. His head was sent to England, to the naturalist Joseph Banks.
His remains have never been found. Aboriginal communities have called for his return. Pemulwuy is celebrated as a hero of Aboriginal resistance, and a suburb in western Sydney is named after him.