Yarramundi

Yarramundi
Born	Circa 1760 Richmond, New South Wales
Died	After 1818
Known for	“Chief of the Richmond Tribe(s)”
Children	Maria Lock, Colbee

Yarramundi (circa 1760 – after 1818) was an Indigenous Australian called by Europeans “the chief of the Richmond Tribe” or “Tribes”. He was a member of the Boorooberongal clan of the Darug people, and was a garadyi or “doctor”.

Yarramundi and his father Gombeeree met Governor Arthur Phillip on April 14, 1791, and this meeting is described by Watkin Tench (who spells his name Yellomundee) in his A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson, published in 1793. Yarramundi's daughter, Maria (born 1805) was the first Aboriginal child to be places in the Native Institute at Parramatta, where she won the Yearly state Examinations ahead of 100 white children.

About 1805, she married convict Robert Lock, which was the first officially sanctioned marriage between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Australia. Yarramundi's son, Colbee (or Colobee), was the first Aboriginal person to receive a land grant. Following colebee's death, Maria was granted his land at blacktown and lives there untill her death in 1878. She was burried in Prospect cemetry. At the time of her death, she held 60 acres of land at Blacktown and 40 acres at Liverpool (NSW). Liverpool council chamber is built on part of this grant.
Yarramundi's daughters decadents still live in the area. Notably Bundeluk is working as an educator, actor, artist, public speaker and indigineous adviser / tour guide at Hazelbrook in the Blue Mountains of Australia. For information call; 0414754393

Maria was the first Aboriginal child to enter the Native Institute at Parramatta, where she won the state yearly examination ahead of 100 white children. Following Colbee's death she was granted his land at Blacktown and she lived there until her death in 1878.

See also

• Yarramundi, New South Wales
• Colebee, New South Wales