NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Yagan

Yagan (IPA: [ˈjæɪ gən]; rhymes with pagan) (c. 1785–11 July 1833) was a Noongar warrior who played a key part in early indigenous Australian resistance to European settlement and rule in the area of Perth, Western Australia. After he led a series of attacks in which white settlers were killed, a bounty was offered for his capture dead or alive, and he was shot dead by a young settler. Yagan's death has passed into Western Australian folklore as a symbol of the unjust and sometimes brutal treatment of the indigenous peoples of Australia by colonial settlers. This image is a portrait of Yagan by Robert Havell, as it appears in the frontispiece of Robert Dales 1834 booklet . ... This image is a portrait of Yagan by Robert Havell, as it appears in the frontispiece of Robert Dales 1834 booklet . ... George Cruikshank (September 27, 1792 – February 1, 1878) was an English artist and caricaturist, well-known for his satirical illustrations of contemporary figures and events. ... George Fletcher Moore (10 December 1798â€“30 December 1886) was a prominent early settler in colonial Western Australia, and one [of] the key figures in early Western Australias ruling elite (Cameron, 2000). ... This is a concise version of the International Phonetic Alphabet for English sounds. ... July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Noongar (alternate spellings: Nyungar / Nyoongar/Nyoongah)[1], are an indigenous Australian people who live in the southwest corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast. ... Indigenous Australians are the first inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands, continuing their presence during European settlement. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Perth is the state capital and most populous city of Western Australia. ... A bounty is often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. ... Emblems: Fauna-Black Swan Flora-Kangaroo Paw Capital = Perth Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital {{{Capital}}} Government Governor Premier Const. ... Folklore is the body of verbal expressive culture, including tales, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs current among a particular population, comprising the oral tradition of that culture, subculture, or group. ...

Yagan's head was removed and brought to London, where it was exhibited as an "anthropological curiosity". It spent over a century in storage at a museum before being buried in an unmarked grave in 1964. In 1993 its location was identified, and four years later it was exhumed and repatriated to Australia. Since then, the issue of its proper reburial has become a source of great controversy and conflict amongst the indigenous people of the Perth area. To date, the head remains unburied. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... Anthropology (from the Greek word Î¬Î½Î¸ÏÏ‰Ï€Î¿Ï‚, human or person) consists of the study of humanity (see genus Homo). ... Martin and Richard Bates measuring ground conductivity at Yagans grave site Ground penetrating radar provided no information about the location of Yagans head A horizontal colour contour map of ground conductivity of Yagans grave site. ...

Yagan's life

Early life

A member of the Whadjuk Noongar people, Yagan belonged to a tribe of around 60 people whose name, according to Robert Lyon, was Beeliar. Lyon's information is not entirely reliable, however, and it is now thought that the Beeliar people may have been a family subgroup of a larger tribe that Daisy Bates called Beelgar.^[1] According to Lyon, the Beeliar people occupied the land south of the Swan and Canning Rivers, as far south as Mangles Bay. It is evident, however, that the group had customary land usage rights over a much larger area than this, extending north as far as Lake Monger and north-east to the Helena River. The group also had an unusual degree of freedom to move over their neighbours' land, possibly due to kinship and marriage ties with neighbouring tribes.^[2] Whadjuk, also called Wadjuk, Whajook and Wadjug, is the name of the Aboriginal group inhabiting the Western Australian region of the Perth bioregion. ... The Noongar (alternate spellings: Nyungar / Nyoongar/Nyoongah)[1], are an indigenous Australian people who live in the southwest corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast. ... Robert Menli Lyon (born 1789, date of death unknown) was an early Western Australian settler who became one of the first outspoken advocates of Australian Aboriginal rights and welfare in the colony. ... Beeliar is the name of a now defunct tribe or family group of Noongars, Indigenous Australians from the Southwest corner of Western Australia. ... Daisy May (ODwyer) Bates (1863-1951) was an Irish-Australian journalist, welfare worker and lifelong student of Australian Aboriginal culture and society. ... Black swan and family The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. ... The Canning River (32Â°00â€²S 115Â°51â€²E) is a river in Western Australia. ... Mangles Bay (32Â°16â€²S 115Â°43â€²E) is a bay of Cockburn Sound in Western Australia. ... NASA World Wind image of Perth, Western Australia with Lake Monger centred at the crosshair Lake Monger is a large urban wetland in suburban Perth, Western Australia nestled between the suburbs of Leederville, Wembley and Glendalough (31. ... The Helena River is a tributary of the Swan River, Western Australia Location It rises in country east of Mount Dale and moves to the north west to Mundaring Weir, where it is dammed. ...

Yagan is thought to have been born around 1795. His father was Midgegooroo, an elder of the Beeliar people; his mother was presumably one of Midgegooroo's two wives. Yagan was probably a Ballaroke in the Noongar classification. According to Green, he had a wife and two children^[3], but most other sources state that he was unmarried and childless. Described as taller than average with an impressive burly physique, Yagan had a distinctive tribal tattoo on his right shoulder which identified him as "a man of high degree in tribal law".^[3] He was generally acknowledged to be the most physically powerful of his tribe.^[4] Midgegooroo (date of birth unknown, died 22 May 1833) was an Indigenous Australian of the Noongar nation, who played a key role in Indigenous resistance to white settlement in the area of Perth, Western Australia. ... Noongar classification refers to the classification system in tribal law by which the Noongar, an indigenous Australian people, enforced restrictions on intermarriage. ...

