Who was Truganini?
Truganini was a Nuenonne woman from Bruny Island in Tasmania, who lived from about 1812 to 1876. She survived the devastation of Tasmania's Aboriginal population during the Black War and became a well-known figure.
Truganini grew up during a period of violent conflict between British settlers and Aboriginal Tasmanians. Many of her family members were killed or abducted.
In the 1830s, she worked with George Augustus Robinson, who traveled across Tasmania to persuade Aboriginal people to relocate to settlements. She hoped this would help her people survive.
Wybalenna and later life
Many Aboriginal Tasmanians were moved to Wybalenna on Flinders Island, where conditions were poor and many died. Truganini later lived at Oyster Cove, south of Hobart.
When she died in 1876, she was wrongly described as the last Tasmanian Aboriginal person. Her skeleton was displayed in a museum in Hobart for many years, against her wishes.
In 1976, her remains were cremated and her ashes scattered in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. Today, Tasmanian Aboriginal people, the palawa, continue to live and maintain their culture.