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20 Facts About Jandamarra

1.

Jandamarra led a three-year campaign against police and British settlers, achieving legendary status for his hit and run tactics and his abilities to hide and disappear.

2.

Jandamarra was eventually killed by another tracker at Tunnel Creek on 1 April 1897.

3.

Jandamarra's body was buried by his family at the Napier Range, where it was placed inside a boab tree.

4.

Jandamarra's life has been the subject of two novels, Ion Idriess's Outlaws of the Leopold and Mudrooroo's Long Live Sandawarra, a non-fiction account based on oral tradition, Jandamarra and the Bunuba Resistance, and a stage play.

5.

From a young age, Jandamarra learned to ride horses, speak English fluently, shear sheep and use guns on William Lukin's station at Lennard River, and was regarded as the area's best Aboriginal stockman.

6.

Jandamarra won his freedom by agreeing to look after the police horses, and became popular.

7.

Jandamarra chose to shoot and kill Richardson while he slept.

8.

Ellemarra died in the conflict, but Jandamarra escaped with non-lethal wounds.

9.

Jandamarra's hit and run tactics and his vanishing tricks became almost mythical.

10.

Jandamarra was held in awe by other Aboriginal people who believed he was immortal, his body simply a physical manifestation of a spirit that resided in a water soak near Tunnel Creek.

11.

Police chasing Jandamarra were in awe at his ability to cross the rugged ranges with no effect on his bare feet, despite their boots being cut to shreds by the sharp rocks.

12.

Jandamarra tracked Jandamarra down and shot him dead at Tunnel Creek on 1 April 1897.

13.

The head of another Bunuba man was labelled as Jandamarra and put on public display in Perth.

14.

Jandamarra's body was buried by his family at the Napier Range where it was placed inside a boab tree.

15.

Jandamarra's life has been the subject of two novels, Ion Idriess's Outlaws of the Leopold and Mudrooroo's Long Live Sandawarra.

16.

The story of Jandamarra, put down in writing by Howard Pedersen, was the subject of the 1996 Western Australian Premier's Book Award-winning history, Jandamarra and the Bunuba Resistance.

17.

Jandamarra's story is told in episode 5 of the 2008 TV series First Australians.

18.

In 2014, Bunuba Cultural Enterprises worked with Steve Hawke and Paul Stanhope to create Jandamarra - Sing for the Country; Ngalanyba Muwayi.

19.

The novel's Jandamarra was made immortal shortly before his real-world death and resides in modern-day Australia teaching children indigenous art and culture.

20.

The ruins of the Lillimulura Police Station, which are of historical significance because of their connection to Jandamarra, are a few kilometres south of Windjana Gorge on the road to Tunnel Creek.