Contemporary documents sometimes spelled Yagan's name Egan or Eagan, which suggests that the correct pronunciation may have been closer to /'iː gən/ than the now widely accepted /'jæɪ gən/.

Relations with settlers

Yagan would have been about 35 years old in 1829 when British settlers landed in the area and established the Swan River Colony. For the first two years of the colony, relations between settlers and Noongars were generally amicable, as there was little competition for resources, and the Noongars welcomed the white settlers as Djanga, the returned spirits of the Noongar dead. As time passed, however, conflicts between the two cultures gradually became more frequent. The settlers took the view that the Noongars were nomads with no claim to the land over which they roamed, and so they considered themselves free to fence off land for grazing and farming. As more and more land was fenced off, the Noongars were increasingly denied access to their traditional hunting grounds and sacred sites, so by 1832 Yagan's family group was unable to approach the Swan or Canning Rivers without danger, because land grants lined the banks. The Noongars' response to the loss of their hunting and gathering grounds was to take the settlers' crops and spear their cattle. They also developed a taste for the settlers' food, and their constant theft of flour and other food supplies became a serious problem for the colony. Another cause of conflict was the Noongar practice of firestick farming, firing the bush to flush out game and encourage germination of undergrowth, which threatened the settlers' crops and houses.^[5] Events May 2 - After anchoring nearby, Captain Charles Fremantle of the HMS Challenger, declared the Swan River Colony in Australia. ... See also: History of Western Australia // Background to the Settlement The founding father of modern Western Australia was James Stirling who, in 1827, explored the Swan River area in HMS Success which first anchored off Rottnest, and later in Cockburn Sound. ... The Swan River Colony, established in June 1829, was the only British colony in Australia established on the basis of land grants to settlers. ... Cow and Cows redirect here. ... Thief redirects to here. ... Look up flour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Fire-stick farming is a term coined by Australian archeologist Rhys Jones in 1969 to describe the practice of Indigenous Australians where fire was used regularly to burn vegetation to facilitate hunting and to change the composition of plant and animal species in an area. ... Backburning in Townsville, Australia to prevent bushfires. ... The bush a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in many places, such as Australia, New Zealand South Africa, and Alaska. ...

The first significant Aboriginal resistance to white settlement in Western Australia occurred in December 1831 after Thomas Smedley, a servant of farmer Archibald Butler, ambushed some natives who were raiding a potato patch, and shot dead one of Yagan's family group. A few days later, Yagan, Midgegooroo and others stormed the farmhouse and, finding the door locked, began to break through the mud-brick walls. Inside was another of Butler's servants, Erin Entwhistle, and his two sons Enion and Ralph. After hiding his sons under the bed, Entwhistle opened the door to parley and was instantly speared to death by Yagan and Midgegooroo. Noongar tribal law required that murders be avenged by the killing of a member of the murderer's tribal group, not necessarily the murderer. The spearing of Entwhistle may therefore be understood as retribution under tribal law, as the Noongars would have thought of Butler's household as a family group.^[2] The white settlers, however, saw the act as the unprovoked murder of an innocent man. Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber. ...

In June 1832 Yagan led a party of Aborigines in an attack on two labourers who were sowing a field of wheat alongside the Canning River near Kelmscott. One of the men escaped, but the other, William Gaze, was wounded and later died, possibly through infection of the spear wound. In response to this, Yagan was declared an outlaw with a reward of £20 offered for his capture. Yagan managed to avoid capture until early October 1832, when a group of fishermen enticed Yagan and two of his friends into their boat, then pushed off into deep water. The three Noongars were initially taken to the Perth guardhouse, then later transferred to the Round House at Fremantle. Yagan was sentenced to death, but he was saved by the intercession of a settler named Robert Lyon, who argued that Yagan was defending his land against invasion, and was therefore not a criminal but a prisoner of war, and was entitled to be treated as such. At the recommendation of John Septimus Roe, Yagan and his friends were instead exiled on Carnac Island at the Governor's pleasure, under the supervision of Lyon and two soldiers. Species T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum References: ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat (Triticum spp. ... Kelmscott is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Armadale. ... The Round House The Round House is the oldest building still standing in Western Australia. ... Robert Menli Lyon (born 1789, date of death unknown) was an early Western Australian settler who became one of the first outspoken advocates of Australian Aboriginal rights and welfare in the colony. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... John Septimus Roe (May 8, 1797â€“28 May 1878) was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. ... Carnac Island is an A Class nature reserve approximately 10 kilometres south west of Fremantle, Western Australia. ... Flag of the Governor of Western Australia The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australias head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including: presiding over the Executive Council; proroguing and dissolving the Legislative Assembly and the...

Lyon was convinced that he could civilise Yagan and convert him to Christianity, and hoped to use his tribal standing to obtain the Noongars' acceptance of white authority. To this end Lyon spent many hours with Yagan learning his language and customs. However, his efforts were cut short when, after a month, Yagan and his companions escaped by stealing an unattended dinghy and rowing to Woodman Point on the mainland. No attempt was made to recapture the men; apparently, the Government considered that they had been sufficiently punished. Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recounted in the New Testament. ... Dinghy of the schooner Adventuress A dinghy is a small utility boat attached to a larger boat. ... Woodman Point is a headland on the west coast of Western Australia. ...

