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Windradyne Facts & Worksheets

Windradyne was an Aboriginal resistance leader of the Wiradjuri nation, in a large part of what is now central-western New South Wales, Australia.

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Windradyne was an Aboriginal resistance leader of the Wiradjuri nation, in a large part of what is now central-western New South Wales, Australia. The Wiradjuri nation, which was the largest Indigenous nation in Australia during the British colonization, was led by Windradyne in the Bathurst War, a frontier war of his clan against British settlers. He was also known as Saturday to the British settlers.

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

Key Facts & Information

DESCRIPTION

  • Most of the information available about Windradyne comes from contemporary British accounts.
  • Windradyne was born around 1800 and died in 1829 from battle injuries. He was buried at Brucedale Station on the outskirts of Bathurst.
  • Similar to other young Wiradjuri men, he was trained as a warrior.
  • He became a leader among the Wiradjuri who were living in the eastern parts of their homeland.
  • Coe’s 1989 biography of Windradyne described him as handsome and well-built, with broad shoulders and muscular limbs. Having dark brown skin, black curly hair, and a long beard, he commonly wore a headband and had his beard plaited into three sections.
  • However, Coe’s description does not fully match up with a drawing of a Wiradjuri warrior that is believed to depict Windradyne.

BRITISH SETTLEMENT

  • During the early 1800s, the population of the first British settlement in Sydney increased rapidly, and they needed new farmland and cattle pastures.
  • However, the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia, became a barrier to expansion and made the Wiradjuris’ land isolated from the settlers during the first 25 years of British settlement.
  • In 1813, three colonists named Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson, and W.C. Wentworth led a successful voyage across the mountains. They came home with reports of fertile land around the site of the present-day city of Bathurst, which was the homeland of the Wiradjuri.
  • After the expedition, Lachlan Macquarie, the governor of New South Wales, ordered the construction of a road running east across the Blue Mountains. It was completed in early 1815.
  • In 1815, Macquarie himself traveled to Bathurst, where he met a group of Wiradjuri.
  • In his journal, Macquarie made a positive report about their skills and nature, describing the Wiradjuri as “very inoffensive and cleanly in their persons.”
  • He commanded settlers and soldiers to treat them kindly.
  • The new settlement grew steadily under Macquarie, but in 1820, Bathurst still had only 114 colonists. The small number of the British population helped keep a peaceful relationship between the Wiradjuri and the settlers.
  • However, the situation changed when Governor Macquarie resigned in December 1821.
  • Thomas Brisbane, the succeeding governor, encouraged settlement by offering land grants west of the mountains. The new policy caused a huge number of settlers to come to the region. By 1824, the settler population of Bathurst had grown to more than 1,200.

BATHURST WAR

  • As Brisbane favored a faster pace of settlement, it also quickly strained the available resources, as well as the relationships with Wiradjuri people.
  • Tensions started increasing as the Wiradjuri lost access to their traditional campsites, hunting grounds, water sources, and sacred sites.
  • With the survival of the Wiradjuri and their traditional lifestyle being threatened, Windradyne took action despite being just a young man in his early to mid-twenties. He led a campaign of resistance against the British occupation.
  • In 1822, Windradyne and other Wiradjuri warriors started attacking cattle stations, killing or driving off the stockmen and livestock.
  • The earliest recorded attack happened at a station on the Cudgegong River at Mudgee, where Windradyne and his men used their knowledge of the bush to surprise the settlers and strike at unexpected locations. These guerrilla warfare tactics gave them initial success over the superior weapons of the settlers.
  • In 1823, Windradyne was captured and imprisoned for a month, but he continued his attacks upon his release.
  • On August 14, 1824, as the conflicts intensified, Governor Brisbane announced martial law in the Bathurst region
  • He sent more troops to Bathurst, and together with armed settlers, they now had authority to kill Aboriginal people. There was also a reward offered for the capture of Windradyne.
  • For a couple of months, the Wiradjuri fought against colonial forces in a brief but brutal conflict known as the Bathurst War.
  • The Wiradjuri suffered a high casualty rate. Recent estimates suggest that one-quarter to one-third of the Wiradjuri of the Bathurst region were killed. Windradyne’s family was among them.

PEACE

  • Many Wiradjuri surrendered to the government as the death rate climbed.
  • On December 11, 1824, Governor Brisbane ended martial law, and after two weeks, Windradyne decided to make peace.
  • The Wiradjuri, led by Windradyne, traveled across the Blue Mountains to Parramatta to meet Brisbane.
  • The governor formally made peace with him.

DEATH AND LEGACY

  • Windradyne died in 1829 due to a wound received during a tribal fight. He was buried at Brucedale on the outskirts of Bathurst.
  • In the late 20th century, Windradyne became a character of national importance as a resistance hero.
  • In 1954, the Bathurst District Historical Society built a monument at the site to commemorate his final resting place.
  • Today, the grave of Windradyne is recognized as a site of state significance on the New South Wales Heritage Register.

Windradyne Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Windradyne across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Windradyne worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Windradyne who was an Aboriginal resistance leader of the Wiradjuri nation, in a large part of what is now central-western New South Wales, Australia. The Wiradjuri nation, which was the largest Indigenous nation in Australia during the British colonization, was led by Windradyne in the Bathurst War, a frontier war of his clan against British settlers. He was also known as Saturday to the British settlers.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Windradyne Facts
  • Quick Facts
  • Windradyne Life Summary
  • Connection
  • The Bathurst City
  • Windradyne: A Timeline
  • It’s Story Time!
  • NSW Governors
  • Australia’s Aboriginals
  • Symbolize Saturday
  • Treating Them

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Link will appear as Windradyne Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 19, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

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