Bilin Bilin

His names

The Nation remembers him as Bilin Bilin, a name meaning "many parrots" (Yugambeh Nation, n.d.). The settlers' newspapers knew him as Jackey Jackey, or King Jacky, the name on the brass breastplate he was given (Hinchcliffe, 1931). In 1891 the scholar Johannes Lauterer recorded that his own people called him Kawae-Kawae (Lauterer, 1891), and his daughter's records give his name as John Logan; the Yugambeh Elder Patricia O'Connor also knew him as Jack Logan (Aird et al., 2021; ABC, 2008).

Leader of the Logan people

Bilin Bilin was born about 1820 (Aird et al., 2021; ACT, 2011). He became head of his people on the lower Logan in about 1863, and about 1875 he was given a breastplate that read "Jackey Jackey King of the Logan and Pimpama" (Hinchcliffe, 1931). For many years his people camped at Waterford, and a settler who grew up there remembered him as "a fine, honest character", respected by schoolchildren and adults alike (Rick, 1931).

In March 1879 a correspondent at Tamborine reported a great corroboree of about 250 people from the Richmond, the Tweed, Ipswich and Brisbane, adding that "we are honored at present by no less a personage than the king of the Logan and Pimpama and suite" ("Logan and Albert", 1879).

On his own terms

The Nation's own account describes Bilin Bilin as a diplomat who "demanded equality of wages for his people and fair terms of trade", and who is credited with helping the early explorers and settlers of the Logan district survive (Yugambeh Nation, n.d.). His people cleared land for the newcomers at £1 an acre, and Surveyor Roberts had to plead for extra money because he had to pay Bilin Bilin's people to carry his supplies over Tamborine Mountain (Yugambeh Nation, n.d.; Laughton, n.d.).

His dealings with the Lutheran missionary Gottfried Hausmann at Bethesda, on the Albert River, are remembered the same way: the Nation's account says he charged Hausmann five shillings a week to sit and discuss religion with his people (Yugambeh Nation, n.d.). Hausmann's own letter of 1866 records a written agreement with "the chief" of the Albert and Logan people, who stayed with him until Christmas for five shillings a week and rations for his family (Hausmann, 1867, as cited in Aird et al., 2021). A farmer's family also remembered him trading macadamia nuts, honey and passionfruit (Aird et al., 2021).

Song and family

In 1894 Lauterer told the Royal Society of Queensland that Jackey Jackey was "very fond" of a song using the word mirrigan, star, which he said his father had made about sixty years before ("The Royal Society of Queensland", 1894).

He married three times (Hinchcliffe, 1931). His daughter Emily, born about 1853 at Waterford, married William Williams; they worked on the Collins family properties around Tamrookum and raised twelve children, and many Yugambeh families today descend from them (Aird et al., 2021; ABC, 2008). His son Johnny Logan was remembered as a good singer and horseman (Rick, 1931).

Last years

By 1891 he had cataracts in both eyes and was often seen in South Brisbane (Lauterer, 1891). A Waterford settler last saw him about 1897, camped alone by the creek and ill, saying that all the others were gone (Rick, 1931). In his last years he was moved to the Deebing Creek mission near Ipswich, where he was photographed about 1898 (Aird et al., 2021). He died around 1900 or 1901; no record has been found of where he died or is buried (Aird et al., 2021; ACT, 2011).

Remembered

His descendants remember him as a man who chose diplomacy over confrontation to protect his people as their Country was occupied (ABC, 2008). In 2011 a street in the Canberra suburb of Bonner was named Bilin Bilin Street, honouring him as a leader of the Yugambeh people (ACT, 2011).