In January 1833 two Noongars, Gyallipert and Manyat, visited Perth from King George Sound, where relations between settlers and natives were amicable. Two settlers, Richard Dale and George Smythe, arranged for the men to meet a party of local Noongars in the hope that it might encourage the same friendly relations in the Swan River Colony. On 26 January Yagan led a group of ten formally armed Noongars in greeting the two men near Lake Monger. The men exchanged weapons and held a corroboree, though neither group seemed to understand the language of the other. Yagan and Gyallipert then competed at spear throwing, Yagan striking a walking stick from a distance of 25 metres. Albany is a city of approximately 30,000 people on the south coast of Western Australia, 261 miles southeast of Perth. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... NASA World Wind image of Perth, Western Australia with Lake Monger centred at the crosshair Lake Monger is a large urban wetland in suburban Perth, Western Australia nestled between the suburbs of Leederville, Wembley and Glendalough (31. ... A Corroboree is a ceremonial meeting of Australian Aborigines. ...

Gyallipert and Manyat remained in Perth for some time, and on 3 March, Yagan obtained permission to hold another corroboree, this time in the Post Office garden in Perth. The Perth and King George Sound men met at dusk, chalked their bodies, and performed a number of dances including a kangaroo hunt dance. The Perth Gazette wrote that Yagan "was master of ceremonies and acquitted himself with infinite grace and dignity".^[6] March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... Species Macropus rufus Macropus giganteus Macropus fuliginosus A kangaroo is any of several large macropods (the marsupial family that also includes the wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons and the Quokka: 65 species in all). ... The West Australian masthead The West Australian (often simply called The West) is Western Australias only daily newspaper, and is owned by ASX-listed West Australian Newspapers Limited. ...

During February and March, Yagan was involved in a series of minor conflicts with settlers. In February settler William Watson complained that Yagan had pushed open his door, demanded a gun, and taken handkerchiefs, and that Watson had had to give him and his companions flour and bread. The following month, he was among a group who received biscuits from a military contingent under Lieutenant Norcott; when Norcott tried to restrict his supply, Yagan threatened him with his spear. Later that month, Yagan was with a group of Noongars that entered Watson's house while he was away. The group left after Watson's wife called on neighbours for help, but were brought back the next day to be lectured about their behaviour by Captain Ellis. The constant conflict prompted The Perth Gazette to remark on "the reckless daring of this desperado who sets his life at a pin's fee ... For the most trivial offence ... he would take the life of any man who provoked him. He is at the head and front of any mischief."^[7] Raymond W. Kelly is seen here wearing a handkerchief in his left-breast pocket. ...

Wanted dead or alive

On the night of 29 April, a party of Noongars broke into a Fremantle store to steal flour and were fired upon by the caretaker Peter Chidlow. Domjum, a brother of Yagan, was badly injured and died in jail a few days later. The rest of the party then moved from Fremantle to Preston Point, where Yagan was heard to vow vengeance for the death. Between fifty and sixty Noongars then gathered at Bull Creek, within sight of High Road, where they met a party of settlers who were loading carts with provisions. Later that day, the group ambushed the lead cart, spearing to death two white men, Tom and John Velvick. Tribal law only required a single death; the native Munday later explained that both were speared because they had previously mistreated Aboriginal people. The Velvicks had previously been convicted for assaulting Aboriginal people and coloured seamen. Alexandra Hasluck has also argued that a desire to steal the provisions was an important motive in the attack ^[8], but this has been refuted elsewhere ^[5]. April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... Preston Point is a small headland in the Swan River, Western Australia. ... Bull Creek is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. ...

For the killing of the Velvicks, the Lieutenant-Governor Frederick Irwin declared Yagan, Midgegooroo and Munday outlaws, offering rewards of £20 each for the capture of Midgegooroo and Munday, and a reward of £30 for Yagan's capture dead or alive. Munday successfully appealed against his proscription. Midgegooroo and Yagan must have realised that they would be hunted by settlers, as their group immediately moved from their territory north towards the Helena Valley. Four days after the murder, Midgegooroo was captured on the Helena River, and after a brief, informal trial was executed by firing squad. Yagan, however, remained at large for over two months. Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Chidley Irwin was Governor of Western Australia from 1847 to 1848. ... The Executions of the Third of May by Francisco Goya Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in times of war. ...

