See also WEATHERLY to learn about the man who carved King Togee's headstone.
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1916 - LAST KING OF HIS TRIBE.
Mr. Cecil Winter, of Coolah, recently discovered an old headstone, bearing carved letters, believed to have been erected over the last black king of the Botheroo tribe. Further light has been thrown on this by Mr. C. Nevell, late manager of Weetalabah station, Coolah, who is at present residing in Queensland. Mr. Nevell explains, in a letter, as follows:—
Regarding the old relic of Botheroo, in the shape of a tombstone to Togo, the king of the Botheroo tribe, I had the stone cut in memory of a faithful old blackfellow, who was the last king of the Botheroo tribe. Evidently the weather has worn the lettering on the stone, as it should be Togee.When my grandfather (the late Mr. James Vincent) first took up Botheroo which then included Queensborough, Mooren, Dennykymine, Digilah, Moggymill, and Mumbedah, Togee and his tribe were quite wild. He was one of the blacks concerned in the massacre of four of Mr. Lawson's shepherds, about two miles north of where Denison Town now stands. It was also near Denison Town, on what the blacks called the Nullan Ridge, that Togee first saw a white man smoking, and to use his own words, "Me thought him dibbil-dibbil and me run like an emu,'' but kindness on the part of my grandfather tamed Togee and his tribe, who showed their gratitude when news reached them of his death by going into mourning, plastering their body and hair with pipeclay. They then disappeared from Botheroo, and when they returned they were still in mourning. They subsequently lived on at Botheroo, looking upon my father and uncle as masters.Togee was a commanding looking black; well over six feet, and a good shot with a spear and boomerang. He was an old man, and was standing not far from the house when he was shot by another blackfellow, ''Cut-a-Bush," who was jealous of his authority. Several whites carried the dying man, whose thigh was fractured, into a shed where he breathed his last. My father had a grave dug, and Togee, the last King of the Botheroo tribe, was buried. The tribe left as soon as he died, and never returned. Years later I had the stone mentioned cut and erected. [NB: The carving was done by George Weatherly].
Source: Leader (Orange, NSW : 1899 - 1945) Fri 24 Nov 1916 Page 2
Togee, King of the Botheroe Tribe
Source: tourism book
King Togee's grave
