Telling Places in Country (TPIC)

Woorrady

Aboriginal Life Stories - Robinson's Clan Guides

Woorrady

Bruny Island was the country of Woorrady who was a clansman of the Nuenone people. He was also known as Mutteellee and nicknamed 'The Doctor'. He was renamed Count Alpha by Robinson in 1836. Woorrady was not young, about 45 years old, in 1829 when along with his young wife Trugannini he joined Robinson's expedition as a guide. He was tall according to Robinson "about 5' 10" [177 cm] - and wore his hair and beard long and twisted into ringlets using grease and red ochre. Robinson's journal entries indicate that Woorrady was nervous when he was faced with meeting new clanspeople and often raised his concern that he might be killed by their spears. Woorrady accompanied Robinson to Victoria in 1939 and on the return voyage to the Furneaux Islands (he died about the 7th of July 1842). Robinson recorded that Woorrady died of senility at the age of about 58. Woorrady was buried at Big Green Island off the west coast of Flinders Island. Woorrady was a favourite subject in the colony as his image had been sketched, painted, cast in plaster and redrawn by many artists.