Bungaree’s breastplate
Before Lachlan Macquarie arrived in the colony of New South Wales, Aboriginal man Bungaree was already well known in Sydney society, having assisted past governors and officials on exploratory expeditions. In 1801–02 he had accompanied Matthew Flinders on his circumnavigation of Australia.
In 1815, Macquarie granted Bungaree, his wife, Cora Gooseberry, and his small group of followers a plot of land at George’s Head, near present-day Mosman, to encourage them to become sedentary farmers. It was at this time that he presented Bungaree and Gooseberry with breastplates. The farming venture went poorly, however, as the land was not particularly fertile and ‘the Broken Bay Tribe’ had less interest in adopting the European farming life than Macquarie hoped.
Bungaree and Gooseberry were probably the first to receive breastplates in the colony, thus establishing the tradition. Although the whereabouts of Bungaree’s breastplate is unknown, his wife’s is held at the State Library of New South Wales.
Macquarie went on to present a number of other breastplates to Indigenous people whom he thought influential and able to support the expansion of white settlement.
