Truganini

Lore & Background

Truganini was born around 1812 at Recherche Bay, the youngest daughter of Manganerer, senior man of the Nuenonne clan. By the time of her birth, British colonisation had begun to impact her people. In 1816, her mother was murdered by sailors; in 1826, two of her sisters were kidnapped by a sealer. According to an unverified account, around 1828 she was abducted and raped by timber cutters, who also murdered her fiancé. In 1829, Robinson encountered her living among convict woodcutters and brought her to his Christian mission at Missionary Bay on Bruny Island. She later married the elder Woureddy in October 1829.

Reader's Guide

Truganini's significance lies in her role as a guide for Robinson's 'friendly mission' from 1830 to 1834, which resulted in the exile of Tasmania's remaining Aboriginal population. She was exiled herself to Wybalenna and later to Oyster Cove. By 1872, she was the only Aboriginal resident left at Oyster Cove and began to be mythologised as the last of her race. After her death, the colonial government declared the island's Aboriginal population extinct. This narrative has been rejected by scholars and the contemporary Aboriginal Tasmanian community. She has since been reframed as a memorial to genocide and claimed as an anti-colonial resistance figure.

Did You Know?

• Truganini's mother was murdered by a group of sailors in 1816.
• She was married to the Nuenonne elder Woureddy in October 1829.
• She suffered from an advanced case of syphilis during Robinson's expeditions.
• After her death, the colonial Tasmanian government declared the island's Aboriginal population extinct.