Events in this conflict will be added as Australian Wars and Resistance research continues.

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Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

In December 1864, the brothers Frank and Alexander Jardine were leading a cattle droving expedition from Rockhampton to Somerset, Cape York, where their father was police magistrate. According to the brothers' account, 'Whilst they were engaged in marking a line for a crossing place for the cattle, they saw some blacks, and tried to avoid them, these however ran in the direction of the cattle, and brandishing their spears laughingly, defied the horsemen, beckoning them to come on. With this they complied, and turned them back over the creek, and then sat down awaiting the arrival of the cattle. They were not allowed to remain long in peace, for the natives, having left their gins on the other side, swam over the creek and tried to surround them. Being thus forced into a 'row,' the Brothers determined to let them have it, only regretting that some of the party were not with them, so as to make the lesson a more severe one. The assailants spread out in a circle to try and surround them, but seeing eight or nine of their companions drop, made them think better of it, and they were finally hunted back again across the river, leaving their friends behind them. The firing was heard by the cattle party, but before they could come up, the fray was over.' F .J. Byerley, the editor of the Jardine Brothers' journals, noted that, 'In this case, as in all others, the collision was forced on the explorers, who, as a rule, always avoided making use of their superior arms' (Byerley, 1867, np).

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]]> 1864-12-16 1864-12-16 142.199,-15.757 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

In December 1864, the brothers Frank and Alexander Jardine were leading a droving expedition from Rockhampton to Somerset at the tip of Cape York where their father was the magistrate for the entire region. On 18 December 1864, two days after a massacre to the south, they reached the Mitchell River and set up camp. According to the Jardines, they were immediately attacked by 70 or 80 Aboriginal warriors. '[T]heir [spears] now coming much too close to be pleasant (for some of them were thrown a hundred yards) the three [horsemen] turned suddenly on their pursuers, and galloping up to them, poured in a volley, the report of which brought down their companions from the camp, when the skirmish became general. The natives at first stood up courageously, but either by accident or through fear, despair or stupidity, they got huddled in a heap, in, and at the margin of the water, when ten carbines poured volley after volley into them from all directions, killing and wounding with every shot with very little return, nearly all their spears having been expended in the pursuit of the horsemen. About thirty being killed,the leader thought it prudent to hold his hand, and let the rest escape. Many more must have been wounded and probably drowned, for 59 rounds were counted as discharged' (Byerley 1867, np).

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]]> 1864-12-18 1864-12-18 144.698,-15.29 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

In October 1873 government mining engineer McMillan and Cooktown police magistrate St George set off from Cooktown with a party of 90 miners and 18 others including Black tracker Jerry, an unknown number of native police troopers and 31 horses on the track to the Palmer River gold field. En route, they killed between 80 and 150 Gugu-Warra in a lagoon on the road to the Palmer River (Bottoms, 2013, pp 117-119). The massacre was first reported in the Brisbane Telegraph on 22 January 1874, which prompted an inquiry by the Queensland government. The inquiry was conducted by Cooktown magistrate, James Hamilton. He interviewed 16 miners who were in the party and they all denied that any Aboriginal people were killed. In 1922, R. Logan Jack included an account of the massacre by Billy Webb, one of the 16 miners interviewed by Hamilton. Webb recounted that on Wed 5 November 1873, a large group of Gugu-Warra Warriors approached the party, and the native police shot at them until they ran away. In 1937, another miner, JJ Hogg, also previously interviewed by Hamilton, prepared his account of the 'massacre'. He said that the leaders of the party surprised a large encampment of Aboriginal people 'preparing their breakfast and shot them all' (Telegraph (Brisbane) January 22, 1874, p 3):
The journal of a member of the party was reported as saying, "November 3. �� Started over the spur of the range running to E; came to Normanby River (15 miles); started a mob of blacks; shot four and hunted them; fine river. November 4th.�� Started, 15 miles; Surprise Lagoons; camped 5th for spell. November 6th. �� Blacks surprised us at day-break, about 150, all were armed; got close to camp before any one heard them; great consternation; shot several; they ran into the water holes for shelter, where they were shot; traveled then unmolested for two or three days to Kennedy River; crossed the Lorenzo River; plenty of running water all the way; good country about Kennedy; course, N.W.; followed River Kennedy up course S., 15 miles; camped; had an encounter with the blacks; shot a lot; camped next day on head of Kennedy; came over ridges next day to Palmer, 12 miles below diggings; plenty of game and fish; camped one day, fishing; came to diggings on Friday;" (Telegraph (Brisbane) January 22, 1874, p 3). The site became known as Battle Camp.

