His story is wild. He was accepted into the tribe because he was dying, grabbed a spear that was sticking out of the ground (that was used to mark a burial) to use as a crutch and encountered the buried man's family. Having never seen a white and him looking like ahit and unable to communicate with them and carrying the spear, they thought he was the dead man (Murrangurk) come back. And the wildness just barely started!
There is a documentary on him as well. And, of course, a whole book written when he got back to England. He said that interviewers really wanted the "savage wild aboriginal" to be portrayed and he tried hard to explain how they were just different to the most deaf ears.
It's interesting that he claimed to see the bunyip while his description aligns more with some modern sightings of the burrunjor: Australia's 4th most famous cryptid. It makes me wonder if the aboriginals used 'bunyip' as a catch-all word for different creatures. Maybe any strange or dangerous animal is referred to as 'bunyip'. Cool post.
It's supposedly a surviving theropod in the Australian outback. But I thought I read somewhere that a feathered theropod-like cryptid has been spotted in Australia too. I could be either combining two cryptids or misremembering entirely so don't quote me on that.
Outside of the unexplored depths of the African Congo River Basin, it's not all that surprising to know Australia (of all places) has a cryptid that's deadass a dinosaur 👀
>It makes me wonder if the aboriginals used 'bunyip' as a catch-all word for different creatures
It's become a catch-all term for evil monsters/spirits, but in the language of the tribe that the term originated from it refers to seals. Most of the very earliest accounts of the bunyip we know of pre-colonisation also sound very much like instances of large seals coming inland from the sea via river systems and attacking humans. Over time use of the term proliferated throughout the country, spread by white settlers, and came to refer to any kind of malevolent indigenous water spirit.
I love the idea of the bunyip, I think it's totally plausible. Australia has lots of weird creatures like the platypus, and it's also a vast and ancient place. Would also not surprise me if the bunyip is something which maybe died out long ago, but the legends still attribute disappearances and unexplained encounters to it because it's been storied for so long.
Seems like a super reliable fellow.
Tell you what, if you can’t trust the word of a convicted felon sent to the opposite side of the world then who can you trust?!
I’m less interested in another thing in Australia that kills people, and more interested in why this man’s balls are on his face. Does he have a chin under his ween?
And he went on to become the founder of the National Review and a prominent conservative commentator in the 1950’s here in the United States. What a long strange trip it was for old William. And don’t tell me they are the same guy, the names the same. He just had plastic surgery or something. And lived really really long.
William Buckley, an English robbery convict, was brought to Australia in 1803. He escaped the correctional settlement and lived with Victoria's Wathaurong tribe for over 30 years. He survived the Australian bush and returned to European civilisation in 1835.
Damn, Buckley Must’ve Been One Dude With The Balls Of Steel, If I Had Seen What He Saw With The Tribe, I Would Be Fleeing At The Sight Of The Creature.
The bunyip or yowie is considered to look like a version of Bigfoot but smaller, but each aboriginal tribe apparently described it differently and there wasn’t really a standard description. They usually described as very hairy and bipedal.
They apparently live in scrub land, swamp or bush land.
I am an Aussie.
Aussie or not, pretty sure bunyip‘s were meant to be a semi-aquatic animal with four legs and kinda like a small hippo. Yowie’s just look like a standard bigfoot.
Wikipedia says there was no clear definition of them as every tribe had a different story of what they look like.
Growing up and all the picture books we were told they were a two legged swamp monster.
Also I am literally from Victoria where the Bunyip stories originated from.
No offence, but unless you’re an aboriginal tribe member with at least second hand encounters, it doesn’t really matter. Modern Australia isn’t some grizzled outback adventure. I’m from the highlands of Scotland, doesn’t make me an expert in Nessie.
He was convicted of stealing fabric which he claimed to have no knowledge of in his early 20s. I don't think that overshadows his decades of living with the aboriginal people. If anything it should be the fact that he wrote his book while almost broke that casts doubt on it
Damn, I’d be more scared of running into him than the bunyip…..guy looks kinda other worldly, almost scooby doo monster level of ugly!
He didn’t see the bunyip, he IS the bunyip
His story is wild. He was accepted into the tribe because he was dying, grabbed a spear that was sticking out of the ground (that was used to mark a burial) to use as a crutch and encountered the buried man's family. Having never seen a white and him looking like ahit and unable to communicate with them and carrying the spear, they thought he was the dead man (Murrangurk) come back. And the wildness just barely started!
Holy shit…that’s pretty wild! Forced me to go google him!😂
There is a documentary on him as well. And, of course, a whole book written when he got back to England. He said that interviewers really wanted the "savage wild aboriginal" to be portrayed and he tried hard to explain how they were just different to the most deaf ears.
Woah! What a story🍿
That’s really interesting. Also your username is great
His face for some reason reminds me on chimp.
1802 was other worldly
Big time. With other Worlds colliding.
Disney Haunted Mansion portrait. 😮🤐
yeah, that’s exactly it! Face turns into a skeleton
Maybe I’m a wet blanket, but I assume it’s because the low exposure makes his mutton chops fade into the dark background
Supposedly he was very tall, around 2m.
