Yemmerrawanne ( - 18 May 1794) was a member of the

Wangal The Wangal people ( Wanegal or Won-gal,) are a clan of the Dharug ( ?) Aboriginal people whose heirs are custodians of the lands and waters of what is now the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, centred around the Municipality of Strathfie ...

people, part of the Eora nation in the

Port Jackson Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea ...

area at the time of the first British settlement in Australia, in 1788. Along with another Aboriginal man,

Bennelong Woollarawarre Bennelong ( 1764 – 3 January 1813), also spelt Baneelon, was a senior man of the Eora, an Aboriginal Australian people of the Port Jackson area, at the time of the first British settlement in Australia in 1788. Bennelong ser ...

, he accompanied Governor Arthur Phillip when the latter returned to England in 179293. Yemmerrawanne did not return to Australia; he fell ill, died and was buried in England.

In Australia

Yemmerrawanne was well-known to the British settlers; he was described by Captain

Watkin Tench Lieutenant General Watkin Tench (6 October 1758 – 7 May 1833) was a British marine officer who is best known for publishing two books describing his experiences in the First Fleet, which established the first European settlement in Australia in ...

as a "good-tempered lively lad" who became "a great favourite with us, and almost constantly lived at the governor's house". Clothes were made for him, and he learnt to wait on the table. In February 1791, aged about 16, Yemmerrawanne was

initiated Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...

, as was the Aboriginal custom, by having a front tooth knocked out.

Journey to England

In December 1792, Arthur Phillip left the colony on the convict transport ship ''

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

'' to return to England. Yemmerrawanne and

went with Phillip "voluntarily and cheerfully", knowing that their destination was "at a great distance". ''Atlantic'' called at

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

, where their presence was noted: They arrived at

Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth ( ; kw, Aberfala) is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,797 (2011 census). Etymology The name Falmouth is of English ...

in May 1793.

In England

After arriving in London, Yemmerrawanne and Bennelong were provided with fashionable clothing, suitable for wearing in English society. They stayed in Mayfair at the home of William Waterhouse, father of

Henry Waterhouse Captain Henry Waterhouse (13 December 1770 – 27 July 1812) was an English naval officer of the Royal Navy who became an early settler in the Colony of New South Wales, Australia. He imported to Australia the continent's first Spanish merino sh ...

, and visited a variety of shows and other entertainments in London. Tutors were hired to educate them in reading, writing and the English language. While in Mayfair, Yemmerrawanne and Bennelong gave a

recital A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety ...

of a native song accompanied by

clapstick Clapsticks, also spelt clap sticks and also known as bilma, bimli, clappers, musicstick or just stick, are a traditional Australian Aboriginal instrument. They serve to maintain rhythm in voice chants, often as part of an Aboriginal ceremony ...

s. One of their audience, Edward Jones wrote down and published the words and music (in ''Musical Curiosities'', London, 1811), the oldest known published music from Australia.

Illness and death

Yemmerrawanna tombstone from church yard Eltham Kent published in The Herald 7 November 1913

In September 1793, Yemmerrawanne was ill and reportedly appeared "much emaciated". The following month he injured his leg, and his health continued to deteriorate. Both Aboriginal men were moved to

Eltham Eltham ( ) is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards of E ...

, where Yemmerrawanne was treated by the physician

Gilbert Blane Sir Gilbert Blane of Blanefield, 1st Baronet FRSE FRS MRCP (29 August 174926 June 1834) was a Scottish physician who instituted health reform in the Royal Navy. He saw action against both the French and Spanish fleets, and later served as a C ...

. His illness persisted, despite a variety of treatments, and Yemmerrawanne died on 18 May 1794, aged about 19, from a lung infection. He was buried in the local churchyard. There have been several campaigns, including plans by

Burnum Burnum Burnum Burnum (10 January 1936 – 17 August 1997) was an Aboriginal Australian sportsman, activist, actor, and author. He was a Woiworrung and Yorta Yorta man at Wallaga Lake in southern New South Wales. He was originally christened Harry Pe ...

and

Geoffrey Robertson Geoffrey Ronald Robertson (born 30 September 1946) is a human rights barrister, academic, author and broadcaster. He holds dual Australian and British citizenship.

, to return Yemmerrawanne's remains to Australia, but the current location of his remains is unknown. The gravestone's location is known, but it has been moved several times since his burial.

Name variations

As is common with Aboriginal words, Yemmerrawanne's name has been recorded with several different spellings. * Imeerawanyee, in Tench's ''A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson'' * Yem-mer-ra-wan-nie, in David Collins' ''An Account of the English Colony of NSW'' * Imerewanga, by

Elizabeth Macarthur Elizabeth Macarthur (14 August 1766 – 9 February 1850) was an Anglo-Australian pastoralist and merchant, and wife of John Macarthur. Early life Elizabeth Macarthur was born in Bridgerule, Devon, England, the daughter of provincial farmers, ...

* Yemmerawanya, in Phillip's letters * Yemmurravonyea Kebarrah, in the Eltham parish register entry of his death. ''Kebarrah'' is an

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...

indicating that he had been initiated by having his tooth knocked out. * Yemmerrawanyea, on his gravestone

References

{{reflist 1775 births 1794 deaths Eora people History of Australia (1788–1850)