Last September, I fulfilled a bucket-list ambition I had dreamed about for years. It might seem obscure to some, but it held special significance for me.
In the churchyard of St John the Baptist Parish Church in Eltham, Kent, I knelt beside the well-preserved headstone of Yemmerrawanne, a Wangal man from NSW who died in England in 1794. The precise location of his grave is unknown, as the church has been rebuilt several times since the 1790s. Today, his headstone leans against the churchyard wall.
Over the years, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal visitors have left flowers, Aboriginal flags, boomerangs and other meaningful offerings to pay their respects. I wanted to do the same, particularly as I was born and grew up in nearby Bromley, just 5 miles away. Of course, I knew nothing of his story during my childhood.
Although the church was closed, I knew its burial register recorded: “May 21. Yemmorravonyea Kebarrah, a Native of New South Wales, died May 18 1794, supposed to be aged 19 years, at the house of Mr Edward Kent.” The word Kebarrah is important as it denotes Yemmerrawanne’s initiation status ie he hadundertaken a traditional coming-of-age ceremony in which an upper front tooth was knocked out using a stone or keba. (The Dictionary of Sydney)
Historians suggest that only Bennelong or Governor Phillip would have provided the local vicar with this detail. Its inclusion is significant: despite dying thousands of miles from home, Yemmerrawanne was recognised as a fully initiated and respected man of his people.
Who was Yemmerrawanne, and why was his headstone in Eltham?
Yemmerrawanne and Bennelong were the first two Aboriginal men from Australia to travel to England. They arrived with Governor Arthur Phillip in May 1793, apparently voluntarily. Both were well known to Phillip and had frequently dined at Government House in Sydney.
In London, they stayed in fashionable Mayfair, at Mount Street, in the home of William Waterhouse, father of Henry Waterhouse, an aide to Governor Phillip. Waterhouse senior helped pay for their tailored clothes, introduced them to London society and organised their sightseeing.
One evening, Bennelong and Yemmerrawanne performed a traditional song, Barabul-la, accompanied by clapsticks, for a small gathering in London. It is believed to have been the first performance of an Aboriginal song in Europe. Welsh musician Edward Jones, who later became Bard to George III, recorded the music and words. Noted historian Keith Vincent Smith subsequently discovered a copy in the British Library, titled Musical Curiosities.
I find it deeply moving to imagine them singing in their own language, accompanied by familiar rhythms, in a foreign country so far from home. Since its rediscovery, the song has been performed only a handful of times, most recently in the Sydney Theatre Company's 2026 production Bennelong in London.
A life cut short
Sometime after arriving in England, Yemmerrawanne became seriously ill with a chest infection. His illness reportedly lasted five to six months, and he died on 18 May 1794, aged approximately 19, at a house in Eltham. He received a Christian burial. It is difficult to imagine Bennelong's grief at not only losing his friend so far from home but also knowing he was unable to bring Yemmerrawanne’s body back to their ancestral Country. Bennelong eventually returned to Sydney, arriving in September 1795.
Why Yemmerrawanne's story matters
Standing beside Yemmerrawanne's headstone brought home to me how much of our shared history remains hidden or forgotten. Learning about these early First Nations people who travelled overseas and died there helps us better understand the complexities of Australia's colonial beginnings and the injustices that continue today. These stories deserve recognition - they should not remain footnotes in colonial history but be acknowledged as an important part of Australia's history and identity.
There is also a personal dimension for me. Having grown up in England and now identifying as Australian as well as English, I feel a responsibility to uncover and share these histories as truthfully as possible.
Closing thoughts
For decades, prominent figures and activists, including Burnum Burnum and Geoffrey Robertson, have supported campaigns to locate and repatriate Yemmerrawanne's remains to Australia - unfortunately without success. His headstone remains in Eltham: a quiet reminder of a young man - who travelled halfway around the world and became part of an unusual chapter in Australia's history.
For me, visiting his headstone was more than fulfilling a long-held ambition. It was an opportunity to acknowledge his life, reflect on the distance between his Wangal Country and his final resting place and consider what we might do to ensure his story is never forgotten.