SONGS OF EARLY ABORIGINAL WARRIORS AND LEADERS – Part 1


On March 21st last year, Stewie posted this song referencing Aboriginal Heroes :
HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY by Luke O’Shea & Kevin Bennett and also Wiki links to the Heroes mentioned within.
I said soon after, that (with Stewie’s blessing), I intended to research and post songs pertaining to each Hero mentioned, as very few are recognised outside of the Indigenous Communities – and IMHO, they should be!!

So, after a fairly long break from this Mudcat Aust-NZ Songs thread   [coz of “LIFE, The Universe & Everything”!!]   I’m finally gonna make a start!


History is, of course, the story (and propaganda) of the victors and rarely of the vanquished.   But I’ll try to source songs, mainly from the Aboriginal perspective, of the Frontier Wars, focussing on a few of the historical Resistance and Freedom Fighters – and the odd bushranger too!

Starting with WINDRADYNE (aka Saturday), the Wiradjuri warrior of the Bathurst (NSW) area, and then Jimmy Governor …….. and then hopefully continuing with heroes like Pemulwuy, Yagan, Jandamarra (aka Pigeon), Fanny Balbuk, Bennelong, Musquito, Calyute, Major, Multuggerah, Bussamarai, Truganini (& many other Tasmanian leaders) e.g. - and ALSO men like explorer, Bungaree/Boongaree, who journeyed with Flinders.

MUCH depends on if any songs have been written yet!!! (hint hint to songwriters :)

[NB I’m a little hesitant to use Wiki references, considering it can be as untrustworthy as much other MSM these days, but I’ll take the chance. Hopefully someone will alert me if there’s a serious problem with the text.]


WINDRADYNE (c.1800 – 1829)

“Windradyne – A Wiradjuri Koorie” by Mary Coe – 1986 - “A true account of resistance fighter Windradyne of the Wiradjuri Nation. Windradyne was a warrior and a leader who lived in and around the Eastern Murray River area. He is remembered in this book for his fight for land rights and the wellbeing of approximately 12,000 of his people.”

Read here, a review by Tracy Sorenson of Stephen Gapps’ 2021 book : “Gudyarra – The First Wiradyuri War of Resistance – The Bathurst War, 1822-1824” https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/lets-just-call-it-war

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwXs80EGaIU&t=5s   Windradyne, the black Ned Kelly – 2003 (a short film by Mathew Jampijinpa Curtis)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windradyne



WINDRADYNE [1] ~ Bill Murray

There was a great black man, a leader in the land of the Nations of the great Wiradjuri
When the white man came across the mountain range, to the Bathurst Plains in 18-13.

WINDRADYNE!   WINDRADYNE!
Mighty black warrior of the great Wiradjuri
WINDRADYNE! Of Wiradjuri
Leader of the blacks, they called “Saturday”.

Now the whites declared Marshall Law on the blacks, at Bathurst in 18-23
Because the Wiradjuri fought for their land, to save their people, homes, and history.
CH (2nd line is) : Gathered all his people and fought to keep them free,

Now the whites used poison, guns, and swords, to clear the blacks from the land
Killed women and kids without any fear, of reprisals from the laws of the land.
CH (2nd line is) : Fought back the whites, to keep his people free,

Now they couldn’t catch Windradyne, so they tried to trap him with bribes
The Governor of the day pleaded : “Saturday, come in, give up your life of crime.”
CH (2nd line is) : Roamed the Bathurst mountains like a bird in the breeze,

Wild and free was Windradyne
Leader of the blacks, they called “Saturday”.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmAJDy1SIBI&t=93s    Australian country singer, Bill Murray, from his album “Children of the Dreamtime (all original Aboriginal Songs of Australia)”, written 1994.



WINDRADYNE [2] ~ Bob Campbell

Won’t you listen to my story, of a leader on the Western Plains
The white man called him “Saturday”, to his people he was WINDRADYNE
To his people he was WINDRADYNE.

Invaders crossed the mountains, drove the people off Wiradjuri lands
Brought diseases and poisoned blankets, they brought bullets that killed Windradyne
They brought bullets that killed Windradyne.

William Cox said kill all the black men, wipe out the women and the young
Manure the ground with their bodies, point your weapons at Windradyne
Point your weapons at Windradyne.

Marshall Law was enacted, in eighteen twenty four
The soldiers and the white-skinned settlers, became the murderers at Bell’s Forge Gorge
Became the murderers at Bell’s Forge Gorge.

Windradyne was defeated, marched on Sydney with the children and the wives
But the people on the plains across the mountains, they won’t forget brave Windradyne
They won’t forget brave Windradyne.

Now, you’ve heard my story, about the people of the Western Plains
Think a little bit more on the history, of The Wiradjuri, and Windradyne
The Wiradjuri, and Windradyne.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj1JKNIYYmk   blues-style performance from Bob Campbell in 2012


Next will be the tragic story of Jimmy Governor.


Cheers, R-J