16 Facts About Windradyne

Windradyne led his people in the Bathurst War, a frontier war between his clan and British settlers.

Windradyne had dark brown skin, thick black curly hair, and a long beard.

Windradyne typically wore a headband, and had his beard plaited into three sections.

When Windradyne visited Parramatta to meet with Governor Thomas Brisbane in December 1824, the Sydney Gazette wrote that:.

Windradyne is one of the finest looking natives we have seen in this part of the country.

Windradyne is not particularly tall, but is much stouter and more proportionably [sic] limbed than the majority of his countrymen; which, combined with a noble looking countenance, and piercing eye, are calculated to impress the beholder with other than disagreeable feelings towards a character who has been so much dreaded by the Bathurst settler.

Windradyne went out to confront the soldiers, and it was reported that it ultimately took six soldiers and a beating with a musket to restrain him.

The Wiradjuri regrouped, and Windradyne told the elders that, in line with Wiradjuri custom, he would lead the revenge against the whites.

Windradyne spoke to them in their own language in such a manner as not to let them suppose he anticipated any evil from them.

At the onset of martial law a special reward of 500 acres of land was offered for Windradyne being taken alive, an offer that was extended to the Aboriginal community if they would turn in the Wiradjuri leader.

The Wiradjuri, led by Windradyne, travelled nearly 200 kilometres across the mountains to attend the feast on Tuesday 28 December 1824, with Windradyne becoming the focus of attention and receiving a formal pardon from Brisbane.

Windradyne is supposed to have suffered severely from unusual agitation, in consequence of the efforts that were resorted to for his apprehension, owing to which he is said to have decreased so considerably in size as not to be above half the man he was previous to the commencement of the recent sanguinary contests.

Windradyne reportedly stayed at Parramatta for some time after the conference, before returning to Bathurst, and did not attend the feast the following year.

In 2004 Windradyne was one of two Indigenous Australians commemorated as part of an installation in the New South Wales Parliament Buildings in Sydney.

Windradyne led the resistance around Bathurst for many years, gathering together the Wiradjuri tribes.

In 2008 Windradyne's story was featured in the first episode of the award-winning seven-part SBS documentary series First Australians.