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Bullrer

Personal Information

Name
Bullrer (Jumbo) Aboriginal
Gender ♀️ Female

Parents ( 1 )

Mother Poolrerrener (Pairrebeenne clan)
Siblings ♀️ Puekerterponner
♂️ Megobunner,

Additional Information

Additional Info


Also known by four other names:

Drummernerlooner
Rumanaloo (translates to small white gull)
Jumbo (which was the name she was known as a Tyreelore (island wife) to James Munro) and
Louisa ( which was given to her by G A Robinson when he renamed his charges at the Wybalenna Aboriginal Establishment)

Bullrer’s Trouwunnan homeland was a territory at Tebrikunna in the far northeast region that belonged to the Pairrebeenne clanspeople. Tebrikunna is now known as Cape Portland. The Pairrebeenne clan was one of seven to ten clans that made up the Coastal Plains nation. Bullrer claimed she was a young girl about ten years old when she was taken from her clan to eastern Bass Strait. She lived with Straitsman James Munro on Preservation Island until she left with boatman James Parish to assist the military with the Line operations (in 1830). At Robinson’s behest she joined his expedition at Launceston as a guide into the northeast region (in August 1830). Bullrer spoke English well and, according to Robinson’s judgment, she was a ‘very intelligent’ woman of small build, about 156.03cm in height.

Bullrer was the daughter of Pairrebeenne clanswoman Bullrub, also known as Poolrerrener. Her younger brother was Edward Tomlin who had a European father. When Robinson first met young Edward Tomlin on Robbins Island, off the northwest coast of Tasmania, he was about seventeen years old and worked as a boatman with some Straitsmen who were hunting seals. It appears that Bullrub was taken from her country at Tebrikunna by mariners who took her to Kangaroo Island, South Australia within a few months of Bullrer’s birth. After her mother left, Bullrer would have been raised by her clanswomen from a baby and she remained separated from her mother until she was a woman.

Bullrer was about eighteen years old in 1830 when she was engaged as one of Robinson’s eight guides. Having lived amongst the Straitsmen for about ten years she was also a valued informant to Robinson about the lifestyles and experiences of her female companions who lived with the Straitsmen. In 1831, on her return to Preservation Island she gave Robinson a gift of some crystals that had been fond in the islands. Robinson recorded Bullrer’s change of name to Louisa when she moved to the Wybalenna and she was still living at the establishment in 1836. Louisa was still alive in 1845 and she is listed as having married two men – Tarnebunner (Plomley, 1966: 985, 995) and later Carlerwarrermeer from Big River Nation who was also known as Tippo Saib, King Tippo (Plomley, 1966: 909, 985 & 995; Supplement to Friendly Mission: p24). There is some confusion in the records about the year she died. (Plomley, 1966: 1000).

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Poolrerrener / Bulra

Personal Information

Name
Poolrerrener (Pairrebeenne clan)
Gender ♀️ Female

Spouses ( 1 )

Spouse
Samuel Tomlins
Children ♂️ Edward Tomlins (Black Ned) Aboriginal

Spouses ( 2 )

Spouse
Unknown
Children ♀️ Bullrer (Jumbo) Aboriginal
♀️ Puekerterponner
♂️ Megobunner,

Additional Information

Additional Info

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

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Edward Tomlins

Personal Information

Name
Edward Tomlins (Black Ned) Aboriginal
Born about 1813 Cape Barren Island Australia
Gender ♂️ Male
Died 15 Dec 1892

Parents ( 1 )

Father
Samuel Tomlins
Mother Poolrerrener (Pairrebeenne clan)

Spouses ( 1 )

Spouse
Hipora Iwikatea
Children ♂️ Edward Tomlins II jnr

Events

22 January 1819
Baptism Baptism, performed in infancy or later. ( See also BAPL and CHR. )

📍 Launceston Tasmania

15 Dec 1892
Death Mortal life terminates.

📍

about 1813
Birth Entering into life.

📍 Cape Barren Island Australia

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