Colebee
The name Colebee has also been included as a suburb of Ganberra
though visitors should take into account that the mis-spelling of Kolbee
of the Wangal/Gadigal is the name of the man being represented.
The Darug/Colebee (aka Coleby, Coley) succeeded in accomadating
and adapting to the ways of the new colonial masters. It was he, whom
accompanied William Cox in the construction of the road across the Blue
Mountains in 1814, including acting as a guide during the European-led
punitive expedition against the Gundungurra in 1816. The fact that
those 14 men, women, and children were killed at their camp near Appin
were found by the only European party that did not have any Darug guides
attached seems to indicate that the Darug guides led them away.
Colebee and Nurragingy were granted a parcel of land by Governor
Macquarie in 1816, finalised in 1819. The land granted in present day
Blacktown was originally named BLACKSTOWN, Nurragingy and his family
farmed the land until 1833 when the nearby Native Institution closed
it's doors. Nurragingy was said to never be the same after the death of
his life long Mudjin Colebee, and it has been suggested that the farm
went unattended during Nurragingy's months of mourning.
The land presented is at present day adjacent to Richmond Road to
Bells Creek on Boongarrunbee, what would later become known as
Blackstown which is also related to a black place of residence.
Colebee took the name Samuel Colebee and Married a young woman,
Black Kitty, from the prospect Warmuli clan who had attended the
Parramatta Institution. Colebee and Black Kitty had a son and named him
Samuel Colebee, who it has been said became a farmer, a native
constable and eventually found his calling for the sea.
Black Kitty was a Gubragal Iyura and also attended the Native
Institute at Parramatta. Her descendants can be located between present
day Liverpool, Bankstown, Parramatta and as far west as Blacktown,
Penrith and into the Blue Mountains. Darug/Guringai man Bungaree was
born during the middle 1770. He had five wives of which only two names
were recorded Matura (Matora) and Queen Cora Gooseberry, whom wore a
Breast Plate' which decreed her status among the Iyura clans. The
families stayed in the area known as kirabili or Middle Head or
Pittwater.
During his life Bungaree travelled with Matthew Flinders on his
circumnavigation of the continent becoming the first Koori person to
sail on such an historic expedition.
It is recorded that Bungaree would in later life would stand at
the point of Kilabiri and on spotting a vessel entering the harbor would
don' the attire of the British and joined by Matura would row out to
meet every new vessel. Boarding the ships he would stand and announce to
all at port.
"These are my people {..........} and this is my land'
An extremely popular figure in the colony Governor King sent
Bungaree to help with negotiations with the Karnua yura of Newcastle.
'Karnua are amongst the surviving tradition custodians of what
has commonly been referred to as the Awabakal. The traditional name of
Kiriban' the fictional clansman depicted in Willmot, E. (The Rainbow
warrior)is thought to be borrowed from the dialect of the Karnua
Awabakal language group of Newcastle'
The Governor would also grant Bungaree with land and tools for
farming. The Guringai community continued to farm the land, producing
apricots, peaches and other vegetables. The families also sold fish and
other goods to the colonist for many year.
Bungaree passed died between the years 1831-1836, he is buried in an unmarked grave at Rose Bay.
Queen Cora Gooseberry died in 1852 in her room at the Crickete's
Arms Hotel at the corner of Pitt and Market Streets Sydney. Bungaree and
Gooseberry had two sons Ricketty Dick and Bowen Bungaree.
Matura delivered children Sarah Biddy (Wallace), Sophy, Diana and
Toby Bungaree. matura's death went unrecorded, though her name lives
on through the lands and the country of the Darug Iyura of her
traditional lands.
Colebee also had other sons, two are recorded as Djiemba and
Banyibulung. Djiemba who inhabited the area of Kamuy in present day
Circular Quay, Sydney. Banyilubung is mentioned regularly amongst
historians of the Darug Nations.