As a child in 1826, he witnessed the wreck of the colonial vessel Sally, which was transporting colonists of the Van Diemen's Land Company to establish a horse breeding station at Cape Portland.

This mission was a series of expeditions designed to round-up the remaining Aboriginal people of Tasmania and place them in enforced exile upon Flinders Island in the Bass Strait.

At the time Maulboyheenner was described as a 'native adolescent' who was useful for Robinson in locating the remnant Indigenous groups led by Eumarrah, Tongerlongeter and Montpelliatta.

[4] In September 1841, Maulboyheenner and another four of the Indigenous Tasmanians including Tunnerminnerwait (Peevay), Plorenernoopner (Fanny), Maytepueminer (Maria) and Truganini waged a seven-week campaign of resistance against British settlers in the Western Port area south-east of Melbourne.

On 6 November 1841, they had a shoot out with the overseers of a coal mine at Cape Paterson, in which four white men were injured and two sailors from a nearby whaling station were killed.

"[6] The Supreme Court found Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner guilty of the murder of the two whalers, who were named Cook and Yankey, and were sentenced to death.