In the 1840s, white settlement in the north was under attack. European settlers were in awe of Aboriginal physical fitness and fighting prowess, and a series of deadly raids on homesteads made even the townspeople of Brisbane anxious.
Young warrior Dundalli was renowned for his size and strength, and his elders gave him the task of leading the resistance against the Europeans' ever increasing incursions on their traditional lands. Their response was embedded in Aboriginal law and Dundalli became one of their greatest lawmen. With his band of warriors, he had the settlers in thrall for twelve years, evading capture again and again, until he was finally arrested and publicly executed.
Warrior is the extraordinary story of one of Australia's little-known heroes, one of many Aboriginal men to die protecting their country. It is also a fresh and compelling portrait of life in the early days of white settlement of Brisbane and south east Queensland.
By:
Libby Connors
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 153mm,
Spine: 23mm
Weight: 380g
ISBN: 9781760110482
ISBN 10: 1760110485
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 22 April 2015
Recommended Age: From
Audience:
General/trade
,
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Prologue: The public hanging..1. Growing up in the Blackall Range..2. The young negotiator: Trade and diplomacy to March 1842..3. The Great Toors of 1842?43: The Bora men change strategy..4. The attack on Gregor's station..5. White politics and black politics..6. Attempts at conciliation..7. The feud continues: Capture, trial, aftermath..Epilogue: Remembering Dundalli..Acknowledgements..Bibliography..Notes
Libby Connors is a senior lecturer in history at the University of Southern Queensland. She is author of Australia's Frontline and co-author of A History of the Australian Environment Movement.
Reviews for Warrior: A legendary leader's dramatic life and violent death on the colonial frontier
'Connors lays down the hard truth. Not all our warriors were Anzacs. Not all our wars were just.' - John Birmingham, author and columnist. 'An enduring record of one of our greatest heroes.' - Sam Watson, activist and writer. 'Deeply considered and powerfully told, this book recovers the entangled history of Aboriginal people and settlers in colonial Queensland, a history which is also Australia's story writ large.' - Associate Professor Grace Karskens, University of NSW.
- Short-listed for Australian Historical Society Awards 2015 (Australia)
- Winner of Australian Society of Authors 2016 (Australia)
- Winner of Magarey Medal for Biography 2016 (Australia)
- Winner of Queensland Premier's Award for a work of State Significence 2015 (Australia)
- Winner of Queensland Premier's Literary Awards: Science Writer - Department of State Development Award 2015.
