Cora Gooseberry

Cora Gooseberry
Matora Gooseberry
Born
Cora Gooseberry

c. 1777
Died(1852-07-30)July 30, 1852 (aged 74–75)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Body discoveredSydney Arms Hotel, Castlereagh Street
NationalityAustralian Aborigonal
Other namesQueen Gooseberry
Lady Gooseberry
Occupation(s)Clan monarch
Cultural knowledge keeper
SpouseBungaree (w. 1830)
ParentMoorooboora (father)

Cora [note 1] Gooseberry (also known as Queen Gooseberry and Lady Bongary; c. 1777 – 30 July 1852) was an Aboriginal Australian Murro-ore-dial woman and cultural knowledge keeper. In popular culture, she is often depicted smoking a pipe and wearing a scarf on her head.[1] She received two breastplates, one of which was inscribed "Cora Gooseberry/ Freeman/ Bungaree / Queen of Sydney and Botany".[2] It is held by the Mitchell Library.[2]

Early life

Cora Gooseberry was born Matora Gooseberry,[3] her given Aboriginal Australian name, circa 1777.[4]

Personal life

Cora Gooseberry was the daughter of Moorooboora (also known as Maroubra; circa 1758 to 1798), clan leader of the Murro-ore-dial (Pathway Place). Her husband was[5] Bungaree,[6][7] and she became widowed after Bungaree's death in 1830.[8]

Death

On 30 July 1852, Cora Gooseberry was found dead at the Sydney Arms Hotel in Castlereagh Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.[9] According to her coroner's verdict, she had died of natural causes. She was buried in the Presbyterian section of the Sandhills cemetery, but her tombstone was relocated shortly after. It is now located in Pioneers Cemetery, Botany.[10]

Notes

  1. ^ Also recorded as Kaaroo, Carra, Caroo, Car-roo or Ba-ran-gan. Her native name was Matora Gooseberry.

References

  1. ^ Larissa Behrendt (2012). Indigenous Australia for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 96. ISBN 9781118308448.
  2. ^ a b Attenbrow, Val (1 January 2010). Sydney's Aboriginal past : investigating the archaeological and historical records. UNSW Press. p. 61. ISBN 9781742231167. OCLC 659579866.
  3. ^ Jakelin Troy (1993). King Plates: A History of Aboriginal Gorgets. Aboriginals Studies Press. p. 8.
  4. ^ Keith Vincent Smith (2005). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University.
  5. ^ "Queen Cora Gooseberry, wife of Bungaree". A history of Aboriginal Sydney. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  6. ^ Library of Dreams: Treasures from the National Library of Australia. National Library of Australia. 2011. p. 21.
  7. ^ "Barani". City of Sydney. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  8. ^ Aboriginal Sydney : a guide to important places of the past and present. Aboriginal Studies Press. 1 January 2001. p. 49. ISBN 0855753706. OCLC 47152902.
  9. ^ "No title". Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1932). 5 August 1852. p. 9. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  10. ^ Edwin Barnard (2012). Capturing Time: Panoramas of Old Australia. National Library of Australia.