MOOWATTIN, Daniel
[also 'Mow-watty', 'Moowatting' or 'Dan']
(c.1791-1816)

Aboriginal guide.
Born in the Parramatta district, NSW. 'Adopted' as an infant by Richard Partridge (alias 'Rice', the colonial hangman) and later became a bush guide, assistant, and servant to the botanist, George Caley (1770-1829). Travelled to Norfolk Island and Van Diemen's Land in 1805 with Caley, and later accompanied him to Britain in 1810 on board HMS Hindostan, and became the third Australian Aborigine known to have visited England after Bennelong and Yemmerrawanne in 1793.

Daniel returned to Sydney in May 1812 with the settler George Suttor (1774-1859). He was employed as a labourer at the farm of William Bellamy at Pennant Hills. On 28 September 1816 he was found guilty of the rape and robbery of Hannah Russell on 6 August 1816 and sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging on 1 November 1816.

Moowattin became the first Aborigine to be legally executed in Australia.

See: transcript of the trial in Sydney Gazette 28 September 1816.

References:
Primary Sources:
Macquarie Journal: 1 November 1816.
Sydney Gazette: Supplement 28 September 1816 pp.1d-2b.
The Kercher Reports: Decisions of the New South Wales Superior Courts, 1788 to 1827. (eds.) Bruce Kercher and Brent Salter. Sydney: Francis Forbes Society of Australian Legal History, 2009 pp.563-567.

Secondary Sources:
'Moowattin, Daniel (c.1791-1816)' Australian Dictionary of Biography: Supplement 1580-1980 [2005]; also available online]
Ford, Lisa and Salter, Brent. "From Pluralism to Territorial Sovereignty: the 1816 trial of Mow-watty in the Superior Court of New South Wales." Indigenous Law Journal No. 7 [2008].
Sheehan, Elaine. "The Identity of Richard Rice: the left-handed flogger." Royal Australian Historical Society. Journal. Vol. 70 (2) 1984 pp.124-132.
Webb, Joan. George Caley Nineteenth Century Naturalist. Chipping Norton, NSW: Surrey Beatty & Sons, 1995.

Unpublished Manuscripts:
Harman, Kristyn Evelyn. "Aboriginal Convicts: Race, Law, and Transportation in Colonial New South Wales." PhD. Thesis. University of Tasmania: 2008 pp.92-94.

Smith, Keith Vincent. "Mari Nawi ('Big Canoes'): Aboriginal Voyagers in Australia's Maritime History, 1788-1855." PhD. Thesis. Macquarie University: 2008 pp.251-274.

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