Launceston Historical Society: Louise Zarmati & Bradley Wood

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Sun 16 Nov 2025

Louise Zarmati and Bradley Wood are teaming up for a talk on busting the legend of Wauba Debar, that supposed Tasmanian Aboriginal woman from the early 1800s. You know the story from Wikipedia: shes painted as a powerhouse swimmer who hauled two sealers to safety, including her own husband, after their boat smashed up in a storm just a kilometre offshore. Then theres the bit about her passing away on a vessel heading to the Furneaux Group, with her remains getting a seaside burial in Bicheno on the east coast. Sounds like a ripping yarn, right, but these two reckon its mostly hogwash cooked up in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In their session, theyll dig into old primary sources and later accounts to unravel the truth, showing how precious little of that tale holds water. Its all happening on Sunday, 16 November 2025 at 2 pm in the Meeting Room at the Queen Victoria Museum in Inveresk, 2 Invermay Road, Launceston. Entry is free if youre a Launceston Historical Society member, otherwise its five bucks for the rest of us.

More information at www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/Whats-on/Events/Launceston-Historical-Society-Louise-Zarmati-Bradley-Wood




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