Colonial Aboriginal blanket lists as family history aids - Shoalhaven

Shoalhaven: | Aunty Julie Freeman art | Australian First Nations research | Berry's Frankenstein & Arawarra | Blanket lists | Cullunghutti - Sacred Mountain | Death ... Arawarra, Berry & Shelley | Gooloo Creek, Conjola | Indigenous words | Mickey of Ulladulla | Mount Gigenbullen | Byamunga's (Devil's) Hands | Ulladulla Mission |

New South Wales Aborigines, Official blanket distribution, circa 1890-98.

1. Historical background

From 1816 through to the end of the nineteenth century the New South Wales government annually issued blankets to Aboriginal people in settled areas. The process began as an initiative of Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1816 and was followed through sporadically by subsequent colonial governments. It was most active in areas around Sydney during the 1820s and 1830s, from Newcastle down the coast to Broulee and west to the Burragorang Valley and Bathurst. The following discussion focuses on blankets issued in the Shoalhaven during the early period, though areas to the immediate north, south and west are also included. It should be remembered that from the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 through to the early twentieth century official records of births, deaths and marriages were not regularly kept by the authorities. Therefore family history research is a difficult task and often reliant on oral history testimony from within families and communities. Blanket lists are scan, brief and difficult to access.  English spellings of Aboriginal names also vary widely.

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Blanket list (section) for Broulee, Moroyoo River.

2. Known listings and distribution events

The following are known dates of blanket distribution and reports for the Shoalhaven and South Coast region. They have been gathered from the present writer's publications (Organ 1990 & 1993). Not all dates have an associated listing. The numbers in brackets relate to known blanket distributions.

  • 1 May 1826 - Shoalhaven (26)
  • 3 May 1827 - Crooked River (14) and Kangaroo Ground (15)
  • 3 July 1827 - Shoalhaven (40)
  • 2 September 1829 - Illawarra and Shoalhaven (69)
  • 7 May 1830 - Wollongong and Shoalhaven (150 assembled and 30 blankets issued)
  • 8 October 1833 - Nullandarie (Browley / Broulee, Moruya, Wagunga) (25)
  • 4 June 1834 - Shoalhaven, Gerringong, Woregy and Murroo (77) (160 in the district, and 60 received blankets)
  • September 1834 - Nullandarie (25) (Moruya)
  • 25 November 1834 - Batemans Bay (23)
  • 1835
    • Twofold Bay 100
    • Batemans Bay120
    • Jervis Bay 30
    • Ulladollah 50
    • Shoalhaven 170
    • Mrs Reiby 20
  • 21 June 1836 - Shoalhaven (94) (Shoalhaven, Numba, Gerongong, Broughton Creek, Murroo, Jarvis's Bay, Woregy)
  • 4 July 1836 - Erowal (75)
  • 15 November 1836 - Bong Bong (Kangaroo Ground)
  • 2 May 1837 - Shoalhaven (184 people received 100 blankets, with names stamped on the blanket)
  • 7 May 1838 - Shoalhaven, Ulladulla and Jervis Bay (139)
  • 1838 - Shoalhaven, Saint Vincent's and Jervis Bay (198)
  • 29 May 1839 - Jervis Bay (10)
  • 24 September 1839 - Twofold Bay (257)
  • 16 May 1840 - Erowal, Jervis Bay (40)
  • 25 May 1840 - Jervis Bay (14)
  • May 1840 - Shoalhaven (207)
  • 26 April 1858 - Kiama (23) no list
  • 18 April 1859 - Shoalhaven (59) no list
  • 1860 - Shoalhaven (circa 400) no lists located
  • 11 April 1865 - Shoalhaven (115) no list
  • 8 April 1870 - Shoalhaven (circa 105) no lists located
  • 12 June 1879 - Shoalhaven ( no list or number)
  • 26 May 1882 - Kiama on the Queen's Birthday. No list located
  • 1882 - Shoalhaven (60 Aborigines 83 Half-castes) no lists located
  • 9 May 1888 - Shoalhaven (circa 100)

During the 1840s an annual census was taken of the Maneroo and South Coast Aboriginal people. However, blanket lists do not appear to have been produced in association with this initiative. The following table is taken from Records of 19th century blanket lists and returns of Aboriginal people, Museums of History New South Wales, 2025: 

Shoalhaven (Berry)

REGION: South/South-eastern. COUNTY: Camden

Year
Description
Citation
1833
 - 25 blankets despatched.
SLNSW LAdd81 a1893092-3
1834
 - 60 blankets despatched.
NRS-906-1-[4/6666B]-4/6666B.3 No. 34/4446 [reel 3706]
1834
 - 100 blankets despatched.
 
1836
 - 100 blankets despatched.
NRS-905 [4/2302.1] No registration found on document
1837
 - 100 blankets despatched. 
1838
 
NRS-906-1-[4/1133]-4/1133.3 No registration found on document
1839
 - 120 blankets despatched.
 
1840
 - 120 blankets despatched.
NRS-905 [4/2479.1] No registration found on document
1842
 - Return
NRS-905 [4/2576.3] No. 42/5428
1889
 - Report re Aboriginal people in the Berry District
NRS-905 [5/5945] No. 89/10173

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3. Examples

The following are select examples from the lists: 

*1 May 1826 - Jager / Shoalhaven / 26 blankets.

* 8 October 1833 - Yowgooau / Coborabull / age: 35 / 1 wife / Moorooya.

* 4 June 1834 - Toodwick / Broughton / age 36 / wives: 2 / children: 2 / Broughton's Creek 

* 4 June 1834 - Tucking / Dr Wentworth / age: 21 / Numba.  

* 21 June 1836 - Illawora / Mary / age: 18 / Shoalhaven. 

* 4 July 1846 - Camburra / George / age: 16 / Bherewarrie. 

* 25 May 1840 - Wife of Wentworth (Jervis Creek tribe) / native name: Mullundoor / age - 16.

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4. References

Blanket Lists, Archive, State Library of New South Wales, 6 June 2011.

Organ, Michael, A Documentary History of the Illawarra and South Coast Aborigines 1770-1850; including a Chronological Bibliography 1770-1990, Aboriginal Education Unit, Wollongong University, December 1990, 646p. [Book]

-----, A Documentary History of the Illawarra and South Coast Aborigines 1770-1900; including a Chronological Bibliography 1770-1990, Report for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra, 1 December 1993, 364p. [Report]

Records of 19th century blanket lists and returns of Aboriginal people, Museums of History New South Wales, 2025. 

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Shoalhaven: | Aunty Julie Freeman art | Australian First Nations research | Berry's Frankenstein & Arawarra | Blanket lists | Cullunghutti - Sacred Mountain | Death ... Arawarra, Berry & Shelley | Gooloo Creek, Conjola | Indigenous words | Mickey of Ulladulla | Mount Gigenbullen | Byamunga's (Devil's) Hands | Ulladulla Mission |  

Last updated: 11 September 2025

Michael Organ, Australia

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