Neika

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Neika was often thought to have been a mythical figure in the history of Tasmania, Australia. In recent years, however, studies of Government documents written between the years 1827 and 1860 have revealed that such a woman did exist. The first report of Neika appeared in Hobart's local newspaper on August 16th, 1827. The article reported that a young woman had been found wandering near a timbre mill on the foothills of Mount Wellington. The woman was disorientated, close to collapse and spoke only one world, "neika". In the following days it became obvious that Neika could not or would not remember her past. The timbre workers spread her description through the local community but were unable to find anyone who knew her. After she had recovered, Neika traveled almost constantly around Tasmania and was often on the periphery of notable community events.