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]]> 1873-11-05 1873-11-05 144.977,-15.646 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

Late in the afternoon while riding between the Palmer River gold field and Cooktown, publican Alfred Court and miner Charles Standon came across a dray with three bodies of the Stroh family lying nearby. Fearful of attack by Aboriginal people they could hear in the nearby scrub, they rode along the track until they reached a camp of bullock drivers where they told what they had seen and stayed the night. Next morning, 'a large party, well-armed' went to the site and buried the bodies. Court then rode to the Native Police barracks at Palmer River with news of the killings. Inspector Thomas Coward and Sub-Inspectors Alexander Douglas and Edwin Townsend led three detachments of native police followed the 'black vagabonds' across the Normanby River where they overtook and 'quietly dispersed' them (The Queenslander, November 7, 1874, p 6). The presence of three native police detachments suggests that a great number were killed. According to Timothy Bottoms, the site of the dispersal became known as Skull Camp (Bottoms, 2013, pp 119-120).

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]]> 1874-10-20 1874-10-20 144.05,-16.466 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

In a letter from a miner, dated 'Upper Palmer River April 16' and published in the Brisbane Courier and The Queenslander, he describes his camp at a place known locally as 'Blackfellows Creek'. 'To my enquiry as to why the locality was so named, the answer is that not long since "the niggers got a dressing there"...There have been, certainly, "dressings"...dealt out in this part of the country to the blacks.'.... 'Be that as it may, however, the Golgotha on which we are at present camped would well repay a visit from any number of phrenological students in search of a skull, or of anatomical professors in want of a "subject"' (Brisbane Courier, May 1, 1876, p 3). According to historian Jonathan Richards, in this incident, former Sub inspector DW Uhr from the native police, led the attacking party of miners.

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]]> 1875-01-01 1875-12-31 145.313,-15.285 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

Following the killing of a cedar cutter, Sub-Inspector O'Connor and 6 troopers captured 28 Aboriginal men and 13 women in a gorge at Cape Bedford. 24 men were shot and 4 men escaped by swimming but were thought drowned. The women were released. 'We have been favored by Mr. W. H Campbell with the following account of the prompt retribution visited upon the blacks near Cooktown for their unprovoked and wanton attack upon Messrs. Hartley and Sykes: "Your readers have already been made acquainted with the particulars concerning the recent outrage of the blacks at Cooktown, when Captain Sykes and Mr Hartley were severely wounded in an attempt to bring off a cedar log from the north shore of Cooktown harbor. I can now give a history of subsequent events in what has proved to be a tragedy of no mean interest. On February 7 (the day following the affray), a party of three crossed the harbor with the intention of securing and bringing back the articles left behind by Captain Sykes. The party consisted of Mr Browne of the Herald office, a boatman named Harris, and myself." The group found and followed tracks for some time and found recently abandoned gunyas before returning to their boat and sailing for Cooktown. 'A party of six native troopers and two Europeans, who started out the night previous, and crossed the Endeavor twenty miles above us, never reached the scene of the affray, the intervening swamps being uncrossable by the horses. On Thursday the 14 instant [February], sub-Inspector [Stanthorpe] O'Connor with 6 troopers crossed the harbour in a boat at night and by moonlight picked up the tracks of the blacks. The latter however, discerned the approach of the troopers, and retreated across the ranges to the ocean beach. The inspector then divided his forces, and with one party, made a detour in the direction of Cape Bedford, and by Sunday morning [16 February], had hemmed the blacks within a narrow gorge, of which both outlets were secured by the troopers. There were twenty eight men and thirteen gins thus enclosed, of whom some of the former escaped. Twenty four were shot down on the beach, and four swam out to sea. The Inspector and his men then sat down on the beach, and waited for the swimmers to return, but without success, and after several hours they were lost sight of, it is conjectured they were drowned. One woman also swam out from the land, and after remaining four hours in the water, was captured by a trooper, who went in after her. The men [troopers] hunted up the remainder of the gins, and having found a meerschaum pipe and tomahawk in their possession belonging to Mr Hartley, the inspector was satisfied he had not killed innocent people. This was explained to the lubras, and they were permitted to go away. Mr O'Connor returned to the north shore on Monday afternoon [17 Feb], and lighted a large fire as a signal of success, a boat was sent across the harbour to bring him back to Cooktown."' (Brisbane Courier, 1 March 1879)

