Cannabaygal

Cannabaygal (c.1770 – 17 April 1816), also known as Cannabayagal, Conibigal, Carnimbeigle or Kannabygle, was a warrior of the Gandangara people during the early stages of British colonisation of the Camden region in New South Wales.

[2][3] Cannabaygal first came into contact with European people in 1802 when the French-born ensign of the New South Wales Corps, Francis Barrallier, led a British expedition into the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.

[3] In March 1816, Governor Lachlan Macquarie formulated the biggest military operation in the colony to date to bring an end to local Aboriginal resistance in that region.

Macquarie declared that 'exemplary and severe punishment' was needed to drive these clans away, and he ordered 'strong detachments of troops...to strike them with terror'.

[2] The detachment sent after the Gandangara was led by Captain James Wallis who was in charge of thirty-three grenadiers, two sergeants and several Aboriginal guides including one named Colebee.

In the early hours of the morning of 17 April 1816, Wallis' force approached the campsite of Cannabaygal's people but found that it was a deserted decoy camp.

According to Mackenzie's take on the racist quackery of phrenology, the anatomy of Cannabaygal's skull displayed the weak reasoning powers and strong emotions of Aboriginal Australians.