Tullimbah - Aboriginal warrior of the Illawarra

Josef Selleny, Tullimbah, Wollongong, 1858.

Introduction

During the early 2000s, correspondence with Austrian Georg Vladar in regards to the visit to Australia in 1858 of the Austrian scientific expedition aboard the naval frigate SMS Novara, revealed a watercolour in his possession by the expedition's artist Josef Selleny. Vladar had a folio of such works, acquired by him around the time of the end of World War II. Included was a portrait of an elderly Aboriginal man. The work was inscribed by the artist: Tullimbah / J. Selleny / Wollongong. It was an extraordinary painting, done on the spot and, perhaps the most magnificent portrait of an Aboriginal man from the first century of European settlement. 

At the time, Mr Vladar suggested that he would like to present the work to the Wollongong City Gallery. Unfortunately he passed away before that could be put in place and the location of the work is currently unknown. 

Below are reproduced a few items from local historical records which reference Tullimbah. Apart from the Selleny painting, this is all we have of the life and times of this extraordinary Aboriginal warrior from the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The accounts point to a strong individual - both in regard to physical strength and personality. He was a leader and the accounts of his engagement with a member of a nearby tribe are telling in relation to the operation of traditional Aboriginal society during the early 1800s. Tullimbah's name lives on in the suburb located west of Albion Park, between that two and Macquarie Pass which scales the Illawarra Escarpment. Few residents of Tullimbar, however, would be aware of the story behind the name.

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Tullimbar 

Aboriginal Man of Macquarie Valley & Albion Park 

[September 1898] In the course of a conversation with Mr John Fraser J.P. of Bushgrove, regarding Tullimbar, this gentleman related to me [Archibald Campbell] the following: 

“King Tullimbar” 

Since the early days of settlement in the Macquarie Valley (now having the town of Albion Park as a centre) an Aboriginal named "Tullimbar" or "Tullumbar" was the recognized King of the Aboriginal tribe of the locality. He was a powerfully built, athletic man, who was looked to with awe, as well as respect, by his tribesmen, who in the early days of the "Thirties" and "Forties" [1830s and 1840s] numbered several hundred. The tribe however had their main centre and "Kingdom" in “Tullimbar", now known as "Tongarra". This locality, or the upper portion of the Macquarie Valley, was named Tullimbar, or Tullumbar, by the Aborigines. The creek running from the main stream through the farm known as Tongarra and another part of the homestead was known as Tongarra by the Aborigines. The name Tullimbar was carried as it were from its rightful location to where it is now so designated by a Mr Davis, who opened a store in the sixties [1860s]. His reason, or excuse, for the misnaming the place, was that he was opening the store for "Tullimbar people", meaning those residing in the upper Macquarie region. King Tullimbar used to relate two thrilling incidents in the course of his life. In one instance, while he was a young man, he was on a visit to Kangaroo Valley, where another young man of the tribe manifested jealousy of him on account of a charming "jin" to whom both of them were paying attention. In the course of his return journey alone over the mountain range by the route subsequently designated "The Butter Track", Tullimbar camped out by the way on the Illawarra descent. He suspected that his sable rival might fall on him stealthily from the Kangaroo Valley for the purpose of murdering him by the way, so that he might then have a clear way with the charming "jin". By the way of stratagem Tullimbar, after lighting a fire, and making use of it for whatever cooking purposes required, retired under cover to a near but safe distance, instead of lying beside the fire throughout the night as was the Aboriginal custom. Before doing so, however, he got a portion of tree-fern trunk about the length of a man, and rolled his possum cloak around it to appear in the dim fire light something like a person asleep. This was with a view to deceive and decoy his rival should he dog his steps in the night for the purpose of murder. In the course of the dead hours of night Tullimbar's supposition was realized, by noticing the Kangaroo Valley man approaching in a crouching attitude, and murderously attacking the fern trunk which he speared through and then tomahawked. As he was in the act of doing so Tullimbar sprang upon him and speared him through the upper part of the body, and having him entirely at his mercy, he then eked his vengeance on him in one way and another without actually killing him. One gruesome process adopted by him was to place the man's hands in a stone, and pound away at them with another stone until he had converted them to jelly and to use his own oft repeated words about the matter, he "beat him all night". "I beat him all night" was his own favourite way of expressing his part in the tragedy. He let the man go next morning, and the latter actually made his way back to Kangaroo Valley in his wounded and bruised condition, but died shortly afterwards from the effects of Tullimbar's retribution in the mountain range in the dark hours of the night. The other instance referred to occurred on Johnstone's Meadows, Macquarie River. On a certain day, and in broad daylight, as Tullimbar was in the act of stooping down on his knees to drink water from a creek or pool in the thick bush, he noticed the shadow of another blackfellow, who was making a rush on him from behind, with a tomahawk or bludgeon, evidently intending to murder him. Tullimbar sprang to his feet before his assailant accomplished his deadly purpose. A fierce encounter ensued but speedily ended in the death of the attacking party by Tullimbar. Tullimbar killed him on the spot and often he told the deadly tale to the residents of the locality in the course of his subsequent lifetime. In connection with this notice of Tullimbar, it may be related that the favourite camping place of the "Blacks" during the early settlement of the Macquarie settlement by Europeans were on the bank of the river, near what subsequently became the position of the Main Road, the slope of the hill west of the "Churches" of modern days, and on the site of Mr John Marer's property, and on the north of the river so named by that gentleman "Bushgrove". In the course of ploughing the land in different places, some implements of the Aborigines [were found]...... 

