The Battle of Yering was a conflict between

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

of the

Wurundjeri The Wurundjeri people are an Australian Aboriginal people of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin nation. They are the Traditional Owners of the Birrarung (Yarra River) Valley, covering much of the present location of Narrm (Melbourn ...

nation and the Border Police which occurred on 13 January 1840, on the outskirts of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

.Kath Gannaway,
Important step for reconciliation
' Star News Group, 24 January 2007. Accessed 1 November 2008

Frontier conflict

The conflict arose after a quarrel between Wurundjeri-william people and settler, James Anderson, over the right to harvest a potato crop on Wurundjeri land at what is now known as

Warrandyte Warrandyte is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Manningham local government area. Warrandyte recorded a population of 5,541 at the . Warrandyt ...

. A stand-off occurred and the clansmen moved to

William Ryrie William Ryrie (1805—1856) was a Scottish-born Australian pastoralist and pioneer settler colonist of the Braidwood district of New South Wales and the Port Phillip District (now Victoria). Early life William Ryrie was the eldest son of Stew ...

's Yering Station. Troopers of the Border Police led by Captain Henry Gisborne, who was Commissioner of Crown Lands, lured Jaga Jaga (Jacky-Jacky) and some of the Wurundjeri men to Yering station homestead where Jaga Jaga was captured and handcuffed. The other Wurundjeri men quickly retreated.Isabel Ellender and Peter Christiansen, pp65-67 ''People of the Merri Merri. The Wurundjeri in Colonial Days'', Merri Creek Management Committee, 2001 Wurundjeri men then approached the homestead with muskets and spears, whereupon Gisborne and his troopers mounted a counterattack, during which several shots were exchanged, the Wurundjeri choosing to retreat into the nearby billabongs. Having lured the troopers away as a diversion, other warriors approached the homestead and freed Jaga Jaga. No white settlers or troopers were injured in the exchange, and injuries on the part of the Wurundjeri are unknown. Gisborne later wrote to Superintendent (later Governor)

Charles La Trobe Charles la Trobe, CB (20 March 18014 December 1875), commonly Latrobe, was appointed in 1839 superintendent of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales and, after the establishment in 1851 of the colony of Victoria (now a state of Austra ...

saying "I am unable to account for their never having hit us as they are capital marksmen". There was no investigation of the incident initiated, no charges laid, and the incident was passed over. Jaga Jaga, was also known as ''Bor-rer bor-rer'' and was the nephew of

Billibellary Billibellary (c. 1799–10 August 1846) was a song maker and influential ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri-willam clan during the early years of European settlement of Melbourne. He was known by various names including Billi-billeri, Billibellary, Jik ...

, a

ngurungaeta An Ngurungaeta is a Woiwurrung head man or tribal leader of clans of the Woiwurrung tribes and Taungurung Ngurai-illum Wurrung. Ngurungaeta held the same tribal standing as an Arweet of the Bunurong and Wathaurong people. The current Ngurungaeta is ...

of the

people.

Commemoration

On 13 January 2007 at the Yarra Flats Billabongs the

Shire of Yarra Ranges The Shire of Yarra Ranges, also known as Yarra Ranges Council, is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer eastern and northeastern suburbs of Melbourne extending into the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. It has an ...

with

Murrundindi Murrundindi, also known as Gary Hunter, is the ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri people and a descendant of William Barak. He succeeded James Wandin in this position in February 2006. Murrundindi and his brother Warendj regularly conduct cultural e ...

of the

people, unveiled a historical plaque and pictograph commemorating the ''Battle of Yering'' 167 years previously.Media Release
Shire brings Focus to Special Billabongs
'',

, 23 January 2007. Accessed 1 November 2008 The plaques were organised by ''The Friends of the Yarra Flats Billabongs'' in conjunction with ''Yarra Ranges Friends in Reconciliation'' and ''Nillumbik Reconciliation Group''.

External links

* Battle of Yerin
Photo Album Yarra Flats Billabongs

References

{{Indigenous Australians History of Indigenous Australians History of Victoria (Australia) Wurundjeri History of Australia (1788–1850) 1840 in Australia Crime in Victoria (Australia)