Poolrerrener Poolrerrener (abt. 1790 - bef. 1835)

Born about 1790 in Cape Portland, Van Diemen's Land

Died before 1835 before about age 45 in Wybalenna, Flinders Island, Van Diemen's Land

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Poolrerrener Poolrerrener was an Indigenous Australian. Join: Indigenous Australians Project Discuss: INDIGENOUS_AUSTRALIANS

Biography

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Poolrerrener was a Palawa woman (Tasmanian Aboriginal), a Pairrebeenne clanswoman whose homeland was Tebrikunna (Cape Portland, Tasmania). Other names she was known by include Bulra, Bullrow, Bullroe and Bullrub. #S3

It appears that in about 1812, Poolrerrener was abducted from her clan at Tebrikunna by mariners and taken to Kangaroo Island to be forced into work. This separated her from her newborn baby girl, who grew up in the care of relatives, not knowing her mother. #S3

Bulra lived a number of years on Kangaroo Island. She is recorded as being there in the company of Young Scott (John Scott/George Scott), a sealer, and George "Fireball" Bates (aka "Piebald"). Palawa women were valued by such men because of their superior hunting skills. #S1 They hunted wallabies and seals, skinned them and traded the skins with passing ships. See Straits Men and Straits Women on WikiTree.

In 1832 Bulra was known to have a grown up son living on Kangaroo Island, Edward Tomlins, son of Samuel Tomlins. That same year, Bulra made a journey to Launceston on Griffith's schooner (Griffith's was a whaling firm) and then to the Western Straits (near present day Albany) where she lived among the sealers, first with John Dodson/William Dobson and then with Robert Drew/Rew. #S1

On 17 Aug 1832, Bulra was delivered up to Protector of Aborigines George Augustus Robinson and sent to the "Aboriginal Establishment" (Wybalenna) where she died, probably before September 1835. #S1

Bulra's son Edward spent his later years in New Zealand where he had four children with a Maori woman. Bulra's descendants are still living in New Zealand . #S4

Sources

• Bass Strait people 1790-1850: Aborigines, sealers and others by Julie Gough PhD
• Plomley, N.J.B. (ed) 1966. Friendly Mission; the Tasmanian journals and papers of George Augustus Robinson 1829–1834
• Telling Places In Country http://www.utas.edu.au/telling-places-in-country/historical-context/historical-biographies/bullrer
• Islands of Inquiry. Trans-Tasman stories: Australian Aborigines in New Zealand sealing and shore whaling by Nigel Prickett, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland, New Zealand.

Research Notes

The following reader comment appears at https://bassstraitto1850.wordpress.com/biographies-of-people-living-in-or-visiting-bass-strait-to-1850/ Am looking for descendants of Poolrerrener my great-great-great grandmother. She had four (4) children – Puekerterponner, Megobunner, Bullrer, and Edward my great-great grandfather. Can anyone help reconnect me with family in Tasmania. Muchly appreciated.

By: Tairua Hapimana on October 1, 2013 at 9:40 pm