Black Jack Anderson facts for kids
John 'Black Jack' Anderson (died around 1842) was an African-American sealer and pirate. He was active in the Recherche Archipelago, which is a group of islands off the southern coast of Western Australia.
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Arrival in Australia
Anderson arrived in a new settlement called King George Sound (now Albany) in 1826. He came on an American whaling ship named the Vigilant. While the ship's crew was on land, a serious incident happened, and Anderson was accused of a crime. He and some other crew members quickly escaped in a small boat. They went to hide in the Recherche Archipelago, which is about 400 kilometers (250 miles) to the east.
Life as a Sealer and Pirate
Anderson and his group set up a camp on Middle Island in Western Australia. This island was a good spot because it had fresh water, which was rare on the other islands. The archipelago was full of Australian sea lions and New Zealand fur seals. Anderson's group became rich by hunting these animals and trading their furs. They traveled to places like Kangaroo Island and the Althorpe Islands in South Australia to trade.
Besides sealing, they also robbed ships that were sailing between Western Australia and the eastern colonies. The Recherche Archipelago was a dangerous and unexplored area, making it a perfect secret hideout for them.
In September 1834, Anderson and another man named John Bathurst visited Kangaroo Island. There, they had conflicts with whalers and local Aboriginal people.
People at the time described Anderson as a very brave and daring leader among the sealers. He was known to carry pistols and had gathered a lot of money from his activities.
How He Died
Black Jack Anderson was eventually killed by others in his own group. It is believed that he is buried somewhere on Middle Island.
For many years after, Middle Island was known as a place where laws were not followed. In 1848, a newspaper called The Inquirer described it as a place where "lawless desperadoes" gathered. These included people who had escaped from prison and sealers.
Black Jack Anderson in Stories
- Skins, a book by Sarah Hay. This book won the 2001 The Australian/Vogel Literary Award.
- Black Jack Anderson: Australia's Most Notorious Pirate, a book by Elaine Forrestal.
- A story called "Black Anderson" by "Polygon" was published in The West Australian newspaper in 1929. You can read it online here.
