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Jandamarra
A clear presentation of the greed, ambition and violence that drove the
colonisers to slaughter Aboriginal people. The attempted subjugation by
the chain and the gun was met by a powerful Kimberley Aboriginal resist-
ance. The life and feats of Jandamarra of the Bunuba symbolise the spirit
of that resistance. The silence is broken. The conspiracy is laid open and
justice remains to be delivered.
Patrick Dodson
There is no denying the potency, the sheer mythic force of the Jandamarra
story—it was destined to enter and shape our national consciousness. The
collaboration between Pedersen and Woorunmurtra in delivering this story
to other Australians is as inspiring as the story itself.
H.A. Willis, The West Australian
One hundred years ago...the Bunuba people of the Leopold Ranges were
pitted against police and pastoralists in the fiercest war waged on the
Western Australian frontier...Jandamarra is remembered as a leader of the
resistance, but the full extent of his career has never before been traced. An
outsider in his own community, Jandamarra emerges as a complex product
of the clash of cultures. As a guerilla leader he ranks beside Zapata and
Salvatore Giuliano. Howard Pedersen writes with insight and passion a story
which deserves to be known by all Australians.
Professor Geoffrey Bolton
Jandamarra
ana the Bunuba Resistance
Howard Pedersen
Banjo Woorunmutra
First published by Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation
Broome Western Australia 1995. Reprinted 2000
Premier's prize winner, Western Australian Premier's Book Awards 1996
Shortlisted, New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, 1996
Magabala Books receives financial assistance from the Commonwealth Government through
the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Commission. The State of Western Australia has made an investment in this project
through ArtsWA in association with the Lotteries Commission.
This publication adopts the Kimberley Language Resource Centre (KLRC) standard and
Magabala expresses appreciation for their consultancy. The use of miles has been adopted to
more closely reflect the historical setting. Mile to kilometre conversion tables accompany the
maps. Magabala acknowledges the University of Queensland Press and Stephen Muecke for the
use of the Pigeon Story on pages one to six.
Copyright© Bunuba Productions, Howard Pedersen, Banjo Woorunmurra
All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research,
criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be
reproduced by any process whatsoever without the written permission of the copyright owners
and the publisher.
Printed by Australian Print Group Pty Ltd
Typeset in New Baskerville 11/12.7pt
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication data
Pedersen, Howard.
Jandamarra and the Bunuba Resistance.
New ed.
Bibliography.
Includes index.
ISBN 1 875641 60 2.
1. Pigeon, d. 1897. 2. Bunuba (Australian people) — History. 3. Bunuba (Australian people)
~ Government relations. 4, Bunuba (Australian people) — Treatment. 5. Insurgency — Western
Australia — Kimberley. 6. Racism — Western Australia — Kimberley — History. 7. Outlaws —
Western Australia — Kimberley — Biography. 8. Kimberley — (W.A.) — History. 9. Kimberley
(W.A.) — Race relations — History. I. Woorunmurra, Banjo. II. Title.
994.1403
Cover photo Djanbinmarra, the Rainmaker, Oscar Range; Maria Mann
aD 7 \ Australia [} C ouncil
Western Australia artswa for the Arts
Iv
For Sam and Jane
Acknowledgements
I thank the many people who have assisted me over the years in the researching
and writing of this book, those too numerous to mention here. I am forever
indebted to several Bunuba people who trusted me with their history. Since I have
known of the Jandamarra story a number of Aboriginal people who have helped
me have passed away. In particular, I will always remember and be grateful to the
old man from Derby, the last full Unggumi speaker, who died in 1993.
Aside from Banjo Woorunmurra, the custodian of the Jandamarra story, I extend
many thanks to all the following: Johnny, Harry and Jamie Marr, William Leopold,
Kevin Oscar, Casey Ross, Mary Aitken, Billy Oscar, Patsy Bedford, Selina Middleton,
George Leopold, Jacky Dann, Adam Andrews, George Brooking, Molly Jalagbiya and
Danny Marr. The assistance of Junie Oscar was invaluable. She gave up so much of
her time to help me and link me to the world of her community. I also thank Peter
Yu for all the support he has given me over the years.
I must acknowledge the Australian Bicentennial Authority which provided the
Bunuba community with a grant to employ me to write this story. In particular Iam
grateful for the personal support of Philip Morrissey who saw in my earlier writings
the potential for this book.
