Eumarrah

Eumarrah (Kahnneher Largenner) (1790s–1832), chief of the Tyereernotepanner tribe from the North Midlands, possessed remarkable personal qualities, and his experience illustrated how British settlement offered Aborigines a mix of challenge, opportunity, confusion and disaster. In 1826–27 he developed his military skills by mounting many successful raids on farms and huts around Campbell Town. Captured and wounded by a roving party in 1828, Eumarrah evaded the gallows after Gilbert Robertson claimed him as a prisoner of war. Arthur saw Eumarrah as a potential agent of conciliation and assigned him to GA Robinson's first expedition to the west coast in 1830. Eumarrah never subordinated himself and soon decamped, trekking from Trial Harbour to his homeland. He also briefly joined the Black Line, and subsequently attacked settlers in the Esk valley and the north-east. He rejoined Robinson in 1831, but died in Launceston.

Further reading: N Plomley (ed), Friendly mission, Hobart, 1966; A Shaw (ed), Van Diemen's Land: Copies of all correspondence…, Hobart, 1971; H Felton (ed), Living with the land, Hobart, 1991.