AUSTRALIA | Wednesday, 16 March 2011 | Views [11478] | Comments [2]
William Buckley's Cave, in the cliffs under the lighthouse. He was a convict who escaped the prison near Sorrento in 1803, just two months after arriving from England. He made his way around the Bay (Melbourne didn't exist until the 1830's) and evaded capture for the next 30 years, living in this cave and others like it along the coast, and befriending the local Wathaurung people. In 1835 he decided to re-emerge from hiding and walked into Melbourne, told his story, and was soon pardoned by the Governor. Buckley then worked as an Aboriginal interpreter and spent his last 19 years in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), married, and seemed to live contentedly to the age of 75.
