List of Indigenous Australian historical figures explained

Some Indigenous Australians are remembered in history for their leadership during the British invasion and colonisation, some for their resistance to that colonisation, and others for assisting the Europeans in exploring the country. Some became infamous for their deeds, and others noted as the last of their communities. During the 20th century, some Indigenous Australians came to prominence to make significant contributions to Aboriginal human rights, land rights, to the armed services and to parliamentary representation.

Prior to 1788

• Cumbo Gunnerah – 18th century leader of the Kamilaroi people near Gunnedah, New South Wales

1788–1888

• Arabanoo (c.1758–1789) – Cammeraygal man forcibly abducted by the British to facilitate communication between the two groups
• Walter George Arthur (c.1820–1861) – Indigenous Tasmanian survivor of the Black War and pioneering Aboriginal rights activist
• Ballandella (1832–1863) – Wiradjuri girl taken by Sir Thomas Mitchell, who later became a notable member of the Hawkesbury River Aboriginal community
• William Barak (1824–1903) – ngurungaeta of Wurundjeri, police tracker, then artist
• Barangaroo (c.1750–1791) – prominent Cammeraygal woman during the first period of British colonisation
• Baulie (c.1835–1860) – resistance leader and co-organiser of the Hornet Bank massacre
  • Beilba (c.1825–1866) – resistance leader and co-organiser of the Hornet Bank massacre Bennelong (c.1764–1813) – representative of the Dharug people and pioneering interlocutor with the British
• Billibellary (1799–1846) – ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri-willam clan
• Biraban (c. 1800–1846) – Awabakal man, who was employed by the British as an interpreter and interlocutor
• Bob Barrett (c.1795–1833) – convict hunter
• Botany Bay Colebee (c. 1763 - after 1790)
• Boorong (c.1777–c.1813) – Burramattagal woman who was the first Indigenous female to establish communication with British colonists. Third wife of Bennelong
• Bungaree (c.1775–1830) – pioneering Dharug sailor and explorer who travelled with Matthew Flinders and Phillip Parker King.
• Burigon (died 1820) – prominent Awabakal man whose murder resulted in the first legal case of a European being executed for the killing of an Aboriginal person.
• Calyute – leader of the Pindjarup people at the time of the Battle of Pinjarra
• Johnny Campbell (1846–1880) – Indigenous Australian bushranger
• Cannabaygal (c.1770–1816) – Gandangara resistance leader who was killed during the Appin Massacre
• Colebee (Boorooberongal) (c.1800–1830s) – Dharug man who worked with the British and obtained a land grant at Black's Town
• Colebe (c.1754–1806) – abducted with Bennelong by the British, later becoming an intermediator between the Gadigal and the colonists
• Cora Gooseberry (c.1777–1852) – wife of Bungaree and designated Aboriginal 'Queen of Sydney'
• Cowits (c.1832–1868) Western Australia's first Indigenous policeman, and a member of a number of early exploratory expeditions.
• Derrimut (c.1810–1864) – Bunurong elder during the British colonisation of Melbourne
• Dick-a-Dick (c.1834–1870) – Wotjobaluk tracker and cricketer
• Dick Barkinji (?) – Explorer and guide who assisted in the Burke and Wills expedition
• Dundalli (1820–1855) – Resistance leader in South East Queensland during European Settlement
• Eumarrah (c.1798–1832) – Indigenous Tasmanian resistance leader and guide
• Joe Flick (c.1865–1889) – Indigenous Australian outlaw who shot dead a Native Police officer
• Gnunga Gnunga Murremurgan (c.1773–1809) – Eora man who was the first Indigenous Australian to travel across the Pacific Ocean
• Jackey Jackey (1833–1854) – assisted Edmund Kennedy expedition into Cape York and awarded solid silver breastplate for heroic deeds.
• Jandamarra (c.1873—1897) – Bunuba man who resisted European occupation
• Kikatapula (c.1800–1832) – Tasmanian Aboriginal resistance leader and guide
• William Lanne (c.1835–1869) – also known as King Billy, last surviving male of the Oyster Cove clan of Tasmanian Aborigines
• Maria Lock (c.1808–1878) – A Boorooberongal Dharug student of the Native Institution who won first prize in the NSW examination for the year 1819
• Luggenemenener (c.1800–1837) – Tasmanian Aboriginal woman who survived the Black War and was taken captive by John Batman who shot many of her people
• Tommy McRae (c.1835–1901) – artist
• Mannalargenna (c.1770–1835) – Tasmanian Aboriginal leader of the Plangermaireener people
• Mathinna (c.1835–1852) Tasmanian Aboriginal girl who lived with Governor Franklin
• Maulboyheenner (c.1816–1842) – Tasmanian Aboriginal resistance figure
• Mokare (c.1800–1831) – Noongar guide and peacemaker
• Montpelliatta (c.1790–1836) – Aboriginal Tasmanian resistance leader
• Moorooboora (c.1758–1798) – Eora leader after whom the suburb of Maroubra, New South Wales is named
• Moowattin (c.1791–1816) – guide and assistant to the botanist George Caley. First Aboriginal person to be legally hanged in New South Wales.
• Jupiter Mosman (1861–1945) – discoverer of gold at Charters Towers, with Jupiters Casino being named in his honour
• Johnny Mullagh (1841–1891) – Aboriginal cricketer who was known for his remarkable performance in the 1868 Aborigine cricket team's tour of England.
• Mullawirraburka – Kaurna leader preserving his language and culture during colonisation
• Multuggerah – resistance fighter of the Ugarapul nation from South East Queensland
• Musquito (c.1780–1825) – resistance leader originally from Sydney, became a bushranger following transportation to Tasmania
• Nanbaree (c.1782–1821) – Gadigal man who survived the smallpox epidemic as a child to become an important interpreter and sailor
• Nanya (c.1835–1895) – one of the last Indigenous Australians to live a tribal traditional lifestyle in New South Wales
• Patyegarang (c.1780–?) – Cammeraygal girl who was the first to teach an Aboriginal Australian language in detail to the British
• Pemulwuy (c.1750–1802) – member of the Dharug people (Botany Bay) area who had a leading role in resisting British colonisation
• Piper (c.1810–?) – Wiradjuri explorer who guided Thomas Mitchell in his 1836 expedition
• Pul Kanta (c.1815–?) – a Maraura man who survived the Rufus River massacre, gave evidence at a magisterial inquiry and later became a guide for Charles Sturt
• Fanny Cochrane Smith (1834–1905) – first Tasmanian Aboriginal Person born on Flinders Island
• Tarenorerer (c.1800–1831) – a female rebel leader of the Indigenous Australians in Tasmania. She led a guerrilla band against the British colonists during the Black War.
• Tedbury (c.1780–1810) – Aboriginal resistance fighter
• Tongerlongeter (c.1790–1837) – Tasmanian Aboriginal resistance leader
• Topar (1826 – ?) – Barkandji man who led Charles Sturt into the Barrier Ranges, pioneering the establishment of Broken Hill
• Towterer (c.1800–1837) – leading man of the Ninine people of south-western Tasmania whose daughter was Mathinna
• Truganini (c.1812–1876) – last "full-blooded" Tasmanian Aboriginal person to have survived British colonisation
• Tullamareena – member of Wirundgeri, Melbourne
• Tunnerminnerwait (c.1812–1842) – Tasmanian Aboriginal Australian who acted as a guide for George Augustus Robinson and was executed for resisting British colonisation.
• Turandurey (c.1806–?) – Wiradjuri woman who became a guide for the explorer Thomas Mitchell
• Wild Toby (c.1840–1883) – Aboriginal bushranger from central Queensland
• Willemering (c.1755–c.1800) – Dharug man who speared Governor Arthur Phillip
• Tommy Windich (c.1840–1876) – Western Australian Indigenous explorer
• Windradyne (c.1800–1829) – Wiradjuri man, also known as "Saturday", a notable figure of the Aboriginal resistance during the Bathurst War
• Simon Wonga (1824–1874) – ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri people around Melbourne who secured land at Coranderrk, and the suburb Wonga Park was named after him
• Woretemoeteryenner (c.1795–1847) – Tasmanian Aboriginal woman and sealer
• Woureddy (c.1790–1842) – Aboriginal Tasmanian warrior and cleverman
• Wylie (c.1825–?) – Aboriginal guide who stayed with Edward John Eyre in their crossing of the Nullarbor
• Yagan (c.1795–1833) – Western Australian Indigenous leader of the 1830s
• Yarramundi (c.1760–c.1819) – prominent Dharug man, also a karadji
• Yemmerrawanne (c. 1775–1794) – A Dharug man who, along with Bennelong, was the first Aboriginal person to travel to England.
• Yilbung (c.1815–1846) – Turrbal man who actively resisted British colonisation in the Brisbane region
• Yuranigh (c.1820–1850) – provided vital assistance to Thomas Mitchell's 1845 expedition. Highly honoured by the Wiradjuri

