Musquito (c. 1780, Port Jackson – 25 February 1825, Hobart) (also rendered Mosquito, Musquetta, Bush Muschetta or Muskito) was an

Indigenous Australian 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 o ...

resistance leader, latterly based in

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 sep ...

New South Wales and Norfolk Island

Musquito of the Gai-Mariagal clan, was born in Hawkesbury/Broken Bay region of Sydney. Musquito engaged in violent raids on British settlements in the Hawkesbury and Georges River areas in 1805. The

Sydney Gazette ''The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser'' was the first newspaper printed in Australia, running from 5 March 1803 until 20 October 1842. It was a semi-official publication of the government of New South Wales, authorised by Govern ...

reported that he committed to further raids "in good English"; on 9 June 1805 the colony authorities authorised his arrest. He was captured by local

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 ...

people in July 1805 and gaoled in Parramatta, but not charged. Governor

Philip Gidley King Captain Philip Gidley King (23 April 1758 – 3 September 1808) was a British politician who was the third Governor of New South Wales. When the First Fleet arrived in January 1788, King was detailed to colonise Norfolk Island for defence an ...

exiled him and a fellow "principal" in the raiding, "Bull Dog", to the convict colony on

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together w ...

. As part of the evacuation of Norfolk Island, Musquito was sent in January 1813 on the ship ''Minstrel'' with other convicts to Port Dalrymple in what was then called Van Diemen's Land.