Jandamarra and his group lead a heroic resistance during the Killing Time in the Kimberley. 

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Jandamarra was born probably in 1873 and raised on his father’s land, in the late 1880s. At that time wealthy white people, including Isodore Emanuel, William Lukin and William Forrester were taking over vast areas of land to run sheep. They met some resistance from the people occupying the land. The WA government implemented a ‘pacification’ policy, deploying a quarter of the police force to aid the 1% of the WA white population resident in the Kimberley. The government closed its eyes to the massacres of Aboriginal people done by police and pastoralists. It became known as the Killing Time (1890–1926). 

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For many Bunubu people the only safety was to ‘come in’ and accept slavery under the pastoralists. Jandamarra’s mother brought him to Lukin’s Lennard River Station when he was 11 years old. He became a fine horseman and shearer. He was instructed by Jim Crowe, brought from Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) prison. He taught Jandamarra how to use a gun. 

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Jandamarra went back to his father’s land and was mentored by Ellemarra, who had a history of resistance activities. 

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Ellemarra and Jandamrra were captured and taken to Derby to work in the chain gangs. Jandamarra was recognised as Lukin’s man and he was placed in the stables taking care of the police horses. They treated him as a mascot entering him into boxing matches and exhibiting his horsemanship. 

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In 1892 three prospectors were speared, two died. The one who led the attack was a so called ‘semi-civilised’ Aboriginal. This meant for settlers that weren’t safe from those who had come in. Revenge was swift and murderous, for example near Gunbi (Mount Broome): “The police party indiscriminately shot down men women and children in large numbers. According to Banjo Woorunmurra, the police charged the camps shooting everyone they could. Small children were grabbed by their legs and had their heads smashed against the trunks of trees. This story is similar to other Bunubu accounts of frontier massacres” (p.96). Armitage, who had taken part in the massacre at Gunbi was: “…renowned for his violent sexual abuse of Aboriginal women and was once formally charged with rape. Yet, not surprisingly the case never surfaced in court because the police refused to prosecute in spite of supporting evidence” (p.99).

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Jandamarra was in a strange situation, being incompletely initiated he did not have the complete respect of his fellow tribesmen. Cattle replaced sheep, they did a great deal of damage to the land. 

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Jandamarra began to ride with a policeman named Richardson. He was not employed as a police tracker but was paid by Richardson personally. Like other police Richardson’s pocket was lined by the ration allowance that was paid to him for each day he held each prisoner. It was supposed to cover their food. The more prisoners, the longer it took to drag them in chains to the gaol, the less spent on feeding them meant more profit for the policeman. 

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Richardson and Jandamarra went out and rounded up seventeen Bununbu people, chained them up and walked them to Lillimooloora and held them for seven days. They were forced to wait in the heat, the shackles burning them, without food, while Richardson clocked up some cash. Jandamarra had obligations a relative in the group and Ellemarra was hiding somewhere near. Jandamarra set his relative free, the relative killed Richardson and they let all the prisoners free. 

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The freed prisoners and those who were camped at Lillimooloora joined up and walked to Bangilngan where they waited to attack the drovers. The drovers were forewarned but were convinced by one of them the Bunubu had gone deep into Milawundi Range (King Leopold Range) and that they would be safe. Jandamarra’s group set upon them. Two Aboriginal stock boys tried to gallop away but Jandamarra gave chase. He told them that he would only kill whites and to spread the word that he wanted others to join him. This act of resistance brought them a cache of weapons from a wagon that was accompanying the cattle drive. Jandamarra set about training the men how to use the guns. The counterattack, led by a man called Drewry, called for white men, black servants and all the arms that could be found. The WA Premier authorised the local magistrate to use ‘every endeavour’ to bring the murderers to justice. Drewry’s plan involved placing various sections of his party in positions inside the gorge or coming down the walls of the gorge. They stole in at night, when the sun rose they thought the gorge was empty. They were unaware of the Bunubu people hiding in the crevices and caves. Drewry’s men dug in and waited. A group of his men came down the wall of the gorge and saw the Bunubu. Once exposed Jandamarra’s party began firing from secret positions in the walls of the gorge, trapping Drewry’s men in the hot sun. There was a stalemate of firing. Then Ellemarra was hurt and died. The effect on the Bunubu group was shattering. Jandamarra showed himself and kept firing. He too was shot but be kept firing to cover the retreat of his people as the fled through the tunnels and passages to the Balili plateau; “It was an extraordinary escape, accomplished under cover of Jandamrra’s blazing rifle. Blood oozing from his wounds he held his rifle with one hand while supporting his body against a rock with the other. A bloodstained hand-mark testified to this courage and dedication to his countrymen, who had escaped to safety” (p.146). Drewry and his men went to Jandamarra’s cave believing the Bunubu would come out but there were only six women and three children who were immediately chained. Drewry believed the group would make a rescue attempt. It was not until the evening that Drewry realised the Bunubu army had escaped with most of the of cache weapons. 

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Jandamarra regrouped his army and returned to his country. There is no doubt that the government, led by Sir John Forrest, gave the police discretionary powers to undertake a massive offensive, killing Aboriginal people without consequence during the wet season of 1894-5 and went to great lengths to prevent the carnage being made public. But the carnage did not stop. Police and settlers continued to kill indiscriminately and were able to boast of it. There were massacres at Margaret River Gorge and Dimond Gorge in the Milawundi (King Leopald Range). Jandamarra, his mother and a comrade called Captain were resting by Windjana Pool when a group of troopers ran in firing. Jandamarra escaped but his mother was taken away in chains. Jandamarra called to her from the top of the gorge as she was led away. He never saw her again. She was enslaved as a house servant in Roebourne. 

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Jandamarra began a quiet campaign of taunting and harassment of settlers and police. He appeared in their homes, leaving his footprints in scattered flour. He set traps for those hoping for the glory of capturing him. While they thought they were stalking him he was at their base stealing their weapons.  Those who chased his footprints found themselves caught by wires across the path. Among the local Aboriginal population Jandamarra began to take on the status of Jalnggangurra (magic man). Black troopers and trackers who had been brought in from Queensland were particularly unnerved by him and would leave lead them away from where he was hiding. Jandamarra and a party held siege of the Lillimooloora homestead. 

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A group of police led by Blythe and two trackers Micki and Mingo set off to track down Jandamarra. They caught a group of Bunubu fighters including Woorunmurra, Muddendudden, Byabarra and Bool. They were chained but kept by the party as they continued to follow Jandamarra’s tracks. His followers, particularly the women, set up all manner of devices to fool the black trackers. Finally, they followed the prints to creek (now known as Pigeon Creek after Jandamarra whose nickname was Pigeon). Micki managed to chase Jandamarra up onto Balili and shot him. Blythe came to inflict the last fatal shot so he could claim hero status but Jandamarra grabbed the gun and Blythe’s hand was severely injured. Jandamarra was wounded and ran on. Micki followed him for three days and eventually shot him dead. Micki’s role in the killing of Jandamarra was ignored, the police claimed they had done it. They hacked off his head as proof. The head was sent to England where it was held by an arms manufacturer William Ceener as a trophy. His body was wrapped in paperbark and stowed in a cave in Balili. 

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