James Munro (c. 1779 – c. 1845[1]) was a British convict who was transported to Australia, and later established himself as a farmer on Preservation Island, Tasmania, and community leader of the region's community of European seal hunters, known as "King of the Eastern Straits.[2]
Munro established himself on the island, with him and various indigenous female partners being the only inhabitants. He built structures, farmed, raised livestock, and harvested the meat and eggs of mutton birds.[3]
Munro was appointed a local constable in 1825, and opposed George Augustus Robinson's attempts to prevent relationships between sealers and Aboriginal women.[4] It is still disputed as to how consensual those relationships were. Some argue that they were often voluntary and mutually beneficial, but Munro was accused in 1830 of leading sealers in raiding parties to capture Aboriginal women.[5]
