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The Dora Dora fugitives were two young Aboriginal brothers both born on Fraser Island off the coast of Queensland. Their names were “Boolyal”
(Jackie) and “Thunimmbrie (Willie). Both boys, with the permission of the Queensland Government, in 1890 when they were mere youths of 20 and 22 years of age, were recruited for five years by the Victorian Police Force as trackers.
The boys travelled from Brisbane to Melbourne on the regular steamer service, with two other Aboriginals. All were assigned to the Benalla police station.
In March 1891 Mrs Mary Smith of Benalla was murdered. Initial suspicion, incorrectly fell on Jackie and Willie. Both immediately decided to depart Benalla and head back to Queensland. They came suddenly into the limelight of notoriety on May 2, 1891, at place called Bassin Creek, Dora Dora, near Albury, in New South Wales.
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A Polish settler, named Sevran Mursczkawitz, when approached by Jackie for some sugar and tea threatened both trackers with his gun. Jackie anticipating disaster fatally speared the Pole between the shoulders. Both left the area immediately heading north.
Local police successfully anticipated they would continue to head north to Queensland, but whether they would follow part of the way by the railway line or trek the Great Dividing Range was not clear. The Mudgee Police was rather concerned that the Range ran within a reasonable distance of Mudgee and that at Cook’s Gap north of Mudgee it crossed the Mudgee-Cassilis Road.
Senior Sergeant James Harvey who in 1891 was appointed to the full charge of the Çowra Police District before coming to Mudgee in 1896, kept police stations along the Range informed. In his 1908 obituary it was stated, “he was one of the first to go in search of the Dora Dora fugitives.”
The Dora Dora fugitives certainly kept their cover. From Albury to Glenn Innes their only cofirmed sightings were at Blowering, Binalong, Bowral, Scone. Murrurundi, Quirindi, Tamworth and Glen Innes.
Other sightings were discredited.
In early July, 1892, the fugitives were seen at the 339 metres high Clarence Peak, 10 kms south of Maclean, my home town.
When sighted they escaped the police. Later local black tractors traced their track into a field of cane, where they had their self made bark canoe secluded.
In this craft they crossed the South Arm of the Clarence River near Tyndale. Thus they got onto Woodford Island, the second largest river island in the world.
The canoe when found, was on the opposite of the river to where they landed, the general impression being after they took themselves across the canoe was returned to the other side.
On Woodford lsland they followed its range easterly until they reached the small village of Ilarwill where they stole a fisherman’s punt and rowed across the Clarence river. After trekking along the Richmond Range they headed directly north to the McPherson Border Range which gave them access into Queensland and back to Frazer Island.
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They had trekked over 2,000 kms. “Jackie” and “Willie” left Fraser Island together but lost each other near Bundaberg where “Willie” was captured. “Jackie “ went further north to Port McKay where he was caught, escaped and was recaptured..
The trial of the two fugitives was held at the Albury Court House on April 10, 1894 Both were found guilty for the murder of the Polish settler, Sevran Mursczkawitz and were sentenced to death. The NSW Government Executive Council on May 15, 1894 finally dealt with the case of “Willie” and “Jackie”. The sentence on “Jackie” was computed to imprisonment for life and “Willie” sentenced to 15 years confinement.
“Jackie” served 16 years of his life sentence in the Grafton Prison. In December, 1908, he was transferred to the Darlinghurst Goal in Sydney as he was suspected of dying. “Willie” is said to be buried at Fingal - Tweed River.