Late in May, Yagan was seen by George Fletcher Moore on his property in Upper Swan, and the two held a conversation in pidgin English. Yagan then spoke in his own language; Moore wrote: George Fletcher Moore (10 December 1798â€“30 December 1886) was a prominent early settler in colonial Western Australia, and one [of] the key figures in early Western Australias ruling elite (Cameron, 2000). ... Upper Swan is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Since Moore had little knowledge of Yagan's native language, Hasluck suggests that this conjecture is probably more indicative of "a feeling of conscience on the part of the white men" than an accurate rendering of Yagan's state of mind.^[8]

Yagan then asked Moore whether Midgegooroo was dead or alive. Moore gave no reply, but a servant answered that Midgegooroo was a prisoner on Carnac Island. Yagan responded with a warning: "White man shoot Midgegooroo, Yagan kill three." Moore made no attempt to capture Yagan other than to report the sighting to the nearest magistrate; he wrote, "The truth is, every one wishes him taken, but no one likes to be the captor ... there is something in his daring which one is forced to admire."^[9]

Death

On 11 July 1833, two teenage brothers named William and James Keates were herding cattle along the Swan River north of Guildford when a group of Noongars approached on their way to collect their rations of flour from Henry Bull's house. Being on friendly terms with Yagan, the Keates brothers suggested he remain with them to avoid arrest. Yagan remained with them all morning, during which time the boys decided to kill Yagan and claim the reward. William Keates tried once to shoot him but the gun stopped at half-cock; no further opportunity arose before they were rejoined by the other natives. When the natives attempted to depart, the Keates took their last opportunity. William Keates shot Yagan, and James shot another native, Heegan, in the act of throwing his spear. Both boys then ran for the river, but William was overtaken and speared to death. James escaped by swimming the river and returned shortly afterwards with a party of armed settlers from Bull's estate. Image File history File links Yagan-Belhus. ... Image File history File links Yagan-Belhus. ... July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Guildford, Western Australia Guildford was established in 1829 on the Swan River, being sited near a permiment fresh water supply. ... Look up flour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Millhouse Cottage, site of Henry Bulls mill Lieutenant Henry Bull ([1799â€“c. ...

Moore records that a party of soldiers passed by the area shortly after the incident, and speculates that they must have "frightened the natives (I supposed) or they would have carried off the bodies". When the party of settlers arrived, they found Yagan dead and Heegan dying. Heegan "was groaning and his brains were partly out when the party came, and whether humanity or brutality, a man put a gun to his head and blew it to pieces." Yagan's head was then cut from his body, and his back was skinned to obtain his tribal markings as a trophy. The bodies were buried a short distance from where they had been killed.

James Keates successfully claimed the reward, but his actions were widely criticised; The Perth Gazette referred to Yagan's killing as "a wild and treacherous act ... it is revolting to hear this lauded as a meritorious deed."^[10] Keates departed the colony the following month; the reasons are unknown, but it is possible that he left from fear of being murdered in retaliation.

Yagan's head

Exhibition and burial

Yagan's head was initially taken to Henry Bull's house. Moore saw it there and sketched the head a number of times in his unpublished, handwritten diary, commenting that "possibly it may yet figure in some museum at home". The head was then preserved by smoking, by hanging it in a hollow tree over a fire of Eucalyptus wood for three months. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1977x2489, 468 KB) Summary This is a sketch of Yagans head. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1977x2489, 468 KB) Summary This is a sketch of Yagans head. ... George Fletcher Moore (10 December 1798â€“30 December 1886) was a prominent early settler in colonial Western Australia, and one [of] the key figures in early Western Australias ruling elite (Cameron, 2000). ... Species About 700; see the List of Eucalyptus species Wikispecies has information related to: Eucalyptus Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of trees (rarely shrubs), the members of which dominate the tree flora of Australia. ...

In September 1833 Yagan's head was taken to London by Ensign Robert Dale. According to Paul Turnbull, Dale appears to have persuaded Governor Irwin to let him have the head as an "anthropological curiosity" ^[11]. After arriving in London, Dale approached a number of anatomists and phrenologists attempting to sell the head for £20, claiming that it was worth twice that much. Having failed to find a buyer, he then entered into an arrangement with Thomas Pettigrew for the exclusive use of the head for one year. Pettigrew, a surgeon and antiquarian who was well-known in the London social scene for holding private parties at which he unrolled and autopsied Egyptian mummies, displayed the head on a table in front of a panoramic view of King George Sound that was reproduced from Dale's sketches. For effect the head was adorned with a fresh corded headband and feathers of the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Chidley Irwin was Governor of Western Australia from 1847 to 1848. ... Anthropology (from the Greek word Î¬Î½Î¸ÏÏ‰Ï€Î¿Ï‚, human or person) consists of the study of humanity (see genus Homo). ... Anatomical drawing of the human muscles from the EncyclopÃ©die. ... A 19th century Phrenology chart Phrenology (from Greek: Ï†ÏÎ·Î½, phrÄ“n, mind; and Î»Î¿Î³Î¿Ï‚, logos, study) is a theory which claims to be able to determine character, personality traits, and criminality on the basis of the shape of the head (reading bumps). Developed by German physician Franz Joseph Gall around 1800, and... Thomas Joseph Pettigrew (1791â€“1865), sometimes known as Mummy Pettigrew, was a surgeon and antiquarian who became an expert on Egyptian mummies. ... An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination or an obduction, is a medical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of a persons death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present. ... A mummy is a corpse whose skin and dried flesh have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold or dryness, or airlessness. ... Albany is a city of approximately 30,000 people on the south coast of Western Australia, 261 miles southeast of Perth. ... Binomial name Calyptorhynchus banksii Latham, 1790 Red-tailed Black Cockatoo range (in red) The Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus banksii, is a large cockatoo native to Australia. ...

