Musquito

Musquito (c. 1780 – 25 February 1825) (also rendered Mosquito, Musquetta, Bush Muschetta or Muskito) was an Indigenous Australian resistance leader, convict hunter and outlaw based firstly in the Sydney region of the British colony of New South Wales and, after a period in exile on Norfolk Island, in Van Diemen's Land.

Aboriginal men, such as Tedbury, Branch Jack and Musquito engaged in violent raids on British farms in the Parramatta, Hawkesbury and Georges River areas.

In April, Governor Philip Gidley King ordered a mobilisation of soldiers and decreed that no Aboriginal people be allowed to approach any British settlements.

[2][3] In that same month, the magistrate at Parramatta, Samuel Marsden, interrogated nine Aboriginal people who were being held in jail and compelled two of them to lead a group of armed colonists to secure Musquito.

[3] Musquito was banished to Norfolk Island at a time when, for financial reasons, it was slowly being decommissioned as a settlement, with its convicts and free settlers being gradually transferred to Van Diemen's Land.

[8] As part of the evacuation from Norfolk Island, Musquito was sent in January 1813 on the ship Minstrel with other convicts to Port Dalrymple in northern Van Diemen's Land.

[2] By February 1818 he was a servant of the prominent and wealthy settler and entrepreneur, Edward Lord, and some sources say that in September 1818 he helped track down the bushranger Michael Howe.

By this stage, British expansion into Van Diemen's Land had increased significantly and "the tame mob" had been joined by more displaced Aboriginal people who were escaping death, abduction and violence at the hands of the settlers.

[8] Armed parties were sent out to capture Musquito but raids attributed to him or his associates continued, which resulted in another ten settlers being killed near Jericho, Tunbridge, Lower Marshes, Swansea, Stonehenge and Ouse.

[12][13] Musquito was charged with aiding and abetting the murder of a Tahitian farm hand named Mammoa and settler George Meredith's servant, William Hollyoak, at Grindstone Bay, and held in custody at Old Hobart Gaol.

Although Governor Arthur was receptive to their entreaties and ordered some huts to be built at Kangaroo Point to accommodate them, Musquito remained incarcerated and the disappointed Oyster Bay people soon returned to the bush.

The execution of Musquito undoubtedly inflamed the remaining members of the "tame mob" and 'Oyster Bay tribe' who, now led by Kikatapula, quickly resumed hostilities against the invaders.