William Buckley (convict)

William Buckley (* 1780 in Marton, in Macclesfield, Cheshire, United Kingdom, † January 30, 1856 in Hobart, Tasmania ), also known as wild white man ( "wild white man " ), lived for 32 years as a fugitive convict under Aborigines.

Buckley grew up as an illegitimate child born on a small farm with his grandparents on. He began training in a brickyard, but these broke off and was infantry soldier. In 1799 he served in the Netherlands, where he was wounded in battle. After his return to Britain he was sentenced to 14 years prison camp in Australia for a clothes theft on August 2, 1802 and came in April 1803 on the HMS Calcutta with Lieutenant Governor David Collins to Port Phillip. He fled with two other convicts. He became friends with the Wathaurong who believed that the 1.98 m tall man is the reincarnation of their Elder. It adopted the language, customs and traditions of Aboriginal and lived with a Aboriginesfrau, with whom he had a daughter by its own account.

William Buckley saw several ships, but did not want to for fear of punishment make known. Only in July 1835, he turned John Wedge at Indented Head. Wedge was a member of the Port Phillip Association, which was led by John Batman. Buckley had forgotten his own language, but was based on the tattoo WB identified on his arm.

Wedge reached that Lieutenant-Governor George Arthur Buckley pardoned. Then employed John Batman - and later the government - it for £ 50 as an interpreter. As he was still not recognized by the whites of the Aborigines, he went in December 1837 disillusioned to Hobart. There he found a job in an immigrant home and was from 1840 to 1850 guard a factory, worked in the convict women. In 1840 he married Julia Eagers, the widow of an immigrant, with whom he had two daughters. At the end of his working life he was commissioned by the Victorian Government a pension.