Mapping Australian history and culture
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| Name | Colonial Frontier Massacres |
|---|---|
| Description | Colonial Frontier Massacres in Australia from the Colonial Frontier Massacres map project, hosted at the University of Newcastle. This layer includes information about frontier massacres in Australia between 1788, when British colonisation began until 1930. Only frontier massacres for which sufficient evidence could be found are included. The map includes information about frontier massacres of non-Aboriginal people such as colonists and others in Australia in the same period. To fully understand the information presented here please read the Introduction at the Colonial Frontier Massacres website. |
| Type | Event |
| Subject | history, colonial violence, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander |
| Linkback | https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres |
| Image | |
| Content Warning | Includes information about colonial violence. |
| Number of places | 438 |
| Contributor | Dr Bill Pascoe |
|---|---|
| Creator | Colonial Frontier Massacres team |
| Publisher | Colonial Frontier Massacres team & University of Newcastle, Australia with assistance from the Australian Research Council |
| Contact | Dr Bill Pascoe |
| DOI | |
| Source URL | https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres |
| License | https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/termsofuse.php |
| Allow ANPS? | Yes |
| Citation | Ryan, Lyndall; Debenham, Jennifer; Pascoe, Bill; Smith, Robyn; Owen, Chris; Richards, Jonathan; Gilbert, Stephanie; Anders, Robert J; Usher, Kaine; Price, Daniel; Newley, Jack; Brown, Mark; Craig, Hugh. Colonial Frontier Massacres in Australia 1788-1930 Newcastle: University of Newcastle, 2017-2024, https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres (accessed 17/11/2024). |
| Usage Rights | Screenshots, quotes and data from the Colonial Frontier Massacres Australia 1788-1930 website, https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/, and archives of them may be used in accordance with scholarly conventions for citation, copyright law and these recommendations under a CC BY NC 4.0 licence/data use agreement. While this information is relevant to everyone it directly relates to the histories of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. The aim of these terms of use is not to restrict re-use by Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people, but to prevent misuse, intentional or unintentional. The information on the Colonial Frontier Massacres, 1788-1930 website, or available in archives of it, should only be re-used in a context that is respectful to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. If you use this material in the context of other subject matter please be sensitive to issues affecting Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people have varying laws and lore relating appropriate re-use. In particular, take care when using images, especially of deceased people, and do not misappropriate art or symbolism. Please act considerately and bear in mind that this violent history continues to affect communities and families today. In particular we recommend:
Ryan, Lyndall; Debenham, Jennifer; Pascoe, Bill; Smith, Robyn; Owen, Chris; Richards, Jonathan; Gilbert, Stephanie; Anders, Robert J; Usher, Kaine; Price, Daniel; Newley, Jack; Brown, Mark; Craig, Hugh. Colonial Frontier Massacres in Australia 1788-1930 Newcastle: University of Newcastle, 2017-2024, https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres (accessed 16/03/2024). |
| Language | EN |
|---|---|
| Latitude From | |
| Longitude From | |
| Latitude To | |
| Longitude To | |
| Date From | 1788 |
| Date To | 1930 |
| Date Created (externally) | 2024-11-17 |
| Added | 2024-06-01 00:05:53 |
| Updated | 2025-10-09 11:18:11 |
Described in newspaper articles as 'tribal fights' between rival groups and was part of many years of intergroup 'Bush warfare' in the Laverton area. See Laverton Massacre 1910 (Mt Leonora Miner, 14 November 1908, p 2).
