Eora resistance to Europeans

The Eora people had lived in the Sydney area for at least 40,000 years before the Europeans arrived. They had lived by hunting, fishing and gathering and believed that they were the guardians of the land. This lifestyle did not last.

When the Europeans arrived in 1788 they occupied sacred land and destroyed Eora hunting and fishing grounds. In 1790 the Eora people began a guerilla war against the Europeans.

In 1794 the Eora, whose leader was Pemulwuy, attacked the European settlement of Brickfield. Thirty-six British and fourteen Eora were killed during this attack. In the same year the Eora killed a British settler. Then the British ordered that six of the tribe be killed.

The Aborigines continued to resist the European invaders by burning their crops and houses, taking food, destroying cattle and killing some settlers. In 1797 they attacked Toongabbie and within a week the farmers had to retreat and the farms were burned. In that year their leader, Pemulwuy, was captured by the British but later escaped.

By 1801 many settlers lived in fear of the Eora and the British started a campaign to destroy Aboriginal resistance. Troopers were sent to kill Aboriginal fighters and capture Pemulwauy. One year later settlers killed the leader in an ambush.

Other great Aboriginal leaders continued fighting against the White settlers. However, the guns of the British were more powerful than the Aboriginal spears. The British shot many of the Aborigines and many others died of the diseases that the British brought.

This period of Black resistance in Sydney finally ended in 1816. It is a significant period in Australian history as it showed the determination of the Aboriginal people to resist the invasion. It also demonstrated how unjustly the Aboriginal people were treated by the White invaders.

Source: Exploring Literacy in School History, Write it Right Project, Disadvantaged Schools Program, Metropolitan East Region, Department of School Education, p.66

(taken from: http://portals.studentnet.edu.au/literacy/DeskTopDefault.aspx?tabid=368)