- The Blue-Eyed Aborigine by Rosemary Hayes - Walker Books Australia
The shipwreck of the Dutch East India Company ship Batavia off the coast of Western Australia in 1629 is a well documented early European encounter with the Great Southland. Based on the diary of the ship’s Commander, The Blue-Eyed Aborigine (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2010) by Rosemary Hayes offers a possible explanation for the European traits of fair-hair and blue eyes found amongst some Aboriginal groups in Western Australia.
The Blue-Eyed Aborigine – Plot Summary
Jan Pelgrom is an 18-year-old cabin boy on the Batavia as it sails on its maiden journey along the west coast of Australia in 1629 on its way to Java. A miserable voyage for Jan is made worse by tensions amongst the ships command leading to talk of mutiny amongst the crew.
Before a mutiny is fully organised, the Batavia is shipwrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, 40 miles off the coast of Western Australia. Factions soon form amongst the survivors of the shipwreck with the enigmatic Under-Merchant Corneliez taking control and ruling the group of passengers, soldiers and sailors through fear and threats of violence.
When Corneliez is finally overthrown, those who supported him are punished with many loosing their lives. Spared death because of earlier good deeds, Jan Pelgrom and soldier Wouter Looes are instead marooned on the mainland of Australia when the other survivors are rescued and taken to Java.
Jan and Wouter must learn how to survive in a harsh land very different to their homeland of Holland. Surrounded by strange plants and animals, their only hope could lie with befriending the local Aboriginal people and learning from them.
First European Contact with Indigenous Australians
Modern DNA testing has confirmed that some Aboriginals from Western Australia carry Western European blood. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this predates previously accepted dates for the first contact between Europeans and Aboriginals in the area.
Using the diary of the ship’s Commander and other documents from the time of the Batavia shipwreck, Rosemary Hayes constructs a picture of life aboard the troubled ship and the bloody revolt that occurred after the shipwreck. Jan and Wouter’s abandonment as punishment for their role in the revolt is documented, although there is no concrete evidence to suggest what happened to them afterwards.
Hayes offers a possible scenario for contact between the two Dutchmen and the local Indigenous people. It is unknown whether the two men survived or whether they made contact with local inhabitants, but Hayes weaves a fascinating story putting forward the possibility that at least one of the men found a way to communicate with the local Aboriginal tribe and gradually gain their trust.
In the final pages of The Blue-Eyed Aborigine, Hayes includes historical details about the circumstances surrounding the shipwreck of the Batavia and subsequent rescue of stranded crew and passengers, including the abandonment of Pelgrom and Looes.
Author Rosemary Hayes
Rosemary Hayes lives and works in Cambridgeshire, UK. Hayes lived in Australia for six years and her first children’s novel, Race Against Time, was set in Australia. She has written numerous other titles including historical and contemporary fiction and fantasy.
Based on Fact Historical YA Fiction
Hayes paints a stark portrait of life aboard the Batavia and the traumatic experiences of the crew and passengers after the shipwreck. While the novel is never graphic in detail, there are references to sexual and violent acts that may disturb younger readers. Hayes also describes the harsh realities of life aboard a ship in the 1600s referring to illness and hygiene issues as well as acts of violence and bullying amongst the crew.
The Blue-Eyed Aborigine is a fascinating adventure story about a real-life drama including the possibility of early contact between Indigenous Australians and Western Europeans. Suitable for readers aged 13+, this interesting based-on-fact historical fiction novel is likely to appeal to teens with an interest in Australian history, particularly stories of early European contact with Indigenous Australians.
Review Copy Details:
The Blue-Eyed Aborigine (ISBN: 978-1-84780-078-7, 247 pages)
