Toolbillibam

Written European history is generally positive about the Ogilvie family's relationship with the original owners of the country they took. Edward's parents, particularly his mother Mary, were seen as being liked and respected by the locals on the Hunter River.

For  his part, its clear that Edward was involved in some of the initial massacres on the Clarence but European history justifys that (as most killings were & still are by those who can't face up to them) as being a response to the killing of one his workers. (The fact that it later became apprent that the worker had probably been killed by one of his own colleagues was glossed over.)

However, he soon developed a reputation as having a fairly progressive attitude to the aboriginal population. Much of this was based on a widely requoted letter he wrote to the Sydney Morning Herald in June 1842. In this letter he defended the original inhabitants against claims that they were incorrigibly savage and suggested that they were merely defending themselves as anyone might do.

He describes his own rapprochement with the people he had displaced through a meeting with a group headed by a man named Toolbillibam. Edward had learnt enough Bundjalung from Pundoon, a little boy he had kidnapped a year earlier after a massacre, to be able to to have a rudimentary conversation with Toolbillibam who asked him why, given that they had yielded the river flats to them, they now appeared to be interested in taking possession of the hills as well. A reasonable question really.

Edward skirted round that point but went on to say that as long as the Bundjalung didn't take up arms against them, the Europeans wouldn't harm them. In the discussion it also transpired that Pundoons dad was in the group and he was understandably excited  to hear that his boy was alive and well. (There was at least one other child taken along with Pundoon but they are never mentioned again so presumably were neither alive nor well. Whether they died from one of the European illnesses so easily and fatally comunicated to the Australians, or just from the undeniable shock and trauma of being kidnapped, or suffered some other fate, we will never know.)

This strangely composed Lindt photo c.1872 shows Edward riding into the drive of the Big House. It isn't known who the seated Bundjalung man to the left is. Its been speculated that it could be Toolbillibam or Pundoon but it could just have easily been any local co-opted as a "prop" for effect as Lindt was partial to that kind of thing. What it does demonstrate clearly is who is now in charge.

The gates are still there. 

Edward concluded by saying the Bundjalung had taken his advice and now everyone was getting along famously. He suggested that other settlers could benefit by doing likewise. While it might be stretching the point to say that he and Toolbillibam then became friends, it appears that they developed a relationship of acceptance as time went on. Later well known accounts describe the Ogilvie brothers having wrestling matches with Toolbillibam and his brothers.

It has been suggested to me that Edward wrote this letter as a cynical subterfuge to divert attention from the fact that he was continuing on his past ways but the letter does strike me as genuine. Obviously we all present ourselves in the best possible light but if this letter was a ploy, it was a exceptionally clever and Machivallian one. Edward came under some flak for the letter with other correspondents responding that he clearly didn't have a clue what he was talking about. It would've been far simpler for Edward to continue to justify any future murders as being reasonable acts of self defence as did many others for nearly another century.

At yesterdays meeting I  had the privilege of meeting a number of Toolbillibam's descendents, in particular his great, great grandson Rod Williams. Toolbillibam was clearly an intelligent, practical realist. He realised that the newcomers had the power.  They had already shown that opposition would be fatal and clearly the path to survival was going to be by accommodating them, initially by ceding them the river flats but later by accepting the invitation to get along, albeit on their terms.

Rod Williams & I. 

It seems that this approach has been passed down through the family. Over lunch Rod explained that his family had largely been able to evade the Stolen Generation in the early 20th century by firmly denying welfare representatives admission to Baryulgil where they lived, until they had first gone on to Yulgilbar to seek permission from the nominal white landowners. In the time it took them to do that, the family made sure that any children disappeared until the welfare had gone. The family also consciously avoided contact with missions and their residents because they could see that they prevented people from living autonomous lives, thus damaging their ability to be resilient.

For his part, Rod has developed a successful career in the mining industry and now uses the skills he has developed in his own business training & mentoring consultancy.  I'm really glad to have met Rod and his family and hopefully we can maintain a relationship as equal, and therefore true, friends. We were both clear that there won't be any wrestling matches either. We're both too old for that shit!