Eumarrah

Eumarrah (c.1798 – 24 March 1832) was an Aboriginal Tasmanian leader. He was active in resisting British colonisation during the 1820s and early 1830s, but was ultimately captured and used as a guide in operations tracking down and removing other Indigenous people.

Early life Eumarrah was born around the year 1798 in the Midlands of Tasmania probably somewhere near Campbell Town. He was born into the Tyerrernotepanner or Stoney Creek tribe.

In 1828, Governor George Arthur organised 'roving parties' of armed militia to go into the Tasmanian countryside to track down and capture or destroy Indigenous rebels such as Eumarrah. In November of that year, a 'roving party' led by Gilbert Robertson and guided by a captured Indigenous resistance leader named Kikatapula, tracked Eumarrah down near Tooms Lake. With the aid of the soldiers attached to the party, they seized Eumarrah, his wife Laoninneloonner and several other of his followers. He was subsequently incarcerated in Richmond Gaol as a prisoner of war.

In May 1830, when the expedition was near Trial Harbour, Eumarrah absconded from the 'Friendly Mission', citing that he was threatened with violence from one of the British members of the group.

Rejoins the 'friendly mission' In August 1831, Eumarrah and five other Stoney Creek people were found by G.A. Robinson's group and they agreed to rejoin with his 'friendly mission'. By this stage, the 'friendly mission' had evolved into a series of expeditions to round-up the remaining Indigenous people of Van Diemen's Land and transport them to Flinders Island in order to ethnically cleanse the colony of its original occupants.