Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Australia Bicheno Wauba Debar’s Grave

Wauba Debar’s Grave

The burial place of this Tasmanian Aboriginal woman is a memorial that remembers the atrocities of colonialism.

Bicheno, Australia

Added By
Obscuravibes
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Wauba Debar’s Grave   Tirin / CC BY-SA 3.0
Wauba Debar’s Grave   Obscuravibes / Atlas Obscura User
Wauba Debar’s Grave   Obscuravibes / Atlas Obscura User
Wauba Debar’s Grave   Obscuravibes / Atlas Obscura User
Wauba Debar’s Grave   Obscuravibes / Atlas Obscura User
Wauba Debar’s Grave   Obscuravibes / Atlas Obscura User
Wauba Debar’s Grave   Obscuravibes / Atlas Obscura User
Wauba Debar’s Grave   Obscuravibes / Atlas Obscura User
Wauba Debar’s Grave   Obscuravibes / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Wauba Debar is an Aboriginal Tasmanian and her grave tells a story of both tragedy and heroism. Born in 1792, she belonged to the Paradererme tribe of Oyster's Bay and was kidnapped from her family and enslaved by whalers and sealers who had began the European colonization of the island of Tasmania. Known for her strength and superior swimming ability, she was noted in historic records for saving the lives of two men who were struggling at sea off the coast of Bicheno. 

She tragically lost her life as part of a sealer hunting party in June 1832 and this grave commemorates her story. The inscription on the stone reads: "Here lies Wauba Debar. A Female Aborigine of Van Diemen’s Land. Died June 1832. Aged 40 Years. This Stone is Erected by a few of her white friends."

The site is one of great historic and cultural significance and is listed on the Tasmanian Heritage. The site is unique as it is the only gravestone erected for a Tasmanian Aboriginal person during the 19th century.

The story of loss does not end with her burial. The subsequent European demand for scientific research into Aboriginal life in the late 1800s meant that in 1893, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery led an operation to exhume the grave and display Wauba's remains in a box in the city of Hobart. This led to outrage among the Tasmanian local people, as it was done without the knowledge and permission of the Aboriginal community. The public view was summed up in the following quote from an editorial in the Tasmanian Mail, which called the action "a pure case of body snatching for the purposes of gain, and nothing else.”

In 1990, Wauba Debar's remains were returned to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, where they were subsequently cremated. The memorial and empty grave look over Waubs Bay and this poignant site pays tribute and tells her story.

Related Tags

Memorials Colonialism Slavery Aboriginal Graves

Know Before You Go

There is a small area of parking at the grave site. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Obscuravibes

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

September 30, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://historyguild.org/hidden-women-of-history-wauba-debar-an-indigenous-swimmer-from-tasmania-who-saved-her-captors/
  • https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/centre-business-and-social-innovation/news/hidden-women-history
Wauba Debar’s Grave
78 Burgess St
Bicheno, 7215
Australia
-41.871691, 148.303795
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Bicheno Blowhole

Bicheno, Australia

miles away

Wineglass Bay

Freycinet, Australia

miles away

Spiky Bridge

Swansea, Australia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bicheno

Bicheno

Australia

Places 2

Nearby Places

Bicheno Blowhole

Bicheno, Australia

miles away

Wineglass Bay

Freycinet, Australia

miles away

Spiky Bridge

Swansea, Australia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bicheno

Bicheno

Australia

Places 2

Related Places

  • Hand of Timba

    Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

    Hand of Timba

    This monument memorializes a violent massacre where colonial police killed 50 striking dockworkers.

  • Burial site.

    White Pigeon, Michigan

    Wahbememe Burial Site and Monument

    A memorial to the Potawatomi chief who allegedly ran nearly 150 miles to alert settlers of an impending attack.

  • The grave of James Parks.

    Arlington, Virginia

    James Parks Grave

    Born a slave on the Arlington estate, Parks dug the first graves at Arlington National Cemetery, and was buried there, too.

  • The eternal flame.

    Chennai, India

    Perarignar Anna Memorial

    The largest funeral ever held was for one of Tamil's most influential politicians.

  • The Griffin Monument

    Silver Plume, Colorado

    Griffin Monument

    This cliffside memorial marks the final resting place of a lonely violinist.

  • Alresford, England

    Grave of Hambone Jr.

    This grave remembers the beloved canine companion of soldiers far from home.

  • The Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland

    Lexington Park, Maryland

    The Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland

    A ghostly cabin attempts to reverse the erasure of enslaved people through poetry.

  • These plaques are a permanent record of a dark period in Burlington’s past.

    Burlington, Vermont

    Stopping Stones Memorial

    Inspired by the work of a German artist, these brass installations commemorate the lives of enslaved Vermonters.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.