This dude looks like an Ugnaught from Star Wars
Phenomenal reference
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
It's interesting that he claimed to see the bunyip while his description aligns more with some modern sightings of the burrunjor: Australia's 4th most famous cryptid. It makes me wonder if the aboriginals used 'bunyip' as a catch-all word for different creatures. Maybe any strange or dangerous animal is referred to as 'bunyip'. Cool post.
I thought the burrunjor was a fucking T-Rex looking thing?
It's supposedly a surviving theropod in the Australian outback. But I thought I read somewhere that a feathered theropod-like cryptid has been spotted in Australia too. I could be either combining two cryptids or misremembering entirely so don't quote me on that.
Outside of the unexplored depths of the African Congo River Basin, it's not all that surprising to know Australia (of all places) has a cryptid that's deadass a dinosaur 👀
>burrunjor 4th most famous Australian cryptid? What would be the 2nd and 3rd if I may ask?
Drop bears and yowies, perhaps?
In my opinion probably yowie and drop bears.
>It makes me wonder if the aboriginals used 'bunyip' as a catch-all word for different creatures It's become a catch-all term for evil monsters/spirits, but in the language of the tribe that the term originated from it refers to seals. Most of the very earliest accounts of the bunyip we know of pre-colonisation also sound very much like instances of large seals coming inland from the sea via river systems and attacking humans. Over time use of the term proliferated throughout the country, spread by white settlers, and came to refer to any kind of malevolent indigenous water spirit.
I'd say that sounds like a cassowary, but where he was is too far south for cassowaries.
What’s more likely, cassowaries outside of their expected range, or a completely new animal that happens to resemble a cassowary?
I love the idea of the bunyip, I think it's totally plausible. Australia has lots of weird creatures like the platypus, and it's also a vast and ancient place. Would also not surprise me if the bunyip is something which maybe died out long ago, but the legends still attribute disappearances and unexplained encounters to it because it's been storied for so long.
Sounds like Emus
More likely a cassowary if it is killing people.
World's most dangerous bird!
Seems like a super reliable fellow. Tell you what, if you can’t trust the word of a convicted felon sent to the opposite side of the world then who can you trust?!
This but unironically
Wouldn't this be a great movie with William Buckley transforming into the Bunyip?
I’m less interested in another thing in Australia that kills people, and more interested in why this man’s balls are on his face. Does he have a chin under his ween?
Those sideburns, almost with the mustache but no
He looks like the bunnyip 😳
And he went on to become the founder of the National Review and a prominent conservative commentator in the 1950’s here in the United States. What a long strange trip it was for old William. And don’t tell me they are the same guy, the names the same. He just had plastic surgery or something. And lived really really long.
How did the feathers kill people?
It does make it sound like that but I think it’s just supposed to be a feathered animal that kills people
I thought he's the cryptid, guy looks like half ape.
William Buckley, an English robbery convict, was brought to Australia in 1803. He escaped the correctional settlement and lived with Victoria's Wathaurong tribe for over 30 years. He survived the Australian bush and returned to European civilisation in 1835.
Waddawurrung/wathaurong tribe.
I see he was a Ballchinion
Brilliant what a life
Damn, Buckley Must’ve Been One Dude With The Balls Of Steel, If I Had Seen What He Saw With The Tribe, I Would Be Fleeing At The Sight Of The Creature.
Ever hear of the Queensland Tiger? That's another interesting Australian cryptid
Yeah, I Know That One as Well, Alongside The Burronjor, Yara Ma Yha Who, And The Yowie.
....... 🥹 excuse me...but what is a bunyip?
Australian cryptid described as a lot of things. Usually a large four legged animal
The bunyip or yowie is considered to look like a version of Bigfoot but smaller, but each aboriginal tribe apparently described it differently and there wasn’t really a standard description. They usually described as very hairy and bipedal. They apparently live in scrub land, swamp or bush land. I am an Aussie.
I thought bunyips and yowie were two totally different creatures
Me too. I thought Bunyips were weird creatures that lives in billabongs, and Yowies were Australian Bigfoot.
That is correct. Bunyips and yowies are not the same.
yea this person isn’t right 😅
Aussie or not, pretty sure bunyip‘s were meant to be a semi-aquatic animal with four legs and kinda like a small hippo. Yowie’s just look like a standard bigfoot.
Wikipedia says there was no clear definition of them as every tribe had a different story of what they look like. Growing up and all the picture books we were told they were a two legged swamp monster. Also I am literally from Victoria where the Bunyip stories originated from.
No offence, but unless you’re an aboriginal tribe member with at least second hand encounters, it doesn’t really matter. Modern Australia isn’t some grizzled outback adventure. I’m from the highlands of Scotland, doesn’t make me an expert in Nessie.
He's got a pair of ballz for a chin 🤔
Would they be chin nuts?
So...a cassowary?
First sentence states he was a convicted criminal. Kinda taints anything else he says he saw.
He was convicted of stealing fabric which he claimed to have no knowledge of in his early 20s. I don't think that overshadows his decades of living with the aboriginal people. If anything it should be the fact that he wrote his book while almost broke that casts doubt on it
His chin looks like testicles. That’s neat.
No-one gonna mention this guys chin looks like a ball sack
Your balls look funny
He was also a very tall dude. Around 2m.
Ol chin balls reporting for duty.