Yagan: Indigenous Warrior and Noongar Leader

Yagan: An Indigenous Warrior

• Yagan was born circa 1795 and died in July 1833.
• He was a Noongar leader and a strong fighter during the early days of the Swan River colony.
• Yagan was feared and admired by Europeans as he loved his country and gave up his life for it.

Leadership and Resistance

• Yagan was an Australian Aboriginal leader and warrior who led the resistance of the Noongar people against European settlement of the Swan River Colony.
• He was one of four sons of a respected Noongar elder, Midgegooroo.
• Yagan belonged to the Whadjuk language group, one of 14 groups that make up the Noongar.

Contributions to Australia

• Yagan led the resistance against European settlers, encouraging resistance in other First Nations peoples.
• He was a symbol of resistance to the European colonization of country and culture.

Challenges and Legacy

• Yagan was declared an outlaw after killing a settler named William Gaze along the Canning River.
• He faced retaliation from settlers, and his head was eventually removed and taken to England.
• Yagan's legacy includes being a legendary figure by the Noongar, and his head was repatriated and buried in a traditional ceremony in 2010.

Physical Appearance and Personal Life

• Yagan was tall and imposing, with a distinctive tribal marking on his right shoulder and down his back.
• He wore a soldier's old coat under his kangaroo cloak to hide this mark, to avoid recognition by settlers.
• Yagan had a small black dog that walked with him everywhere.

Memorials and Significance

• A statue of Yagan on Heirisson Island has aesthetic and historic significance, representing the history of the original inhabitants of the Swan River area.
• The statue has associations with Yagan, a tribal leader who defended his lands against the Europeans.

Learn about Yagan, a fearless Noongar leader and warrior who fought against European settlement in the Swan River Colony. Discover his life, leadership, and resistance.