'Murderous Niggers,' Mt Leonora Miner, November 14, 1908, p 2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/233209588/25216102
Kaititja men attacked the Barrow Creek Telegraph Station in retaliation for telegraph workers raiding and 'dispersing' the Kaititja camp and abducting women. In the course of the Kaititja attack, Station Master James Laurence Oliver Stapleton and Linesman John Franks were killed. Over the next six weeks, Police Trooper Samuel Gason '...with assistance from a constable from The Peak and staff from the Barrow Creek and Tennant Creek Telegraph Stations...carried out four punitive expeditions against Aboriginal people between Taylor Creek and Central Mount Stuart' (Barrow Creek Telegraph Station Heritage Assessment Report, 1995, p 10). The number of people killed varies between sources. Some say that although 11 were officially recognised as killed, a higher death toll is likely and others say that 'the number of Aboriginal lives taken in reprisal for the station attack was between 50 and 90, possibly higher' (Nettelbeck & Foster 2007, p 7; Bell 1983, p 63). One man put the figure at about 90 at Skull Creek alone (Reid 1990, pp 64-65). Kimber (1991, p 6) noted that 'MJ O'Reilly, who "got to know a member of this tribe" in c 1919, understood from the Aborigines that the telegraph station had greatly offended them because it had been built "on one of the tribe's most sacred spots"'. Still later, TGH Strehlow, as a result of discussions with Aboriginal people in the region, suggested that 'white men of bad character', not of the telegraph station staff, had abducted young Aboriginal women and raped them; in retaliation the Aborigines attacked the white men available to them rather than the actual criminals (Strehlow cited in Kimber 1991, p 6). 'As old-timer Alec Ross related many years later, the response was swift: "They sent out messages on the wires everywhere, and the police and parties of men came up from The Tennant and The Alice and from lots of other places. And I can tell you, they did some pretty serious shooting too – taught the blacks a lesson they've never forgotten… and for quite a few more months blacks would get shot in twos and threes in the whole of this district. The blacks had needed a good lesson and they got it right in the neck; they never attacked another white man along the Line after that"' (Ross cited in Bradley, 2019, p 9).
BCHAR, 1995; South Australian Register, 25 June 1874, p 4 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39819933; The Stringer, 20 April 2013, np http://thestringer.com.au/the-killing-times-2214#.XLBRNKQRWUm; Nettelbeck & Foster 2007; Bell 1983, p 53; Wilson 2000, pp 270-71; Reid, 1990, pp 62-65; Mulvaney, 2003, pp 44-51; Hartwig, 1965, pp 265-276; Kimber, 1991, p 6; Bradley, 2019, p 9; Roberts, 2005, pp 113-114; Daly, 1887, pp 225-226; Vallee, 2007, pp 103-109; NTTG 12 September 1874, p 3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3143233; SA Gazette No 29 of 1874, pp 1335-37.
According to an article in the Labor Daily, 1 Jan 1926, p 8, the death of Mr Jeremiah Rodgers was noted. 'He was one of the first residents in this [Narrandera] district, having been brought here with his brother Henry, 73 years ago [1853]. His father took charge of Brewarrina Station, and he managed the holding for 26 years... The pastoralists at that time experienced trouble from the blacks, who used to spear the cattle. So troublesome were they that the whites determined to deal with them in a summary manner. The whites drove the natives on to an island below Buckingbong and wrought such havoc in their ranks that the Island is even now known as "Murdering Island"' (Labor Daily, 1 Jan 1926, p 8).
The name 'Murdering Island' was mentioned in 1873 (Wagga Wagga Express and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser, 5 November 1873, p 2). An article in 1895 gave the following account of how the place got its name: 'From the top of the hill also can be faintly discerned, what is described in Boldrewood's novel as the "Murdering Lake," but which is known as the Murdering Island, on which were massacred some thirty-five years ago about 300 blacks. There are said to be two sides to the story. Some say that the only crime the blacks had been guilty of was that of stealing cattle. But certain it is that neither gins nor picanninies were spared. All were murdered on this island, and their bones, I am told, were lying bleaching there for years till a flood washed them away. It is said that an old blackfellow, named Mungo, escaped by diving under the water. I went a long way to have an interview with this old warrior, and found him partly drunk; but when I told him what I required his black eyes flashed beneath his white shaggy eyebrows as he grunted out the ghastly details, which, however, were of so spasmodic a nature that I could not glean much from his ravings. "Yes," he said, "white fellow kill blackfellow, gin, picaninny. What you do white fellow kill another white fellow? — you put him in gaol — white fellow kill black fellow, no matter — black fellow no account"' (Freeman's Journal, 5 January 1895, p 17).
