Find will rekindle interest in Aboriginal leader

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The grave of Woollarawarre Bennelong, an Aboriginal leader who played a key role in early Australian colonial history, has been discovered in a suburban front garden - solving a 200-year-old mystery.

One of the first Aborigines to interact with British colonists, Bennelong - a senior member of the Wangal tribe - struck up a friendship with the first governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip. When Phillip sailed home to England, he took the Wangal man with him, dressed him in Regency finery and introduced him to London high society.

When Bennelong returned to Australia, he was ostracised by the indigenous and European communities. In 1813, having sunk into alcoholism, he died - but where he was buried has been the subject of speculation since. Now, after protracted detective work by an environmental scientist, Peter Mitchell, Bennelong's final resting-place has been found, the Sun-Herald newspaper reported.

The discovery represents the missing link in Bennelong's extraordinary story, and is certain to reignite interest in a man who tried to bridge the gap between black and white - a challenge still facing Australians today.

Mitchell, the honorary associate professor of physical geography at Sydney's Macquarie University, scoured the archives for references to the grave, which he matched against geographical records to place it in the Sydney suburb of Putney. Surveyors then pinpointed its location, between a front lawn and a central reservation.

Before urban sprawl took over, the area was part of the estate of James Squire, Australia's first commercial brewer. An ex-convict, Squire befriended Bennelong before he died and buried him in his own orchard.

The precise location of the grave is being kept secret, until Aboriginal leaders have been consulted about the next steps.

Relations between Bennelong and Phillip got off to an unpromising start in 1789. Curious to learn more about Aboriginal language and customs, Phillip had a group of men kidnapped while they were fishing in Manly.

All escaped within a week, except Bennelong, who spent six months living in Government House. Phillip gave him European clothes, taught him English and introduced him to table etiquette.

After Bennelong ran away, Phillip tracked him down and the friendship was re-established. A cultural intermediary, Bennelong encouraged the British to learn the Wangals' language and customs. When he returned to England in 1792, Phillip took Bennelong and another man, Yemmerrawannie, with him, and - as anecdote has it - presented them to King George III. Whether that happened is contested by historians.

But certainly the pair - decked out in the breeches, ruffled lace shirts and waistcoats - became popular guests in the salons of the rich and famous. And while the idea of them being paraded around seems tasteless now, they reportedly found London exotic and fascinating. Bennelong "bowed, toasted, paid the ladies compliments and loved wine", according to one account.

But he grew ill and homesick, particularly after his friend died of pneumonia. In 1795 he sailed back to Australia. But he was shunned by Aborigines and Australians. He died a lonely alcoholic, but his legacy survives.

- INDEPENDENT