Robert Lyon

Robert Menli Lyon (* 1789 in Inverness , Scotland , † after 1863) is one of the early British settlers who settled in western Australia. He was one of the first to stand up for the rights of the indigenous peoples of Australia and to actively care for their welfare. Lyon was the first to publish information about the Aboriginal language in the Perth area .

Robert Menli Lyon was born as Robert Milne . Little that is reliable is known about his life. It is believed that he was a member of the British Army and was promoted to the rank of "Captain" there. He emigrated to Australia in 1829, at the age of about forty. It is unknown why he took the name Robert Menli Lyon in Australia.

Lyon traveled extensively in the settlement area and placed value on friendly interaction with the Aborigines roaming there. He successfully defended the Noongar warrior Yagan , who was accused of murdering a white man, pointing out that Yagan was defending his homeland against white colonization and should therefore not be treated as a criminal but as a prisoner of war.

literature

• Henry Reynolds: This Whispering in our Hearts . Allen & Unwin, St. Leonards 1998, ISBN 1-86448-581-7 .
• Alexandra Hasluck: Yagan the Patriot . In: Early Days . V, No. VII, 1961.