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Collet Barker
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Collet Barker
Collet Barker (31 December 1784 – 30 April 1831) was a British military officer and explorer. He was commandant at two British outposts for the Colony of New South Wales. Fort Wellington on the Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory and a penal settlement at King George Sound (Western Australia). Following the closure of the penal settlement at King George's Sound, at the direction of the Governor, whilst he was enroute to Sydney he explored areas of Southern Australia along the eastern shore of Gulf St Vincent, the southern Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Plains and overland from Yankalilla Bay on Fleurieu Peninsula to the Murray Mouth before being killed whilst on duty.
Barker was born in Hackney, England, son of William Barker and his wife Sarah Collet and lived in Newbury as a child. He joined the British Army on 23 January 1806, as an ensign by purchase in the 39th Regiment of Foot; he became a lieutenant in 1809 and a captain in 1825. Barker served in Sicily in 1807-11 and was a veteran of the Peninsular Wars, serving in Portugal, Spain, and France. He also served in Canada and Ireland before embarking with his regiment, the 39th Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, on the prison convict hulk Phoenix for Australia; which arrived in Port Jackson,Sydney on 14 July 1828.
On 13 September 1828 he arrived as the new commandant of Fort Wellington, the settlement at Raffles Bay in the Northern Territory.
When Barker arrived to take up command at Fort Wellington, relations between the Aboriginal people and the settlers under the previous command of Captain Henry Smyth had deteriorated to the point of mutual fear and hostility. In his first dispatch to Governor Darling, Barker reported, "Nothing has been seen of the Natives for a considerable time; they appear to have deserted the immediate neighbourhood". A series of thefts and spearings by the Aborigines led to the former commandant offering a reward of five pounds for "any native who could be brought in, hoping that, by keeping such individual at the settlement, it might have the effect of preventing any further hostility".
The result of this, to further quote Darling, was a "very gross outrage". A six-year-old Aboriginal girl named Riveral was captured during a raid on an encampment by six men from the settlement, including armed convicts. Private Charles Miller, in evidence sworn to an enquiry, stated the following.
At this time two fires appeared close to the beach... they proceeded onward and discovered four others and made for them... they found them close to each other and from fifty to sixty natives surrounded them, whose voices they heard through the thick scrub, before they saw them their mode of attack was then formed, they went round the scrub and got sight of them within 40 yards; three of the party then advanced and fired, in order to strike panic into them and to enable the party to take some of them prisoners; it had the desired effect for a moment, for they all started but very soon returned and commenced throwing their spears very fast. The other two stand of arms loaded and in reserve with two men in the rear... and immediately discharged... they again fled, some into the bush and others into the water... One man apparently badly wounded crept on his hand and knees towards the water; a woman also had retreated towards the water, but returned for two children whom she took up and made again for the water; they afterwards discovered the whole of these four had been wounded, which he supposed were by some of the first five shots. Volunteer James Murray and himself endeavoured to take the woman and child prisoners; she was a very large and powerful woman. She made desperate resistance, rushed into the water, and he gave her a wound with the bayonet; this he certainly should not have done had he been certain it was a woman; but fearing that an escape would be made, he was determined if possible to secure the person. The children were afterwards brought on shore, one was dead and the other was slightly wounded; the woman fell and he supposed died in the water.
It was with this background that Collet Barker began his command, on 13 September 1828. Barker first made contact with the local Aboriginal people on 25 November 1828, when Costello the stockman reported that he had made contact. Barker and Davis the surgeon were taken to the place of contact, where they met ten men, whom they presented with handkerchiefs, a pair of scissors, and some bread. The group invited Barker to accompany them, which Barker declined to do, though he tried to convey that he would be pleased to do so another time. Barker recorded his second contact with the local inhabitants in his journal, dated 2 December 1828, as follows.
... as we were cruising along the shore some natives were discovered. We made friendly signs to each other and I ran the boat in and landed unarmed desiring everyone else to remain in the boat. On our approach to the beach the natives returned some distance from it, evidently in a little alarm. I advanced to show I supposed them to be, and soon fell in with one who seemed to be a chief. We exchanged presents, I giving him a handkerchief and he giving me a spear, unheaded, and the stick for throwing it. He had perhaps taken off the head. He also gave me a string of beads...I asked for Wellington and he pointed to himself and repeated the name. Another native soon came up and afterwards a third. They did not want me to go with them and appeared rather in a hurry. When I got on board again I found there was a bit of bread in the boat and I sent my servant with it. The doctor went with him. They ate up the bread immediately and the chief took off a pair of bracelets and gave them to the doctor.
