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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

The Aboriginal community of Lake Tyers, Gippsland

c. 1890
an unknown artist

albumen silver photograph on paper on card (sheet: 23.2 cm x 25.8 cm, image: 13.8 cm x 20.8 cm)

John Bulmer (back row, fourth from left; 1833–1913) came to Australia in 1852 and worked in Melbourne before heading to the goldfields. Shocked by the treatment of Aboriginal people, he volunteered for missionary work in 1855 and helped establish a mission station at Yelta, west of Mildura. In 1861, he travelled to Gippsland and, guided by local Aboriginal men, selected a site for a mission at Lake Tyers. Bulmer commenced work at the station in 1862, building a church and school while also encouraging residents to maintain traditional practices. Bulmer operated somewhat independently of the Victorian Board for the Protection of Aborigines, disagreeing with them over matters such as the Aborigines Protection Act (1886) which threatened to break up Lake Tyers families. The Board removed him as manager of the station in 1907, but permitted him to remain there until his death in 1913.

It is thought that the central figure in this photograph is a man known as King Billy, although whether he was a Lake Tyers man or the King Billy who resided at the Ramahyuck mission is not yet known. Bulmer’s writings refer to several Lake Tyers men called ‘Billy’ by the Europeans, including Billy Macleod, or Tulaba, who acted as Bulmer’s guide in 1861 and who taught him Kurnai language and customs.

Purchased 2010

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

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