Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner: remembrance

20 January

Content note: This page discusses colonial violence and loss of life without graphic descriptions. Linked resources may include distressing detail, historical language and names or images of people who have died. You can choose how much to read.

20 January marks the anniversary of the public execution of Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner in Melbourne in 1842. These two Tasmanian Aboriginal men were the first people hanged in Melbourne. Remembering them means considering their lives, the colonial justice system and the continuing work of public acknowledgement.

Lives connecting Tasmania and Port Phillip

Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner were born in Tasmania. George Augustus Robinson brought them to Port Phillip in 1839 as part of a group of Aboriginal people from Tasmania. Their story connects the effects of colonisation in lutruwita/Tasmania with the early colonial history of Melbourne.

They should not be remembered only through the circumstances of their deaths. Understanding their history requires attention to the people and relationships around them, including the Aboriginal women who were tried with them: Truganini, Planobeena and Pyterruner.

The trial and execution

The men were convicted of killing two whalers in the Western Port area and were executed on 20 January 1842. The City of Melbourne’s commissioned historical research confirms the date and examines the case within the wider treatment of Aboriginal people by colonial authorities.

An account of the verdict alone is not a complete history of the trial. The legal process, the available evidence and the unequal position of Aboriginal people within the colonial system need to be examined. Readers should distinguish the court’s findings from later historical interpretation and from present-day remembrance.

Public memory and the memorial

The City of Melbourne commissioned a public marker, Standing by Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner, by Brook Andrew and Trent Walter. The memorial creates a place to encounter a history that has often received less public recognition than other stories of early Melbourne.

A memorial can acknowledge loss and encourage learning without resolving every historical question. Read the artists’ and historical researchers’ accounts alongside the physical work. Follow current advice about access and any community-led commemorations rather than treating an anniversary listing as an organised event notice.

Remembering with care

This is a date of remembrance. Introduce the subject without graphic descriptions, provide a choice about participation and avoid reenactments of the execution or trial. Linked sources may contain distressing detail and language from colonial records.

For schools and workplaces, useful questions include whose lives are remembered in public spaces, how the law operated during colonisation and why Tasmanian Aboriginal history also matters beyond Tasmania. Do not ask Aboriginal participants to disclose family histories or speak on behalf of everyone.

The historical anniversary is 20 January. Any organised ceremony needs its own confirmed date and arrangements. A respectful response should also recognise continuing Tasmanian Aboriginal life, culture and connections with Country.

Sources and further reading

Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner. City of Melbourne. Historical background and information about the public marker.
Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner

Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner: The involvement of Aboriginal people from Tasmania in key events of early Melbourne. Clare Land, 2014, Victoria University research repository. The historical report commissioned for the City of Melbourne; confirms 20 January 1842.
Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner: The involvement of Aboriginal people from Tasmania in the founding of Melbourne

Historical research report. City of Melbourne. The council-hosted report, including context for the trial and execution. Contains distressing material.
Historical research report