Mannalargenna, also spelt Manalakina (1770–1835), was a
Palawa (
Aboriginal Tasmanian) leader and warrior.
Biography
Mannalargenna (or was Manalakina)a Chief of the
Plangermaireener clan in what is now the
Ben Lomond
Ben Lomond (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Laomainn, 'Beacon Mountain'), , is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. Situated on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, it is the most southerly of the Munros. Ben Lomond lies within the Ben Lomond National Me ...
tribal area of north-eastern Tasmania. He is described as being 5' 8" and wearing grease and red ochre all over his body.
Following the arrival of British in the area, he led a series of
guerrilla-style attacks against British settlers in the colony of
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...
during the period known as the
Black War
}
The Black War was a period of violent conflict between British Empire, British colonists and Aboriginal Tasmanians in Tasmania from the mid-1820s to 1832. The conflict, fought largely as a guerrilla war by both sides, claimed the lives of 600 ...
. In 1829 he freed four Native women and a boy from
John Batman
John Batman (21 January 18016 May 1839) was an Australian grazier, entrepreneur and explorer. He is best known for his role in the founding of Melbourne.
Born and raised in the then-British colony of New South Wales, Batman settled in Van Die ...
's house where they had been held for a year.
While it seems as though he joined
George Robinson's mission to persuade Native people to "surrender", it is claimed that he was actually directing Robinson away from the people.
He was promised that if he helped Robinson he would not be sent to
Flinders Island
Flinders Island, the largest island in the Furneaux Group, is a island in the Bass Strait, northeast of the island of Tasmania. Flinders Island was the place where the last remnants of aboriginal Tasmanian population were exiled by the colo ...
, but this promise was broken and he died in captivity at
Wybalenna in 1835. When he arrived at Big Green Island in 1835, Mannalargenna symbolically cut off his
ochre
Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...
d hair and beard.
Family
Mannalargenna had two wives. His first wife's name is unknown, but together they had at least six children: a son, Neerhepeererminer, and daughters Nellenooremer, Woretermoeteyenner, Wottecowidyer, Wobbelty and Teekoolterme. His second wife was Tanleboneyer, with whom he had no children.
She was one of George Robinson's early guides.
During his life, Mannalargenna's sister and four daughters were married to seamen from the
Furneaux Islands
The Furneaux Group is a group of approximately 100 islands located at the eastern end of Bass Strait, between Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. The islands were named after British navigator Tobias Furneaux, who sighted the eastern side of t ...
and their babies were swapped around and documented incorrectly. Today, many Australian citizens claim a non-biological lineage through these colonially documented marriages.
Uncle Jack Charles
Jack Charles (5 September 1943 – 13 September 2022), also known as Uncle Jack Charles, was an Australian stage and screen actor and activist, known for his advocacy for Aboriginal people. He was involved in establishing the first Indigenous t ...
(1943–2022) was his five times great-grandson,
via his daughter Woretemoeteyenner (1797–1847).
Recognition and legacy
"Mannalergenna Day" has been celebrated in early December in Little Musselroe Bay in Tasmania since 2015, in commemoration of Mannalargenna and for celebrating Parlevar culture.
There is a monument to Mannalargenna at Wybalenna Mission Site Cemetery.
A sketch of Mannalargenna by artist
Thomas Bock
Thomas Bock was an English-Australian artist and an early adopter of photography in Australia. Born in England he was sentenced to transportation in 1823. After gaining his freedom he set himself up as one of Australia's first professional ar ...
is held in the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England.
See also
*
Dolly Dalrymple
References
{{Authority control
Indigenous Tasmanian people
History of Australia (1788–1850)
Year of birth uncertain
1835 deaths
Australian Aboriginal elders