Derrimut’s gravestone, Carlton Cemetery
Derrimut Derrimut, a Yalukit Willam leader was a very wellknown Indigenous spokesperson in early Melbourne. He inspired friendship from many settlers but was criticised by others. He had a long-standing relationship with settler John Fawkner whose diary records in April 1836 that Derrimut is: a chief from whom with others I bought my land, live with me, and frequently go out and shoot kangaroos, snakes for me. The early relationship between the Melbourne clans and Melbourne’s colonists was generally cooperative. However on 3 December 1835, Fawkner wrote: Derramuck came this day and told us that the natives intended to rush down upon us and plunder our goods and murder us, we cleaned our pieces and prepared for them ‌ I and two others chased the Blacks away some distance.
68