WEST KIMBERLEY PLACE REPORT - Department of Sustainability ...

his capture. His tracks were often sighted but he was nowhere to be seen. He raided
the store house of the Lillimooloora police quarters leaving his footprints in white
flour that had been deliberately scattered on the floor. Jandamarra's theft of food and
arms, and the use of harrying to confuse, exhaust and ridicule his opponents was a
'unique brand of guerrilla warfare without violence' (Pedersen and Woorunmurra
1995: 150).
Jandamarra's ability to understand European settlers and the tactics of the
constabulary provided him with many skills that contributed to his perceived magic
powers. These skills he passed on to his own people creating an effective defensive
force, including men as fighters and women as observers, suppliers of food and
assistants in battle. Jandamarra provided 'intensive training' in the use of weapons,
using 'boab trees for target practice' (Pederson and Woorunmurra 1995, 121). His
ingenuity with European firearms even went as far as binding the leg sinews of
kangaroo around .44 cartridges to make them fit the Enfield rifles that they carried
(Lowe 1994.) He also trained the Bunuba in tactics to pre-empt and counter European
advances, and strategies to ambush parties and capture weapons.
They travelled in small groups knowing that the police located the Bunuba camps at
night 'through seeing the smoke from a cluster of camp fires or by noticing the
intersecting foot tracks leading to the larger gatherings' (Pederson and Woorunmurra
1995, 146). Jandamarra's intimate knowledge of police operations and the uneasiness
of the Aboriginal trackers working in another's country led many trackers to abandon
their posts and provide Jandamarra with information and supplies that also facilitated
the Bunuba's successful campaign (Pederson and Woorunmurra 1995). Many Bunuba
and other Aboriginal people, often men of similar background of involvement with
Europeans to Jandamarra, joined the Bunuba resistance inspired by Jandamarra's
leadership and reputation (Allbrook 2009).
The death of Jandamarra at the hands of another recognised marpan
Early in 1896, a police patrol followed Jandamarra to the entrance of Tunnel Creek.
While the police guarded the entrance to the cave, thinking that they were blocking
his escape; Jandamarra had exited the tunnel and raided the unattended police station
back at the foot of the ranges. Yet again, another 'magic' feat. Attacks on pastoralists
and raids on police continued despite the increase in police numbers. After attacking
the Oscar Range Station and allegedly killing an employee, Jandamarra and a fighting
force of about 20 were pursued by the police, in which two of his men were killed.
Four parties of police were in pursuit in an attempt to track Jandamarra down before
he could get back to the safety of the limestone ranges. He was eventually tracked
down by Micki, an Aboriginal tracker from the Pilbara region and shot. Micki was
considered a marban (possessor of powerful magic) of high degree, someone of
similar skill and ability to Jandamarra (Pedersen 2007). Despite his wounds,
Jandamarra managed to escape and attempted to reach the safety of Tunnel Creek
with Micki in pursuit. After a running duel, Jandamarra was shot dead by Micki on
1 April 1897.
Jandamarra's campaign was unprecedented in Western Australian history as was the
ferocity of the police and settler response. Following his death, pastoralists were able
to move their cattle to occupy Bunuba lands that had previously been out of bounds.
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