Wauba Debar facts for kids
Wauba Debar (born 1792, died 1832) was a brave Aboriginal Tasmanian woman. Her special grave is a historic place in the town of Bicheno, on the east coast of Tasmania. People remember her there because she saved two men, including her husband, from a shipwreck during a big storm.
Her grave looks out over Waubs Bay and Waubs Harbour, which are both named after her! This important site is also listed on the Tasmanian Heritage list.
Who Was Wauba Debar?
Wauba Debar was a strong swimmer. When she was a teenager, many Aboriginal women were taken by sealers and whalers during the time Europeans first came to Tasmania. She was one of them.
A Heroic Rescue
One day, a ship crashed about one kilometer from the shore during a storm. Wauba Debar bravely swam out to help. First, she helped her husband get safely to land. Then, she went back and helped the other sealer reach the shore too. Her quick thinking and swimming skills saved their lives.
Her Life and Legacy
Wauba Debar passed away on a boat while traveling towards the Furneaux Group of islands. Her body was brought back to shore and buried. Years later, in 1855, people living in Bicheno collected money to put a special headstone on her grave. This stone helps everyone remember her amazing act of bravery.
There are different stories about when Wauba Debar died and was buried. Some older residents of Bicheno said in 1893 that she was buried about ten years before the date written on her headstone. This would mean she might have died around 1822.