[Source: Archibald Campbell Papers, Illawarra Historical Society / University of Wollongong Archives.]

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Reminiscences by E.H. Weston 

`Reminiscences of an Australian Pioneer', by Major E.H. Weston of Albion Park, were recorded around the turn of the century. However, they speak of events at Illawarra during the late 1860s. Mr Weston arrived in Illawarra in 1865 and settled at The Meadows. The following extract from his reminiscences concerns Tullimbar: 

Tullimbar 

Another darkey of rather a different type from Dr Ellis was "Tullimbar", a strange old character. He used to come across to my place every Saturday for flour, sugar, and "bacca"; if he didn't get the latter, his language was, to put it mildly, sulphurous. He had been a great warrior in his day, and his bald black head was covered with scars received in Nulla Nulla fights. He was a bit of a gay Lothario. On one occasion he stole a gin belonging to the Bong Bong tribe and was followed by the former lover of the dark beauty. Tullimbar got a glimpse of the Bong Bong black one evening and knew he was out for revenge. When he camped for the night, he rolled a log near his little fire, covered it with his blanket, and hid behind a big tree close by. After a time his enemy sneaked up, and when he got within striking distance, made a bound and drove his spear into the log; before he could withdraw it Tullimbar sprung out and drove his spear through him, killing him instantly. Being in very thick scrub the body was not found for a long time, so Tullimbar escaped the vengeance of the other tribe. He lived to a great age, but went blind in his old age; the other blacks used to drive a stake into the middle of his hut and tie him to it at night, to prevent him roaming away. Sometimes he would get loose and come out, and I have heard him howling like a dingo when he got cold and couldn't find the camp fire. One night he got loose and rolled into the fire and was so badly burnt that he died the next day. An Aboriginal funeral is a queer affair. They always shift their camp directly a member of the tribe dies; the body is then rolled in a sheet of bark and carried to the burial place. It takes them hours to go a short distance, as they go forward then back, then zig-zag, and turn round and round repeatedly. Their idea is to puzzle the ghost and prevent it coming back to camp. Years after, a heavy flood carried away a large portion of the river bank and disclosed the bones of the departed Tullimbar, but I never heard of his "spook" revisiting any of the old camping grounds.

[Source: Wollongong City Library - extracts published in the Illawarra Historical Society Bulletin, 1976.]

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Chronology 

circa 1798 

- Tullimbah born. 

1829 

- The blanket dispersal registration list for Illawarra of 1 April 1829 lists ‘Tullembar’. 

- The blanket dispersal registration list for Illawarra of 2 September 1829 lists ‘Tullenbor’. 

1836 

- The blanket dispersal registration list for Wollongong of 20 May 1836 lists ‘Tullinba’ (European name ‘Cow bun’), probable age 38, wife – 1, and resident of the Five Islands and Kiama. 

1842 

- The blanket dispersal registration list for Wollongong of 27 May 1842 lists ‘Tullen bar’ (European name ‘Bill’), probable age 45, wife – 1, and a resident of the Five Islands. 

1858 

- Portrait of Tullimbah taken by Austrian artist Josef Selleny. Aged circa 60 years. 

circa 1870s 

- Tullimbah dies after being burnt by a campfire. He is buried by a local river bank, which subsequently erodes during a flood, exposing his bones. 

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Last updated: 5 February 2022

Michael Organ