I am grateful to Andrew Gill, Jim Warren, Bob Reece, Tom Stannage and
Geoffrey Bolton who many years ago taught me to research and write history. Many
thanks to Steve Hawke, [an David and Graham Isaacs who, like me, grappled with this
story and in countless hours of conversation helped sharpen my analysis and
perspective.
Tam enormously appreciative of the support ofm y mother, Beryl Pedersen, who
originally typed the manuscript to disc and spent so much time removing unneces-
sary words and correcting syntax and grammar despite having taught me English at
high school over twenty-five years ago. I am grateful also to Ralph Metzling who
assisted Beryl in this task. | am thankful to Jocelyn Hosford who from time to time
offered herself as unpaid research assistance and a useful sounding board over
endless cups of coffee. lam appreciative of the wonderful assistance oft he staofff th e
Battye Library, in particular Tom Reynolds. Thanks also to Bill Hart for preparation
of the maps.
Thank you to Peter Bibby whose skilful editing assisted me to cut the original
manuscript by half and bring forward the best of it for the unknown reader. When
the manuscript appeared ready for print a new editor gave ita rigorous final critique.
Sandra Phillips seemed to know exactly the questions to ask. As a result the
manuscript was refined to the point where I am happy for its release.
And finally to Sam, Jane and Sarah for their support, patience and love.
vi
Foreword
The story of Jandamarra is about the right for recognition of the
matters that make us Aboriginal. The resistance by the Bunuba
people one hundred years ago was a fight for survival against the
destructive terror of white colonisation. The struggle to protect our
land, law and culture continues. While the noise of gunfire that once
echoed in the ranges is no longer heard, today’s government policies
and administrative practices that reflect the thinking of bygone eras
continue to resound with similar effect.
The legacy of Jandamarra is the continuing struggle of resistance.
This book presents a significant example of Aboriginal people’s
continuing fight for recognition ofo ur legitimate rights and interests
as owners of country.
The Bunuba people were never defeated. Whilst pastoral proper-
ties and national parks were imposed on every square inch of Bunuba
land, the traditional owners never surrendered their rights to reclaim
their country. Some significant areas of Bunuba land have been
returned to the traditional owners under conditions of pastoral lease
owned by state government. The groundwork is being prepared for
negotiating the ownership and control of other important areas of
Bunuba lands.
The story of the Bunuba resistance is recorded extensively in the
archives because circumstances enabled the Bunuba to throw up a
resistance figure in the form of Jandamarra. But the experience of the
Bunuba is essentially identical to that of all other Aboriginal people
in Australia. Ancestors of Aboriginal people living today were massa-
cred and enslaved in the process of violent dispossession. In many
cases those atrocities occurred in living memory.
My grandmother was taken from the lands onto which she and
countless generations of Bunuba before her had been born. The
vil
enforced separation of my grandmother from her lands and kin was
sanctioned by the assimilationist policies of the time. She was placed
on a mission at Beagle Bay. This happened as police parties were
making sweeping incursions into Bunuba and other Aboriginal lands
in the Kimberley.
While this nation as a whole continues not to address this history
it will be trapped within it. When Donald Horne coined the phrase
“Australia the lucky country”, perhaps he should have said in refer-
ence to the Indigenous people, “Australia the unlucky country with
potential.” For Australia and Australians generally have failed to
grasp and embrace a more sincere and honest relationship with this
continent’s first peoples. This anomaly can only diminish any at-
tempts for internal healing. Such healing will enhance our maturity
and our acceptance in the international community.
It is only in recent times that any serious attempt has been made
by historians and contemporary commentators to re-examine the
real impact of the invasion, with its intrusion into every facet of
Aboriginal life, the very real consequences of which continue to be
felt today. The heartache and uncertainties arising from our displace-
ment and dispossession pose a challenge within our own community
to come to terms with the value that we place on our continued
existence and the strengths that sustain us as distinct peoples.
Jandamarra and the Bunuba Resistance is a solid contribution to
addressing that time-warped view of history held by many of our
citizens. At the same time the collaboration between author Howard
Pedersen and the Bunuba people clearly illustrates the ability and
potential for a more balanced and constructive way of assessing our
past, understanding the present and preparing our future.
Peter Yu
Executive Director
Kimberley Land Council
Vill
