Bungaree

[7] Despite the lack of a common language, indigenous people persistently sought out Bungaree to speak to rather than Flinders, and his mediation skills were greatly appreciated by the Europeans with whom he shared the ship.

It is referred to by Bronwen Douglas as a "cross-cultural act, signifying a reciprocal rather than a hierarchical relationship and challenging the reified notion of 'cross-cultural' as contact between opposed, homogenized 'cultures'", adding that "the Moreton Bay people probably took Bungaree for the leader of the expedition and the white men for his followers".

[10][8] Bungaree was the only indigenous Australian on the ship and, as such, played a vital diplomatic role as the expedition made its way around the coast, overcoming considerable language barriers in places.

[6] Bungaree continued his association with exploratory voyages when he accompanied Captain Phillip Parker King to north-western Australia in 1817 in the Mermaid,[3][7] amongst other things giving advice on which plants were safe to eat.

[13] Bungaree spent the rest of his life ceremonially welcoming visitors to Australia, educating people about Aboriginal culture (especially boomerang throwing), and soliciting tribute, especially from ships visiting Sydney.