Pettigrew also arranged for the head to be examined by a phrenologist. Examination was considered difficult because of the large fracture across the back of the head caused by the gunshot. The findings, which were predictably consistent with contemporary European opinion of Indigenous Australians^[11], were published as part of a pamphlet by Dale entitled Descriptive Account of the Panoramic View &c. of King George's Sound and the Adjacent Country,^[12] which Pettigrew encouraged his guests to buy as a souvenir of their evening. The frontispiece of the pamphlet was a hand-coloured aquatint print of Yagan's head by the artist George Cruikshank. A bone fracture is a medical condition in which a bone becomes cracked, splintered, or bisected as a result of physical trauma. ... A souvenir stall in London, England A souvenir (from French, for memory) is an object that is treasured for the memories associated with it. ... Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique. ... George Cruikshank (September 27, 1792 – February 1, 1878) was an English artist and caricaturist, well-known for his satirical illustrations of contemporary figures and events. ...

Early in October 1835, both Yagan's head and the panoramic view were returned to Dale, who was then living in Liverpool. On 12 October he presented them to the Liverpool Royal Institution, where the head may have been displayed in a case along with some other preserved heads and wax models illustrating cranial anatomy. In 1894 the Institution's collections were dispersed, and Yagan's head was lent to the Liverpool Museum; it is thought not to have been put on display there. By the 1960s Yagan's head was badly deteriorated, and in April 1964 the decision was made to dispose of it. On 10 April 1964, Yagan's head was placed in a plywood box, along with a Peruvian mummy and a Maori head, and buried in Everton Cemetery's General Section 16, grave number 296. In later years a number of burials were made around the grave, and in 1968 a local hospital buried 20 stillborn babies and two babies who had lived less than twenty-four hours directly over the museum box. Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... The Liverpool Museum in Liverpool is one of Britains finest museums, with extensive collections and special attractions including the award-winning hands-on Natural History Centre and the Planetarium. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... A mummy is a corpse whose skin and dried flesh have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold or dryness, or airlessness. ... Te Puni, MÄori Chief MÄori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... Everton Cemetery, Long Lane, Fazakerley. ... A stillborn baby girl, Breanna Lynn Bartlett-Stewart, shortly after stillbirth. ...

Lobbying for repatriation

For many years, at least since the early 1980s, a number of Noongar groups sought the return of Yagan's head.

It was unknown at that time, however, what had happened to the head after it left Pettigrew's possession. In the early 1980s, Ken Colbung was entrusted with the search for the head by tribal elders. In 1985 he engaged Lily Bhavna Kauler as a researcher, and a number of unsuccessful enquiries were made to various United Kingdom museums. In the early 1990s, Colbung enlisted the aid of University of London archaeologist Peter Ucko. One of Ucko's researchers, Cressida Fforde, was funded by the Government of Australia to conduct a literature search for information on the head. She successfully traced the head in December 1993, and in April the following year, Colbung applied for permission to exhume it under Section 25 of the Burial Act 1857. Home Office regulations required next of kin consent for the remains of the 22 babies to be disturbed, but Colbung's solicitors requested that this condition be waived on grounds that the exhumation would be of great personal significance to Yagan's living relatives, and great national importance to Australia. Ken Colbung (born 2 September 1931), also known by his indigenous name Nundjan Djiridjarkan, is an indigenous Australian leader. ... Senate House, designed by Charles Holden, home to the universitys central administrative offices and its library The University of London is a federation of colleges and institutes which together constitute one of the worlds largest universities. ... Archaeology, archeology, or archÃ¦ology (from the Greek words Î±ÏÏ‡Î±Î¯Î¿Ï‚ = ancient and Î»ÏŒÎ³Î¿Ï‚ = word/speech/discourse) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Peter J. Ucko (born 1938) is Professor of Comparative Archaeology and Director of University College Londons Institute of Archaeology , notable for his organisation of the first World Archaeological Congress in 1986. ... // Australia is a constitutional monarchy, a federation and a parliamentary democracy. ... The Burial Act 1857 is a British law. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... Next of kin is the term used to describe a persons closest living blood relative or relatives. ... A solicitor is a type of lawyer in many common law jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Canada and some States of Australia but not the United States. ...

Meanwhile, divisions in the Perth Noongar community began to show, with Colbung's role in the repatriation questioned by a number of elders, and one Noongar registering a complaint with the Liverpool City Council over Colbung's involvement. There was much acrimonious debate within the Noongar community about who had the best cultural qualifications to take possession of the head, some of which was publicly aired. On 25 July a public meeting was held in Perth, where all parties agreed to put aside their differences and co-operate to ensure that the repatriation was a "national success". A Yagan Steering Committee was established to co-ordinate the repatriation, and Colbung's application was allowed to proceed. See City of Liverpool for other meanings Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ...