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Collet Barker
Collet Barker (31 December 1784 – 30 April 1831) was a British military officer and explorer. He was commandant at two British outposts for the Colony of New South Wales. Fort Wellington on the Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory and a penal settlement at King George Sound (Western Australia). Following the closure of the penal settlement at King George's Sound, at the direction of the Governor, whilst he was enroute to Sydney he explored areas of Southern Australia along the eastern shore of Gulf St Vincent, the southern Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Plains and overland from Yankalilla Bay on Fleurieu Peninsula to the Murray Mouth before being killed whilst on duty.
Barker was born in Hackney, England, son of William Barker and his wife Sarah Collet and lived in Newbury as a child. He joined the British Army on 23 January 1806, as an ensign by purchase in the 39th Regiment of Foot; he became a lieutenant in 1809 and a captain in 1825. Barker served in Sicily in 1807-11 and was a veteran of the Peninsular Wars, serving in Portugal, Spain, and France. He also served in Canada and Ireland before embarking with his regiment, the 39th Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion, on the prison convict hulk Phoenix for Australia; which arrived in Port Jackson,Sydney on 14 July 1828.
On 13 September 1828 he arrived as the new commandant of Fort Wellington, the settlement at Raffles Bay in the Northern Territory.
When Barker arrived to take up command at Fort Wellington, relations between the Aboriginal people and the settlers under the previous command of Captain Henry Smyth had deteriorated to the point of mutual fear and hostility. In his first dispatch to Governor Darling, Barker reported, "Nothing has been seen of the Natives for a considerable time; they appear to have deserted the immediate neighbourhood". A series of thefts and spearings by the Aborigines led to the former commandant offering a reward of five pounds for "any native who could be brought in, hoping that, by keeping such individual at the settlement, it might have the effect of preventing any further hostility".
The result of this, to further quote Darling, was a "very gross outrage". A six-year-old Aboriginal girl named Riveral was captured during a raid on an encampment by six men from the settlement, including armed convicts. Private Charles Miller, in evidence sworn to an enquiry, stated the following.
At this time two fires appeared close to the beach... they proceeded onward and discovered four others and made for them... they found them close to each other and from fifty to sixty natives surrounded them, whose voices they heard through the thick scrub, before they saw them their mode of attack was then formed, they went round the scrub and got sight of them within 40 yards; three of the party then advanced and fired, in order to strike panic into them and to enable the party to take some of them prisoners; it had the desired effect for a moment, for they all started but very soon returned and commenced throwing their spears very fast. The other two stand of arms loaded and in reserve with two men in the rear... and immediately discharged... they again fled, some into the bush and others into the water... One man apparently badly wounded crept on his hand and knees towards the water; a woman also had retreated towards the water, but returned for two children whom she took up and made again for the water; they afterwards discovered the whole of these four had been wounded, which he supposed were by some of the first five shots. Volunteer James Murray and himself endeavoured to take the woman and child prisoners; she was a very large and powerful woman. She made desperate resistance, rushed into the water, and he gave her a wound with the bayonet; this he certainly should not have done had he been certain it was a woman; but fearing that an escape would be made, he was determined if possible to secure the person. The children were afterwards brought on shore, one was dead and the other was slightly wounded; the woman fell and he supposed died in the water.
It was with this background that Collet Barker began his command, on 13 September 1828. Barker first made contact with the local Aboriginal people on 25 November 1828, when Costello the stockman reported that he had made contact. Barker and Davis the surgeon were taken to the place of contact, where they met ten men, whom they presented with handkerchiefs, a pair of scissors, and some bread. The group invited Barker to accompany them, which Barker declined to do, though he tried to convey that he would be pleased to do so another time. Barker recorded his second contact with the local inhabitants in his journal, dated 2 December 1828, as follows.
... as we were cruising along the shore some natives were discovered. We made friendly signs to each other and I ran the boat in and landed unarmed desiring everyone else to remain in the boat. On our approach to the beach the natives returned some distance from it, evidently in a little alarm. I advanced to show I supposed them to be, and soon fell in with one who seemed to be a chief. We exchanged presents, I giving him a handkerchief and he giving me a spear, unheaded, and the stick for throwing it. He had perhaps taken off the head. He also gave me a string of beads...I asked for Wellington and he pointed to himself and repeated the name. Another native soon came up and afterwards a third. They did not want me to go with them and appeared rather in a hurry. When I got on board again I found there was a bit of bread in the boat and I sent my servant with it. The doctor went with him. They ate up the bread immediately and the chief took off a pair of bracelets and gave them to the doctor.