• Title
  Item 1: Beerabahn or MacGill, Chief of Bartabah or Lake Macquarie, [1830?] / lithograph by H. B. W. Allan
• Call number
  SAFE/PXD 1465/Box 2/no. 15
  
• Level of description
  item
• Date
  
  [1830?]
• Type of material
  Graphic Materials, Prints
• Reference code
  1010698
• Issue Copy
  Digitised
• Physical Description
  1 print - lithograph on wove paper - 30.2 x 21.8 cm
  
• Scope and Content
  The lithograph shows Beerabahn (Biraban) wearing a king plate on a chain around his neck.
• Copying Conditions
  Out of copyright: Creator died before 1955
  Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
• Description source
  
  Title taken from inscription on king plate.
• General note
  
  Biraban was a prominent Awabakal man, best known for his friendship with Reverend Lancelot Threlkeld and his collaboration with him on language. As a boy he had worked as a servant for John McGill in Sydney, and therefore was often known as McGill. Biraban was presented with a brass king plate by Governor Darling as a badge of distinction in recognition of his assistance in "reducing his Native Tongue to a written Language" (Sydney Gazette, 12 January 1830 p.2).
• Alphanumeric designations
  
  No. 520 in RAI 1897 Register.
  520 in pencil in centre of verso.
  6700-915 stamped in black ink on upper right corner of verso.
  H285 written in pencil on upper left corner of verso.
• Signatures / Inscriptions
  
  Signed lower right 'H.B.W. Allan'.
  Inscribed on king plate in graphite: 'Beerabahn or MacGill. Chief of Bartabah or Lake Macquarie'
• Date note
  
  Probable date based on the year that Biraban was presented with the king plate by Governor Darling, as reported in the Sydney Gazette, 12 January 1830 p.2. Allan was known to be publishing work at this time (see another lithograph printed by Allan held by the State Library of NSW at P2/361).
• Name
  Biraban
  
• Subject
  Aboriginal Australians--New South Wales--Lake Macquarie.
  Aboriginal Australians in art.
  Adult Males
  
• Topic
  Aboriginal peoples (Australians)
  kingplates
  
• Exhibited in
  
  Living Language: Country, Culture, Community - State Library of New South Wales (13 July - 17 November, 2019)
• Open Rosetta viewer
  IE10645397

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