William Thomas in Brunswick and Coburg

We often think of Brunswick History as commencing when Thomas Wilkinson took up his land in 1840 but of course there were people living here for thousands of years before this.  Dr. Cheryl Griffin will shed some light on this in discussing her research on William Thomas.,  Thomas, who lived in Brunswick, was the Assistant Protector of Aborigines in the 1840s.  He and his superior, George Augustus Robinson are often portrayed as the Bad Guys who rounded up indigenous people and sent them off somewhere else.  They did this of course in line with government policy at the time but both also had a deep interest in indigenous culture and language.  Their writing down of language and recording of stories are a major reason why these have survived as well as they have.

Photo of William Thomas from State Library of Victoria