In 1935 the Daily Advertiser reported, 'Another old Narandera identity, Mungo, was fond of describing his escape from death at the time of the massacre of the "Murdering Island," when the settlers rounded up a great number on this little mud island in mid stream, and from either bank shot them down till very few escaped. One of these latter was Mungo, then a boy. He escaped by securing a long hollow reed and holding it in his mouth to breathe through when he dropped under water, as was frequently done by the blacks in catching wild ducks. He lay below the surface for hours till all the firing was over, and must have had a terrible experience. Mungo, in describing his escape from all the bullets that flew about, used to touch various parts of his head and body, saying: "Yes, t'choota me here, t'choota me there, t'choota me every plurry where, and by cri' never touch me"' (Daily Advertiser, 27 May 1935, p3).
Labor Daily, January 1, 1926, p 8 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/239865993; Wagga Wagga Express and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser, 5 November 1873, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145058073; Freeman's Journal, 5 January 1895, p 17 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111108623; Daily Advertiser, 27 May 1935, p3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144557491
The Maryborough Chronicle republished an extract from Stockwhip, 22 April, 1876 describing 'barbarities' committed in New South Wales in relation to the lethal flogging of an Aboriginal boy in Queensland. The article describes an atrocity in graphic detail, and mentions three locations at which 'barbarities' occurred in the vicinity of Brewarrina: 'When, however, these monsters "had their cattle together" they would collect themselves for the purpose of "a bit of sport," which meant going on the trail of the aboriginals. "Hospital Creek," opposite Breewarrina, "The Point," between Yambegoona and the same place, and Warraweena Billywung might, if they could speak, tell of deeds unparalleled even in the Book of Books. We are now speaking of the years from 1840-1858' (Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser, 9 May 1876, p 4).
Hospital Creek is a well known massacre site. The incident at 'The Point' near Yambegoona is probably not a massacre, but the atrocity committed against an individual that is mentioned specifically in relation to 'Yambecoona' in another article: 'The most brutal story he told me, and again showed the spot and stump, was that he and two stockmen were coming up the river close to Yambecoona, when they met a blackfellow...' (The Kiama Independent, and Shoalhaven Advertiser, 1 Apr 1869, p 4).
This earlier article describes the activities of three Aboriginal men from Liverpool Plains employed by colonists in the area: 'One of these demons, Pelica Jemmy, told me some revolting stories. He said he had shot and poisoned in his time 170, and that Brewarina Jemmy, had killed far more than he' (The Kiama Independent, and Shoalhaven Advertiser, 1 Apr 1869, p 4). The article then focuses on Hospital Creek. The article makes it clear that the killing had been sustained for a long period at many sites but only mentions three specific sites: Hospital Creek, which is marked elsewhere on this site; Yambecoona at which one person was killed, and; Warraweena, the only other identified place where this widespread killing occurred.
Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser, 9 May 1876, p 4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/148509158; The Kiama Independent, and Shoalhaven Advertiser, 1 Apr 1869, p 4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113830392
After killing 5 shepherds, colonists pursued Aboriginal people in two groups and massacred them at Cobark River and Mt McKenzie. After Cobark River they went on to massacre people at Bowman River. These massacres were reported in 1922.
'After this outrage the natives divided - one body seeking shelter south west towards the source of the Gloucester River, and the other going north west towards the Upper Arundel.' A group of colonists pursued the first group and massacred people at McKenzie Cliffs. The second group was also pursued, 'At a small plain a mile west of the present Cobakh Station the Port Stephens men came into conflict with the remaining body of natives, but the fugitives broke and fled northwards to a little flat on the Bowman River. Here the final tragedy occurred; a stand was made by the blacks, but in vain. Years afterwards their unburied skeletons could be seen' (The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer, 25 April, 1922 p 2).
A correspondent calling themself 'Wirrapit' wrote that after the massacre of the 'Rawdon Vale' tribe at McKenzie Cliff, 'advantage was taken of the presence of the Williams River settlers to further punish the tribes inhabiting the Upper Bowman and what is now Glen Ward, as they had become very daring and troublesome.' After a massacre at Cobark river 'a larger party rode over to the Bowman River through McKenzie's Gap (Neilson's selection), and meeting with a large number of blacks fought another pitched battle, where Mr. J. Grant's homestead now stands, many blacks --- over 100 it is said --- being killed and also twelve white were killed and badly wounded' (The Scone Advocate, 7 May 1935, p 4).
