Winberri

Winberri (11 October 1840) was an Indigenous Australian resistance leader who, in 1840, led an armed group of Taungurung men in a campaign against British colonists in what is now called central Victoria. Also known as Winberry, Tinbury, or Windberry, he was shot dead in October 1840 by the New South Wales Mounted Police while they were arresting him during the Lettsom raid.

Early life Winberri was born around the year 1820 into the Warringilum clan of the Taungurung people from the Goulburn River region in what is now Victoria (Warring meaning Goulburn River and ilum meaning clan).

His father was Bittime, who was also called Burregregrowel.

Winberri is first mentioned as being an active part in this resistance in January 1840 where he was part of a gang of Taungurung and Woiworrung men led by man named Jackie Jackie, also known as Worrumwullock. These Aboriginal men had acquired muskets and raided a property along the upper Yarra River. Troopers of the Border Police led by Henry Fyshe Gisborne were sent after the gang, whom they intercepted near Yarra Glen. A gunfight developed which resulted in the troopers retreating. In May, this group laid a "masterly" organised 2-day siege upon Dr George Mackay's Whorouly station, killing 3 horses and a number of cattle before retreating. They also hacked to death one of Mackay's stockman who was implicated in the rape of a black woman.

Military response to the resistance A detachment of NSW Mounted Police under Lieutenant Russell was sent to intercept Winberri's gang, but were ambushed by them at a river crossing wounding three troopers with their muskets. and ordered the expulsion of all Aboriginal people from the settlement of Melbourne.

On Friday 9 October 1840, the large meeting of around 400 Taungurung and Wurundjeri men, women and children began at what is now Yarra Bend Park. In the early hours of Sunday 11 October, Major Lettsom with soldiers of the 28th Regiment under Captain George Brunswick Smyth, troopers of the NSW Mounted Police under Lieutenant Russell and Border Police troopers under Frederick Powlett, stealthily surrounded the large group while they slept. After a discrete signal, the soldiers and troopers arrested and chained almost the entire group, with only one man and two women escaping. Several people were wounded during the arrest in what was to become known as the Lettsom raid.

Winberri was soon identified and as he was being chained he broke loose and attempted to attack Lieutenant Francis Vignolles of the 28th Regiment with his waddy. Sergeant Leary of the Mounted Police shot Winberri before he could land a blow on the lieutenant. The bullet pierced through his neck and exited his cheek, severing the carotid artery in the process. Winberri died instantly. He was buried later that day in a makeshift coffin just outside the Old Melbourne Cemetery, with a few of his mourning relatives present. A later inquest deemed the killing as justifiable homicide.

Aftermath After killing Winberri and securing the remaining 300 to 400 Aboriginal people, Lettsom and his troopers marched them down Heidelberg Road and into Melbourne. Large numbers of their pet dogs and dingoes were shot before they left. The women, children and old men who lagged behind were forced to keep moving by being pricked with bayonets and clubbed with rifle butts. Numerous injuries were recorded.

Around 35 Taungurung men and boys were separated from the rest and chained together and placed in the jail on Collins Street. At 1pm those identified as Wurundjeri or Woiwurrung were set free. The remaining Taungurung, being mostly women, children and old men, were incarcerated in a warehouse next to the barracks. That night some of the Taungurung attempted to escape from the warehouse by digging under the wooden plank walls. The soldiers guarding the warehouse discovered the attempt and shot dead an old man and wounded another. Several managed to escape and eventually the others held in the warehouse were released.

On 14 January 1841, the nine convicted men were loaded onto a small vessel on the Yarra River to be taken to a ship in Port Phillip Bay and transported to Sydney. While travelling down the river, the nine Taungurung men chained in irons, jumped overboard and attempted to swim to liberty. Four were shot dead, the others escaping with various wounds. Turrukmunnin, who was 17 years old, was wounded and recaptured. He was later released.