In January 1995 the Home Office advised Colbung that it was unable to waive the necessity of obtaining next of kin consent for the exhumation. It then contacted the five relatives whose addresses were known, receiving unconditional consent from only one. Accordingly, on 30 June 1995, Colbung and the other interested parties were advised that the application for exhumation had been rejected.^[14] June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Yagan Steering Committee then met on 21 September and decided to proceed by lobbying Australian and British politicians for support. This approach led to an invitation for Colbung to visit the United Kingdom at the British government's expense. Colbung arrived in the United Kingdom on 20 May 1997. His visit attracted substantial media coverage and increased the political pressure on the British Government. It also allowed him to secure the support of the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, after gate crashing the Prime Minister's June visit to the United Kingdom. September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... CCCCCCCC U U N N TTTTTTTTTTT CCC U U N N N T CCC U U N N N T CCC U U N N N T CCC U U N N N T CCC U U N N N T CCC U U N NN T CCC U U... Gatecrasher, originally slang but now in common usage, refers to a person who enters some event without a ticket or invitation. ...

Exhumation

While Colbung was in the United Kingdom, Martin and Richard Bates were engaged to undertake a geophysical survey of the grave site. Using electromagnetic and ground penetrating radar techniques, they identified an approximate position of the box that suggested it could be accessed from the side via the adjacent plot. A report of the survey was passed to the Home Office, prompting further discussions between the British and Australian Governments.^[15] Martin and Richard Bates measuring ground conductivity at Yagans grave site Ground penetrating radar provided no information about the location of Yagans head A horizontal colour contour map of ground conductivity of Yagans grave site. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (556x628, 1036 KB) Summary This image is a horizontal colour contour map of ground conductivity of Yagans grave site, showing an anomaly in the electromagnetic signature that was correctly thought be caused by metal artefacts buried with Yagans head. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (556x628, 1036 KB) Summary This image is a horizontal colour contour map of ground conductivity of Yagans grave site, showing an anomaly in the electromagnetic signature that was correctly thought be caused by metal artefacts buried with Yagans head. ... Geophysics, the study of the earth by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic reflection and refraction, geodesy, gravity, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, and radioactivity methods. ... Electromagnetism is the physics of the electromagnetic field: a field, encompassing all of space, which exerts a force on those particles that possess the property of electric charge, and is in turn affected by the presence and motion of such particles. ... Ground penetrating radar works much like regular radar, using pulses of electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range and reading the reflected signal to detect subsurface structures and objects without drilling, probing or otherwise breaking the ground surface. ...

Of concern to the Home Office were an undisclosed number of letters that it had received objecting to Colbung's involvement in the repatriation process; it therefore sought assurances from the Australian Government that Colbung was a correct applicant. In response Colbung asked his elders to ask the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) to tell the British Home Office that he was the correct applicant. ATSIC then convened a meeting in Perth at which it was again resolved that Colbung's application could proceed. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) (1990â€“2005) was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were formally involved in the processes of government affecting their lives. ...

Colbung continued to press for the exhumation, asking that it be performed before the 164th anniversary of Yagan's death on 11 July, so that the anniversary could be the occasion of a celebration. His request was not met, and on the anniversary of Yagan's death, Colbung conducted a short memorial service at the burial plot in Everton. He returned to Australia empty-handed on 15 July. July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ...

The exhumation of Yagan's head eventually proceeded, without Colbung's knowledge, by excavating six feet down the side of the grave, then tunnelling horizontally to the location of the box. Thus the exhumation was performed without disturbing any other remains. The following day, a forensic palaeontologist from the University of Bradford positively identified the skull as Yagan's by correlating the fractures with those described in Pettigrew's report.^[15] The skull was then kept at the museum until 29 August, when it was handed over to the Liverpool City Council. Martin and Richard Bates measuring ground conductivity at Yagans grave site Ground penetrating radar provided no information about the location of Yagans head A horizontal colour contour map of ground conductivity of Yagans grave site. ... Forensic science (often shortened to forensics) is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system. ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ... The University of Bradford is a university in Bradford, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. ... A hippopotamus skull A skull, or cranium, is a bony structure of Craniates which serves as the general framework for a head. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ...

Repatriation

On 27 August 1997, a delegation of Noongars consisting of Ken Colbung, Robert Bropho, Richard Wilkes and Mingli Wanjurri-Nungala arrived in the UK to collect Yagan's head. The delegation was to have been larger, but Commonwealth funding was withdrawn at the last minute. The handover of Yagan's skull was further delayed, however, when a Noongar named Corrie Bodney applied to the Supreme Court of Western Australia for an injunction against the handover. Claiming that his family group has sole responsibility for Yagan's remains, Bodney declared the exhumation illegal and denied the existence of any tradition or belief necessitating the head's exhumation and removal to Australia. Another Noongar, Albert Corunna, then came forward with a claim to be Yagan's closest living relative. The Supreme Court had no power to grant an emergency injunction binding the Government of the United Kingdom, so instead it asked the Government of Western Australia to object formally to the handing over of Yagan's remains. The United Kingdom Government responded favourably to the objection, agreeing to withhold the head until the injunction application had been considered. On 29 August the court rejected the injunction application, on the grounds that Bodney had previously agreed to the current arrangements, and on the evidence of another Noongar elder and an anthropologist, both of whom refuted Bodney's claim to sole responsibility.^[14] August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Noongar (alternate spellings: Nyungar / Nyoongar/Nyoongah)[1], are an indigenous Australian people who live in the southwest corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast. ... Robert Bropho (born 1930) is an indigenous Australian activist in Perth, Western Australia. ... The Supreme Court of Western Australia is the highest state court in the Australian State of Western Australia. ... Her Majestys Government (or His Majestys Government) (HMG) is the formal mode of address given to a government in a kingdom where executive authority is vested in the monarch and exercised in theory on his or her behalf by his/her government, hence the term. ... The form of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ...

