Bob Barrett (Indigenous Australian)
Bob Barrett | |
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Extract of a painting showing an Awabakal man, probably Bob Barrett, in a soldier's jacket | |
| Born | c. 1795 Lake Macquarie region |
| Died | 15 October 1833 |
| Other names | Monunggal, Robert Barrett, Bob Barratt, Bob Barnett, Ballard. |
Bob Barrett or Monunggal (c. 1795 – 15 October 1833) was a notable Awabakal Indigenous Australian from the area around Lake Macquarie and Newcastle, New South Wales. He was a trusted part of the British military establishment at the Newcastle and Port Macquarie convict settlements, where he was employed in the tracking and capture of escaped convicts. He was also involved in a famous court case which set a precedent for legal pluralism in Australia, and was later given a non-commissioned officer rank in an abortive Aboriginal paramilitary unit designed to engage with Aboriginal Tasmanians resisting British colonisation.