Jimmy Clements
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Jimmy Clements ( – 28 August 1927) was an
Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
elder from the Wiradjuri tribe in
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, and was present at the opening of the
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in
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on 9 May 1927. He explained that he was there to demonstrate his "sovereign rights to the Federal Territory", making this the first recorded instance of Aboriginal protest at the Parliament. He was also known as "King Billy" and also as Nangar or Yangar. Clements and another Wiradjuri man, John Noble, had walked for nearly a week over the mountains from Brungle Mission near Gundagai, New South Wales. The two men were the only Indigenous people to attend the first opening of parliament. Clements was initially told to move on by police at the ceremony due to his attire but due to popular support from other members of the crowd he was among prominent citizens who were presented to the Duke and
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. Clements died on 28 August 1927, aged 80, in Queanbeyan, New South Wales near
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
. The newspaper report noted that he was buried in Queanbeyan cemetery "outside consecrated ground". (Indigenous Australians were not buried in consecrated ground at the time.)


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Photograph of Jimmy Clements and his dog outside Parliament House
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clements, Jimmy 1847 births 1927 deaths Australian Aboriginal elders Wiradjuri people