Lost Aborigine's secret grave uncovered at last
Burial place of British colonists' first ally found in suburban garden.
The grave of Woollarawarre Bennelong, an Aboriginal leader who played a key role in early Australian colonial history, has been discovered in a suburban front garden – solving a 200-year-old mystery.
One of the first Aborigines to interact with British colonists, Bennelong – a senior member of the Wangal tribe – struck up a friendship with the first governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip. When Phillip sailed home to England, he took the Wangal man with him, dressed him in Regency finery and introduced him to London high society. When Bennelong returned to Australia, he was ostracised by the indigenous and European communities. In 1813, having sunk into alcoholism, he died – but exactly where he was buried has been the subject of speculation ever since.
Now, after protracted detective work by an environmental scientist, Peter Mitchell, Bennelong's final resting-place has been found, The Sun-Herald newspaper reported yesterday. The discovery represents the missing link in Bennelong's extraordinary story, and is certain to reignite interest in a man who tried to bridge the gap between black and white – a challenge still facing Australians today.