Yagan's skull was handed over to the Noongar delegation at a ceremony at the Liverpool Town Hall on 31 August 1997. In accepting the skull, Colbung made comments that allegedly linked Yagan's death with the death of Princess Diana, who had died that day: Town-Hall, Liverpool The Liverpool Town-Hall is built in a striking style of architecture. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lady Diana Frances Spencer (Diana Frances Mountbatten-Windsor, nÃ©e Spencer) (July 1, 1961â€“August 31, 1997) was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. ...

Colbung's comments prompted a media furore throughout Australia, with newspapers receiving many letters from the public expressing shock and anger at the comments. Colbung later claimed that his comments had been misinterpreted.

On its return to Perth, Yagan's head continued to be a source of controversy and conflict. The burial of Yagan's head was delayed by disputes between elders over the burial location, due to uncertainty of the whereabouts of the rest of his body and disagreement about the importance of burying the head with the body. For some time the head was stored in a bank vault, and more recently, it was in the hands of forensic experts who reconstructed a model from it. Perth is the state capital and most populous city of Western Australia. ...

A number of attempts have been made to locate the remains of Yagan's body, which are believed to be on a property on West Swan Road in the outer Perth suburb of Belhus. A remote sensing survey of the site was carried out in 1998, but no remains were found. An archaeological survey of the area was undertaken two years later, but this also was unsuccessful.^[14] In 1998 the Western Australian Planning Commission and the Department of Aboriginal Affairs jointly published a document entitled Yagan's Gravesite Master Plan, which discussed "matters of ownership, management, development and future use" of the property. Under consideration was the possibility of turning the site into an indigenous burial site, to be managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board. Belhus is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. ... Synthetic aperture radar image of Death Valley colored using polarimetry In the broadest sense, remote sensing is the measurement or acquisition of information of an object or phenomenon, by a recording device that is not in physical or intimate contact with the object. ...

To date, Yagan's head remains unburied, and the issue continues to cause conflict between Noongar groups. In March 2005 Noongar elder Kevin Cameron accused the group that had the head of deferring its burial in the hope of making money out of it with elaborate parks and monuments. Richard Wilkes responded by claiming that the group who had possession of the head had direct kinship lines to Yagan and wanted the head buried properly, but had been delayed by searches and burial site negotiations. He claimed that the head could be buried separately from the body, so long as it was placed where he was killed, so that Dreamtime spirits could reunite the remains.^[16] Representation of the Rainbow serpent, the Waugal In Australian Aborigine religion the Dreamtime, also called The Dreaming, is the era before the Earth was created, and a time when everything was spirit and not physical. ...

Cultural references

Alas Poor Yagan

On 6 September 1997 The West Australian published a Dean Alston cartoon entitled Alas Poor Yagan,^[17] which was critical of the fact that the return of Yagan's head had become a source of conflict between Noongars instead of fostering unity. The cartoon could also be interpreted as insulting aspects of Noongar culture, and casting aspersions on the motives and legitimacy of indigenous Australians with mixed racial heritage. The content of the cartoon offended many indigenous Australians, and a group of Noongar elders complained about the cartoon to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. The commission ruled that the cartoon made inappropriate references to Noongar beliefs but did not breach racial discrimination law.^[18] This ruling was upheld on appeal by the Federal Court of Australia.^[19] Alas Poor Yagan, from The West Australian, Saturday 6 September 1997 Alas Poor Yagan is a controversial Dean Alston editorial cartoon. ... Image File history File links Alas_Poor_Yagan_(2_panels). ... Image File history File links Alas_Poor_Yagan_(2_panels). ... Dean Alston (born 1950) is an Australian cartoonist who joined the West Australian newspaper in 1986. ... Alas Poor Yagan, from The West Australian, Saturday 6 September 1997 Alas Poor Yagan is a controversial Dean Alston editorial cartoon. ... This article is about the day of the year. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The West Australian masthead The West Australian (often simply called The West) is Western Australias only daily newspaper, and is owned by ASX-listed West Australian Newspapers Limited. ... Dean Alston (born 1950) is an Australian cartoonist who joined the West Australian newspaper in 1986. ... A cartoon is any of several forms of art, with varied meanings that evolved from one to another. ... Alas Poor Yagan, from The West Australian, Saturday 6 September 1997 Alas Poor Yagan is a controversial Dean Alston editorial cartoon. ... The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) is a national independent statutory body of the Australian government. ... An African-American man drinks out of the colored only water cooler at a racially segregated street car terminal in the United States in 1939. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... In Melbourne, the Federal Court is housed with other federal courts such as the High Court and the Federal Magistrates Court in the Federal Court Building on the corner of La Trobe Street and William Street The Federal Court of Australia is the Australian court in which most civil disputes...

