William Barak b. 1824

Also known as Bearack, King Billy, Beruk, Berak
  • Artist (Draughtsman),
  • Artist (Painter)
Wurundjeri Ngurungaeta (headman) and artist, William Barak created over fifty distinctive charcoal drawings with natural ochres and water colour of purely Aboriginal subjects. A politician and leader of his people at the Victorian settlement of Corranderrk, Barak was descended from the Aboriginal 'Chiefs' from whom the Port Phillip Association 'purchased' 600,000 acres of tribal lands in June 1835.
Name
William Barak
Also known as:
  • Bearack
  • King Billy
  • Beruk
  • Berak
Gender
Male
Roles
  • Artist (Draughtsman)
  • Artist (Painter)
Birth date
1824
Death date
15 August 1903
Death place
Coranderrk, VIC
Burial place
Coranderrk Aboriginal Cemetry
Active Period
  • 1885 - 1901
Residence
  • Coranderrk, Victoria
Indigenous Australian
 
Heritage Country
  • Coranderrk, Victoria
Indigenous Language Groups
  • Woiwurung
Languages
  • English
Initial Record Data Source
  • Storylines Project, COFA, UNSW