Multuggerah facts for kids
Multuggerah was a brave Aboriginal Australian leader and fighter from the Ugarapul nation. He lived in the Lockyer Valley area of Queensland a long time ago. Multuggerah was a very important warrior and a skilled negotiator. He managed to bring many different Aboriginal clans together. They united to resist the 99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot, early European settlers (called squatters), and their workers in the 1840s.
Multuggerah was the son of Old Moppy, who was also a warrior and leader. Old Moppy had led earlier actions against the first settlers in the Moreton Bay and Brisbane areas.
Fighting for Their Land
From 1841 onwards, for many years, about 1200 Aboriginal warriors in the Lockyer Valley area fought against groups like the 99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot. This area was part of the Colony of New South Wales at the time, and later became part of the Colony of Queensland in 1859.
The fighting continued on and off into the 1850s and 1860s. Because of this armed conflict, the expansion of European settlement was slowed down for about 15 years. Multuggerah used clever tactics. He would block roads with fallen trees and set up ambushes in tricky places like steep hills, bogs, and thick bushes.
Some people said Multuggerah lived to be very old. However, it is also possible he died in 1846 during the ongoing conflicts.
The Battle of One Tree Hill
After a very sad event at Kilcoy Station where many Aboriginal people were harmed, the resistance became even stronger. Multuggerah organized ambushes for the supply wagons (called drays) as they traveled up the steep path from the coast. He even sent a message to the Europeans, warning them not to come through.
In September 1843, an armed group of three wagons with 18 people was stopped and forced to turn back. Later, more than 30 settlers and their workers tried to counter-attack the Aboriginal group. But they were also forced back from the high ground by spears and thrown rocks.
Multuggerah's Legacy
A long viaduct (a bridge-like structure) on the Warrego Highway section of the Toowoomba Bypass was named after Multuggerah. This viaduct is about 800-metre (2,600 ft) long.
We know that Multuggerah had at least two children: a son and a daughter known as Queen Kitty.
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