This article notes that 'as time went on most exaggerated reports began to filter in and reach the authorities in Newcastle and Sydney.' A massacre involving the deaths of this many colonists would most likely have been widely reported at the time, and no other records have been found. The numbers of colonists and Aboriginal people killed have most likely been exaggerated.
The massacres at Mt McKenzie, Cobark River and Bowman River occurred around the same time but available reports are long after the incidents so it is difficult to determine their year.
The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer, 25 April, 1922 p 2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166220492; The Scone Advocate, 7 May 1935, p 4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/158993470
In a letter dated 12 July 1841, Matthew Moorhouse, Protector of the Aborigines in South Australia, noted several incidents between the Maruara people at Langhorne Creek and unnamed overlanding parties from Sydney to Adelaide. In December 1839, 'the drays of a cattle party were attempted to be taken at [Langhorne Creek] by a group of Natives. Ten men on horseback all supplied with firearms were on the banks of the River at the time, and repelled the Natives at once by firing upon them. The Natives retreated as soon as they saw one of two of their tribe shot, but were followed for about 15 miles by those on horseback and firing kept up the whole time' (Moorhouse, cited in Burke et al, 2016, p 158).
Moorhouse to Mundy, 12 July 1841, cited in Burke et al, 2016, p 158.
According to Burke at al 2016, pp.151-2, 'On 16 April 1841' an 'overlanding part[y]' to Adelaide from Sydney, 'led by Henry Inman and consisting of 11 men and 5,000 sheep, was attacked on the banks of the [Murray] river "at a place 40 miles to the eastward of Lake Bonney". According to Governor Grey in a dispatch to Lord John Russell, the Secretary of state for the Colonies, "[a] body of natives from 300-400 strong ... forcibly took possession of the sheep, drays &c, and dispersed the Europeans, severely wounding two, and nearly killing another ... and this notwithstanding a strenuous resistance was offered, and at least one of the natives killed" (Grey to Russell, 29 May 1841, cited in Burke at al 2016, p. 152). According to Burke at al, 2016, p.152, in reprisal, 'a group of volunteers, including Henry Field, a member of Inman's original party, James Hawker and Field's brother, Lieutenant William George Field, offered to recover the sheep, setting out on 7 May.' On 13 May, according to Governor Grey, they 'fell in with the same party of natives, between 300 and 400 strong, who attacked them, wounding one of their number, at the same time killing one, and wounding two, of their horses. The Aborigines eventually compelled them to a hasty retreat, although not without suffering a loss from eight to ten men on their own part' (Grey to Russell 29 May 1841, cited in Burke et al 2016, p.152). Burke et al locate these events in 'The vicinity of the Hornet’s Nest' (Burke et al, p 157).
Burke et al 2016, pp. 151-2, 157 https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n2179/pdf/article06.pdf
Overlanding groups passing through this region in 1839, such as Lachlan Mackinnon’s party and John Finnis’s, as well as George McLeod and Robert Flood taking bringing provisions from Adelaide were attacked by Aboriginal people (Burke et al, p 154). In 1841 O'Halloran recorded in his diary, described:
'a spot where several parties have been attacked (Mr Eyre,52 Tooth & others) and where a European was killed by the natives and lies buried between 2 trees with an F upon one, this man belonged to Mr McKinnon's party – I shall therefore distinguish our present encampment as the "Dead Man's flat" ... From what I can gather from some of the men who came overland – several natives have been killed upon different occasions – I understand the latter nearly took the life of Mr Tooth and Eyre was turned back and obliged to get further strength ere he could pass.' (O’Halloran cited in Burke et al, p 154)
While details on the killing in this region in 1839 are unclear, Burke et al distinguish Dead Man's Flat from the location of other killings in 1839 at Langhorne's Ferry at Rufus River (pp 154-161).
Burke et al, 2016, pp 154 https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n2179/pdf/article06.pdf
On 12 July 1841 Matthew Moorhouse, Protector of the Aborigines in South Australia wrote that in June 1840, Aboriginal people at Langhorne's Ferry 'had been routed with great loss' by an unnamed overlanding party from Sydney (Burke, 2016, p158).
Moorhouse to Mundy, 12 July 1841, cited in Burke et al, 2016, p 158.