George Augustus Robinson
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George Augustus Robinson (22 March 1791 – 1866) was a builder and untrained Preacher called upon to mount a "friendly mission" to find the 300 remaining aboriginals in Tasmania.
Conflicts between settlers and Tasmanian Aborigines had vastly increased during the 1830s, which became known as the Black War. Robinson was to be brought in as a conciliator. His mission was to repatriate the Aboriginals to the camp of Wybalenna on Flinders Island.
Robinson befriended Truganini, to whom he promised food, housing and security on Flinders Island until the situation on the mainland had calmed down. With Truganini, Robinson succeeded in forging an agreement with the Big River and Oyster Bay peoples, and by the end of 1835, nearly all the aboriginals had been relocated to the new settlement.
Robinson's involvement with the aborigines ended soon after this though, and the Wybalenna settlement became more akin to a prison as the camp conditions deteriorated and many of the residents died of ill health and homesickness. Because of this Robinson's place in history is generally viewed as negative, especially within the current Aboriginal community. Most historians agree that his intitial intentions were genuine, but his abandonment of the community is viewed as a turning point for the worse for the Tasmanian Aborigninals.
A semi-fictional account of the Robinson's travels is included in Matthew Kneale's book The English Passengers.