Simon Wonga –A Man of Destiny

Simon Wonga 1821 - 1874 As is customary in Aboriginal society, Wonga was identified early as a gifted child and was groomed for tribal leadership from an early age, as was his cousin . Ultimately, Barak succeeded Wonga as Ngurungaeta (Headman and pronounced ung-uh-rung-eye-tuh) in 1874 when Wonga died. Wonga and Barak were respectively aged thirteen and eleven year olds when Elders, including both their fathers, met Batman at Greensborough in 1835. At that time Barak’s father Bebejern was Ngurungaeta and when he died the next year in 1836, his brother Billibellari, Wonga’s father, became Headman. When Billibellari died in 1846, Wonga was asked by the Elders to become Headman, but he sought more time as he needed to learn the ways of Whitefellahs. A virtual regency situation was therefore put in place while Wonga completed what he considered to be his tertiary level training. Billibelleri’s younger brother Berberry was therefore installed as Headman, but by the end of 1850 when he was aged 29, Wonga was ready. He was then installed as Headman of not just the Wurundjeri Tribe and the Woiwurung language group, but of the whole Kulin Federation of five language groups. Wonga had already some years before formed a close association with the Aboriginal Protector William Thomas, literally by accident. Wonga at age 18 in 1839 was on his final walkabout test with four others in the Dandenong ranges, when he severely injured his foot. After being rescued by his father Billibellari and cared for by the settler Reverend Clow at Ferntree Gully, Wonga was then taken to in a dray to the home of William Thomas the Aboriginal Protector. With his wife Susannah, Thomas cared for Wonga’s wound for the next two months. After this, Wonga was instructed by his father to stay with Thomas and lear Whitefellah ways. Wonga then accompanied Thomas in his work for the next three years. He helped Thomas establish the Nerre-Nerre Warren Aboriginal Station near Dandenong. This gave Wonga the opportunity to renew his friendship with Reverend Clow, who had the strong view that Aboriginal people should have their own land and establish an economic base through raising stock and growing crops. After Billibellari’s death in 1846, Wonga began arranging contract work with settlers for teams of Aboriginal men and women. At a cattle run near Warrandyte the station owner was so impressed with Wonga’s leadership and skill at mustering horses he named the station ‘Wonga Park’. Wonga’s skill at providing cost estimates for constructing sheds and organising his workers was highly impressive. At the time of the Warrandyte gold rush, Wonga secured a contract from a Richmond publican to build the first beer hut on the goldfields. During construction the publican gave Wonga and his men some tobacco and food, but later deducted that from the agreed sum. Wonga immediately went to William Thomas and complained of a breach of contract. Thomas then threatened to sue the publican himself and gained immediate results. By 1851 Wonga knew that he would need to gain a freehold grant of land from the government to realise his dream of a viable economic base for his people. However before the search for land and the political process could begin, Wonga knew he needed to draw the curtain on their previous tribal existence. Wonga decided to hold one last great Kulin Federation corroboree and play all the traditional games. This last great corroboree was held at Pound Bend in Warrandyte in March 1852 lasted two weeks and was played to a fascinated audience of gold miners and settles. It graphically marked the end of tribal times in the Yarra Valley. Simon Wonga to secure land and an economic base for his people was to be frustrated for another decade, but finally Wonga and Barak led their people over the Blacks Spur Songline to their Promised Land at in 1863. It was there that Wonga’s vision finally came into reality and Coranderrk over the succeeding decade and until Wonga’s death in December 1874, became the most economically successful Aboriginal Mission Station in Australian history.