Yagan's statue

From the mid-1970s, members of the Noongar community lobbied for the erection of a statue of Yagan as part of the WAY 1979 sesquicentennial celebrations. Their requests were refused, however, after then Premier of Western Australia Sir Charles Court was advised by local historians that Yagan was not important enough to warrant a statue. Colbung claims "Court was more interested in spending tax payers' money on refurbishing the badly neglected burial place of Captain James Stirling, WA's first governor."^[13] Despite this setback, the Noongar community persisted, establishing a Yagan Committee and running a number of fund-raising drives. Eventually, sufficient funds were collected to allow the commissioning of indigenous Australian sculptor Robert Hitchcock to create a statue. The result was a life-size statue in bronze, depicting Yagan standing naked with a spear held across his shoulders. Hitchcock's statue of Yagan was officially opened by Yagan Committee chairperson Elizabeth Hanson on 11 September 1984. It stands on Heirisson Island in the Swan River near Perth. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x1638, 550 KB) Summary Photo taken (17th Dec 2005) and supplied by Nachoman-au. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x1638, 550 KB) Summary Photo taken (17th Dec 2005) and supplied by Nachoman-au. ... WAY 1979, also referred to as WAY 79 and WAY 79, was the official 1979 sesquicentennial celebration of the white settlement of Western Australia in 1829. ... John Forrest, the first Premier of Western Australia The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. ... Sir Charles Walter Michael Court, AK, KCMG, OBE (Mil) (born September 29, 1911), Australian politician, was Premier of Western Australia between 1974 and 1982. ... Admiral Sir James Stirling Admiral Sir James Stirling (January 28, 1791â€“April 23, 1865) was the first Governor of Western Australia (1828â€“38) and on his own initiative signed Britains first limited treaty with Japan in 1854. ... Assorted ancient bronze castings found as part of a cache, probably intended for recycling. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Heirisson Island is named after Midshipman Francois Boniface Heirisson, who discovered it in June 1801. ...

In 1997, within a week of the return of Yagan's head to Perth, vandals beheaded the statue and stole the head. After restoration of the statue, it was beheaded for a second time. Since receiving a second restoration, it has been left unharmed. To date, the Western Australia Police have not succeeded in identifying the vandals or recovering the bronze heads, although credit for the act was anonymously claimed by a "British loyalist" as an act of retaliation for Colbung's comments about Princess Diana. Western Australia Police logo. ...

In 2002 Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly Janet Woollard called for the statue's private parts to be covered up, but nothing was done. In November 2005 Richard Wilkes again called for the statue's private parts to be covered, on the grounds that such a depiction would be more historically accurate as Yagan would have worn a covering for most of the year. Also under consideration is the creation of a new statue with a head shape that accords better with the forensic reconstruction of Yagan's head.^[20] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (935x1375, 75 KB) // Summary This is a low-resolution black and white scan of the cover of Mary Duracks 1976 childrens novel Yagan of the Bibbulmun. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (935x1375, 75 KB) // Summary This is a low-resolution black and white scan of the cover of Mary Duracks 1976 childrens novel Yagan of the Bibbulmun. ... Dame Mary Durack (born February 20, 1913, died December 16, 1994) was an accomplished Australian author and historian. ... A black and white scan of the cover of Mary Duracks 1976 childrens novel Yagan of the Bibbulmun, with illustrations by Revel Cooper. ... In Western Australia, a Member of the Legislative Assembly or MLA is a person elected to sit in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of Western Australia. ... Janet May Woollard (born February 13, 1955) is the sitting member for the seat of Alfred Cove in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. ... An intimate or private part is a place on the human body. ...

Literature and film

Mary Durack published a fictionalised account of Yagan's life in her 1964 children's novel The Courteous Savage: Yagan of the Swan River.^[21] When reissued in 1976, it was renamed Yagan of the Bibbulmun^[22] because the word "Savage" was by then considered racist. Dame Mary Durack (born February 20, 1913, died December 16, 1994) was an accomplished Australian author and historian. ... An African-American man drinks out of the colored only water cooler at a racially segregated street car terminal in the United States in 1939. ...

The repeated beheading of Yagan's statue in 1997 prompted indigenous writer Archie Weller to write a short story entitled Confessions of a Headhunter. Weller later worked with film director Sally Riley to adapt the story into a script^[23], and in 2000 a 35 minute movie, also named Confessions of a Headhunter, was released^[24]. Directed by Sally Riley, the movie won Best Short Fiction Film at the 2000 AFI Awards. The following year the script won the Script Award in the 2001 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. Archie Weller (born 1957) is an indigenous Australian writer. ... The Australian Film Institute Awards (often abbreviated to AFI Awards) is an annual awards ceremony. ... The Western Australian Premiers Book Awards is an award for books and scripts written by Western Australians or about Western Australia. ...

In 2002 the South African-born Australian poet John Mateer published his fourth collection of poems, entitled Loanwords.^[25] The collection is divided into four sections, of which the third, In the Presence of a Severed Head, has Yagan as its subject. A poet is some one who writes poetry. ... John Mateer (born 1971) is a South African-born Australian poet and author. ...

Other cultural references

In September 1989 an early maturing cultivar of barley, bred by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture for performance on sandy soils, was released under the name "Hordeum vulgare (Barley) c.v. Yagan" ^[26]. Commonly referred to simply as "Yagan", the cultivar is named for Yagan, continuing a tradition of labeling Western Australian grain cultivars after historic people of Western Australia. Binomial name Hordeum vulgare L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family Poaceae. ...

Contents

Yagan's life GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");