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Musquito

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Musquito

Musquito (c. 1780 – 25 February 1825) (also rendered Mosquito, Musquetta, Bush Muschetta or Muskito) was an Indigenous Australian resistance leader, convict hunter and outlaw based firstly in the Sydney region of the British colony of New South Wales and, after a period in exile on Norfolk Island, in Van Diemen's Land.

Musquito, of the Gai-Mariagal clan, also spelled Gamaragal, or Cammeraygal, of the North Shore of Sydney Harbour, was born around 1780.

In 1805, there was serious conflict between the British colonists and the resident Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal men, such as Tedbury, Branch Jack and Musquito engaged in violent raids on British farms in the Parramatta, Hawkesbury and Georges River areas. Several settlers were killed and numerous Aboriginal people were shot dead. In April, Governor Philip Gidley King ordered a mobilisation of soldiers and decreed that no Aboriginal people be allowed to approach any British settlements.

In May, a punitive expedition conducted by the colonists captured Tedbury near Pennant Hills. Tedbury was forced to lead the British to the Dharug hide-out near North Rocks where they found stores of plundered corn. The Sydney Gazette reported that they also encountered Musquito and a small band there. Musquito called out to them "in good English" that he would continue his raids before running off. On 9 June 1805 the colonial authorities authorised the specific arrest of Musquito, whom they regarded as a key ringleader.

In that same month, the magistrate at Parramatta, Samuel Marsden, interrogated nine Aboriginal people who were being held in jail and compelled two of them to lead a group of armed colonists to secure Musquito. The other seven incarcerated Aboriginal people were retained in custody as hostages. Musquito was captured less than a week later in July 1805 and gaoled in Parramatta.

In response to the arrest of Musquito, Governor King revoked the orders banning Aboriginal people from the settlements and released Tedbury. Musquito and his compatriot Bull Dog attempted to escape his cell at Parramatta Gaol by loosening the stones in the wall. He was subsequently exiled in August 1805 to the convict colony on Norfolk Island with Bull Dog, also considered "principal" in the raiding and known to French explorers as Toulgra, although he was misnamed Ourou-Mare.

The transportation of Musquito to Norfolk Island resulted in a long period of peace between the Aboriginal and settler populations around Sydney. With this diminishing of hostilities, Governor King proposed in 1806 to repatriate Musquito and Bull Dog back to Sydney, but this never occurred.

Musquito was banished to Norfolk Island at a time when, for financial reasons, it was slowly being decommissioned as a settlement, with its convicts and free settlers being gradually transferred to Van Diemen's Land. By 1810 there were only 26 convicts on the island, one of which was Musquito. Musquito spent around 8 years on the island as a convict, working as a charcoal burner.

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