An incident that appears to have been deeply traumatic
With Reconciliation Week and another anniversary of the Mabo decision just passed as well as over 15 years since the Sorry apology (together with NAIDOC week on the horizon), it seemed fitting to discuss the life of an Indigenous man, a tracker and later a thief, who is buried a long way from his country. For any First Nations people reading this blog I wish to advise that an image of a person who has passed is contained herein. BILLY BOGAN Billy was born sometime in the 1860’s at Dandaloo on the Bogan River just west of Dubbo, NSW, in Wiradjuri Country. The names of his parents have been lost in time and no formal records were kept. Billy, although without a regular education, was skilled in life and bush skills and by the age of @ ten was living and working on a large pastoral property near Cowra known as Bumbaldry. His companion there was Stephen Field whose surname he chose to use on occasion as an alias. In October 1875 a warrant was issued for both boy’s arrest...