Biriban b. c.1800

Also known as Johnny McGill, Magill, Biraban
  • Artist (Draughtsman)
Biriban or Johnny McGill was best known as a language informant for the Reverend Lancelot Threlkeld a Minister and linguist in the 1830s. Threlkeld thought of Biriban as a 'clever artist' and in 1831 Biriban drew a representation of the steamboat,'Sophia Jane', the location of which is currently unknown.

Citations

  • Backhouse, James (1843), 'A Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies’.

  • Cunningham, Peter (1827), 'Two Years in New South Wales’.

  • Matthews, Felton (1831), 'Manuscript Journal of Felton Matthews’, Collection of National Library of Australia, Canberra, ACT.

  • 'Return of Aboriginal Natives’, Sydney 1836; Brisbane Water 1837-9, 1841, State Records NSW.

Initial data sources

  • Storylines Project, COFA, UNSW