Wandinyil's petition to the Governor, 1890
Wandinyil(Norn) was known as Tommy King. As a small boy in 1826, he came face to face with a pig lately escaped from
the French explorer Dumont Durville. In 1833 he helped Sir Richard Spencer plant the Norfolk Island Pine in the front
of Strawberry Hill Farm. In 1843, along with Wylie and other young men, he held the town of Albany under seige
for six weeks in protest against the slaughter of the right whales. He served several sentences
in Rottnest Island prison. He worked for a season as a whaler but mostly made his living entertaining tourists
from visiting P & O ships, impressing all with his wizadry with the kylie .
AN ABORIGINAL ADDRESS
Last Sunday evening a party of Aborigines headed by Tommy and Jenny King
gaily bedecked and painted and carrying bunches of wildflowers proceded to the Residency
to ask the new Governor for a supply of rations for the aborigines in this district so that
they might be able to take part in the general rejoicing on Proclamatin Day. The
Governor did not see them but let them know that Mr Loftie would give them rations if they
presented themselves at the Residency on Proclamation Day. Below we give the petition signed by
Tommy King on behalf of the aboriginals.
To HIs Excellency Sir William Robinson Cleaver K.C.M.G.
May it please your Excellency, I, Tommy King, on behalf of the few remaining aboriginals
of Albany, approach your Excellency with submission and profound respect welcoming you to our native shores. We would humbly
remind Your excellency that in the year 1829, all this country belonged
to my tribe of which I, at this date, would have been chief, but that
Her Most gracious Majesty the Queen was pleased to take it from us.
Since that time we have been gradually deprived of our hunting grounds
and nearly all our kangaroos have been killed by the white man, and
we are now in extreme poverty and a deplorable condition. Therefore
on this occasion when all the whitemen are rejoicing at Her Most Gracious
Majesty having given over our land to a Constitution we would humbly
ask your Excellency to give us something that we may rejoice. A bag
of flour, a box of tea, a bag of sugar and some tobacco would make us
all very happy and if your Excellency would issue an order to Sargeant
Cunnighame to procure us these we shall be very pleased and remain
Your Excellency's most obedient servant. Signed on behalf of the
Aboriginals of Albany, TOMMY KING
Tommy and Jenny King went to the Residency as they were instructed
yesterday to receive rations and were supplied with tea, flour, sugar, tobacco,
etc. by the Government Resident in order that the natives in this
district might celebrate Proclamation Day. Tommy King called for cheers
for the Government Resident, Mr & Mrs Loftie which the natives heartily
gave before leaving with their load which was as much as each could carry.
