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Bungaree Facts & Worksheets

Bungaree was a notable Aboriginal Australian. He is known for being the first Australian to be recorded in print and the first Australian to circumnavigate Australia.

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Bungaree was a notable Aboriginal Australian. He is known for being the first Australian to be recorded in print and the first Australian to circumnavigate Australia. He also contributed to the mapping of the Australian coastline and was known as an explorer, entertainer, and Aboriginal community leader.

See the fact file below for more information on the Bungaree or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Bungaree worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BUNGAREE BIOGRAPHY AND MEETING WITH FLINDER

  • In the 1790s, when Bungaree moved to the growing settlement of Sydney, he established himself as a well-known figure. He was a man who was able to move between his own people and the newcomers.
  • Bungaree must have quickly made a mark in the fledgling colony, as by 1798, he joined the crew on a 60-day round trip to Norfolk Island on the HMS Reliance. This is where he met Matthew Flinders, a young English naval lieutenant.
  • Flinders was very impressed by Bungaree’s sharp intellect, friendly demeanor, intuition, and bravery. In fact, the subsequent year, Flinders took Bungaree on a coastal survey voyage to Bribie Island and Hervey Bay (Qld).
  • Bungaree accompanied Flinders and his brother, Samuel Ward Flinders, who was a midshipman from the Reliance. He traveled on the 25-ton longboat, the Norfolk, as an interpreter, guide, and negotiator with local indigenous groups.
  • Due to the language barriers, the indigenous people persistently sought Bungaree out to speak to instead of Flinders.
  • Bungaree’s negotiation skills were greatly appreciated by the Europeans with whom he shared the ship.
  • In 1799, in one particular situation, Bungaree gave them a spear and a spear-thrower as gifts, teaching them how to use them so he could lead an agreement with the local people.

CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF AUSTRALIA

  • Flinders, therefore, recruited Bungaree on his most exploratory voyage, the circumnavigation of Australia aboard the HMS Investigator, between 1801 and 1803. Much of Australia’s unknown coastline was mapped on this expedition.
  • Flinders was the cartographer of Australia’s first complete map. He filled in the gaps from prior cartographic expeditions and was the most famous advocate for naming the continent “Australia”.
  • Flinders wrote that Bungaree was “a worthy and brave fellow” who saved the expedition numerous times.
  • Being the only indigenous Australian on the ship, Bungaree served a vital diplomatic role as they moved their way around the coast, overcoming considerable language barriers in certain places.
  • According to historian Keith Vincent, Bungaree chose the role of a go-between. He was often able to calm indigenous people who were ready to attack the sailors by taking off his clothes and speaking to people, despite standing in territory unknown to himself.
  • Flinders later wrote in his biographies of Bungaree’s “good disposition and open and manly conduct” and his kindness to the ship’s cat, which was named Trim.

BACK IN SYDNEY

  • Back in Sydney, Bungaree developed a reputation as a brilliant entertainer by imitating the walk and mannerisms of various governors and personalities. He received fine clothing, including military cloaks and a hat.
  • In 1815, Governor Lachlan Macquarie gave the fictitious title of “Chief of the Broken Bay Tribe” to Bungaree and granted him 15 acres (61,000 m2) of land on George’s Head, as well as a breastplate inscribed “BOONGAREE – Chief of the Broken Bay Tribe – 1815”.
  • Bungaree was additionally recognized by the titles “King of Port Jackson” and “King of the Blacks”, with his principal wife, Cora Gooseberry, being known as his queen.
  • Bungaree continued his association with exploratory voyages in 1817 when he traveled to north-western Australia with Phillip Parker King in the 76-ton cutter, the HMS Mermaid. Again, he showed his skill as a diplomat and intermediary between white and black people and also gave them advice on which plants were safe to eat.
  • Bungaree spent the rest of his days ceremonially welcoming visitors to Australia, educating people about Aboriginal culture (particularly boomerang throwing), and soliciting tribute from ships visiting Sydney.
  • He was additionally influential within his own Aboriginal community, taking part in corroborees, trading fish, and helping keep the peace.

DEATH AND LEGACY

  • Bungaree died at Garden Island in Sydney on November 24, 1830.
  • He was buried in Rose Bay, and his obituary was printed in The Sydney Gazette and The Australian.
  • In early 19th century in NSW, Bungaree’s distinctive outfits, notoriety within colonial society, and his gift for humor and mimicry (especially his impressions of past and present governors) made him a famous subject for portrait painters. He was captured in eighteen portraits and six incidental appearances in wider landscapes or groupings of figures. His were among the first full-length oil portraits to be painted in the colony and the first to be published as a lithograph.
  • Boongaree Island, which is located off the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, was named after him in 1820 by Captain King.
  • The suburb of Bongaree, Queensland, is also named after him.
  • A Sydney Ferries Emerald-class ferry was named Bungaree in 2017.
  • However, the important role of Bungaree in the exploration of Australia appears to have been almost misremembered. There are statues to Flinders and even the cat, Trim, but as of January 2019, not a single statue to Bungaree recognizing his achievements has been erected.

Bungaree Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Bungaree across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Bungaree worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Bungaree who was a notable Aboriginal Australian. He is known for being the first Australian to be recorded in print and the first Australian to circumnavigate Australia. He also contributed to the mapping of the Australian coastline and was known as an explorer, entertainer, and Aboriginal community leader.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Bungaree Facts
  • Bungaree Life Summary
  • Unlocking Vocabularies
  • Arrange the Events
  • Map of Australia
  • Related People
  • Bungaree’s Roles
  • Bungaree: A Timeline
  • Chief of the Broken Bay Tribe
  • Importance of the Aboriginals
  • Acrostic

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Link will appear as Bungaree Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 18, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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