1888 onwards

• William Cooper (c.1861–1941) political activist and community leader, first to lead a recognised national Aboriginal movement
• Billy Drumley (1853–1951) – community leader
• Bill Dunn – involved in the Pilbara Strike, and the first Aboriginal man to be granted a pastoral lease in Western Australia.
• Jimmy Governor (c. 1875–1901) – a famous outlaw with his brother Joe Governor
• Douglas Grant (1885–1951) – massacre survivor and soldier for the AIF during WWI
• Vincent Lingiari (1908 or 1919–1988) – prominent Australian Aboriginal rights activist
• Eddie Mabo (1936–1992) – iconic Indigenous Australian man from the Torres Strait Islands known for successfully championing Indigenous land rights into Australian law.
• Cissy McLeod (1896–1928)^[1]
• "Neighbour" – awarded the Albert Medal for Lifesaving^{[2] [3]}
• Nemarluk – leader of the Chul-a-mar, who fought European and Japanese around Darwin in the early 20th century
• Douglas Nicholls (1906–1988) – first Aboriginal Australian to be knighted and hold a vice-regal office
• Charles Perkins (1936–2000) – pioneering Indigenous activist, sportsman and academic
• Reg Saunders (1920–1990) – first Aboriginal Australian to be commissioned as an officer in the Australian Army.
• Marion Leane Smith  - First World War nurse
• Umbarra (King Merriman) – late 19th century elder of the Yuin around Bermagui, New South Wales
• David Unaipon or David Ngunaitponi (1872–1967) – Ngarrindjeri preacher, inventor, and author, who is featured on the Australian $50 note.
• Len Waters (1924–1993) – first Aboriginal Australian military aviator, and the only one to serve as a pilot for the RAAF during WWII.

Notes and References

1. News: BRAVE ABORIGINAL GIRL. . Eastern Districts Chronicle . XXXVII . 9 . Western Australia . 27 February 1914 . 8 November 2017 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
2. News: AN ABORIGINAL S BRAVERY . . 13 . 3996 . Western Australia . 8 March 1911 . 8 November 2017 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
3. News: THE ROPER RIVER . . 15 . 4356 . Western Australia . 8 May 1912 . 8 November 2017 . 3 . National Library of Australia.