Who was he?
William Buckley, born in 1780, Macclesfield, England to a small farmer, was an English convict who had been transported to Australia. He successfully escaped and was believed to be dead whilst living amongst an Aboriginal community for many years.
He was raised by his maternal grandfather, who sent him to school and apprenticed him to a bricklayer. However, Buckley soon joined the army and became an esteemed soldier before being sentenced to Australia.
What was his contribution to the early colonial society?
Buckley’s ability to communicate fluently with the Aboriginals earned him the nickname ‘Wild White Man’, which led him to become an interpreter and negotiator for John Batman and other early settlers. He was