Polelerwin Largenna

Aboriginal Life Stories - Clanspeople Encountered

Polelerwin, also written as Ballerwin, in the northeast language means (the paint that is made from grease and red ochre and applied to the hair and body) (Plomley, 1966, 336). Polelerwin was the adolescent son of Tarnnebunner and so it appears that he was also the grandson of Mannalargenna. When Robinson made contact with the seven clanspeople on Anson's Plain on 1 November 1830 the young lad, Polelerwine, remained out of sight in the company of one of the two women (probably Lucerenmictic Wockener), both of whom may have been shy of meeting strangers. The other woman Ghoneyannener, or Peacock, had been associated with white people for many years. They both followed at a distance and stayed out of sight of the party when they left Anson's Plain with Robinson. Polelerwin and the women eventually joined the group the next day (2 November) and were among the first small group of clanspeople to begin a life in exile. There is no mention of Polelerwine after being taken across to Swan Island on May 4 1830, although he is tentatively mentioned as Bowwerle being deceased before the March 1839 census. Polelerwine was not mentioned among those two groups who were identified on 1 & 15 November 1830 by Alexandra McGeary in the Tasmanian and Astral Asiatic Review dated 21 April 1837. It is likely that he was just overlooked by McGeary because Robinson named him as being among the small group who sheltered from the rain at the Anson's Plain bark hut.