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]]> 1879-02-16 1879-02-16 145.46,-14.674 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

On Lizard Island in October 1881, following the killing of a Chinese workman and the burning down of a cottage by Aboriginal warriors from the mainland at her absent husband's beche de mer station, Mary Watson, aged 21, together with her baby son, Ferrier and a wounded Chinese servant, Ah San, left the island in a cut down ship's water tank. Eight days later all three perished of thirst after reaching Number 5 island which they thought had no water. Mary Watson kept a diary of the dreadful voyage, which was found some months later among the mangroves. When passing vessels reported the destruction of the cottage and fires fiercely burning across Lizard Island, it was assumed that Mary Watson had been kidnapped and/or killed. In reprisal, 2nd class inspector Hervey Fitzgerald set off from Cooktown with a detachment of native police for Lizard Island and when they arrived 'dispersed' 150 Aboriginal people at Snake River. According to Falkiner and Oldfield, 'there are no official records remaining of the police reprisals on Lizard Island. The only repository is the memory of the Guugu Yimidhirr people' (Falkiner & Oldfield, 2000, p 115). They claim that Lizard Island was the site of a bora ground and the Chinese worker was killed 'for disturbing sacred ground.' They also claim that the black troopers were from Fraser Island (Falkiner & Oldfield, 2000, p 115).

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]]> 1881-10-01 1881-10-31 142.99,-13.117 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

On 11 May 1889, a group of Kaanju warriors were alleged, in a night time attack, to have killed Edmund Watson, a worker at Pine Tree Station (now Archer River Roadhouse) near Mein Telegraph station on Cape York Peninsula and severely wounded another station worker, James Evans (BC, 28 May 1889, p 5). On 18 May Sub-Inspector Frederick Urquhart, left Thursday Island for Mein Telegraph Station (BC, 20 May 1889, p5) and when he arrived, he put together a party of 40 armed men on horseback, comprising three detachments of native police, Watson's brother and overseers and stockmen in the region. In early June the party set off to disperse the Kaanju on the right hand side of the telegraph line in the Batavia (Wenlock) River area. Over the next two weeks, the party carried out five massacres of the Kaanju (Bottoms, 2013, p 124).

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]]> 1889-06-01 1889-06-15 142.995,-13.238 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

Two weeks after the Aboriginal killing of Edward Watson at Pine Tree Station in early May, 1889, Sub-Inspector Frederick Urquhart arrived at nearby Mein Telegraph station and collected a party of 40 armed men on horseback, comprising three detachments of native police, Watson's brother and settlers and stockmen from the Cape York region and in early June commenced a two-week campaign of dispersal of five Kaanju camps in the Batavia River (Wenlock) area at five sites (Bottoms, 2013, p 124).

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]]> 1889-06-02 1889-06-14 142.96,-13.159 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

In June 1889, Sub-Inspector Frederick Urquhart commanded a group of 40 armed men on horseback, comprising three detachments of native police, as well as settlers and stockmen, in a two week campaign of dispersal of the Kaanju people at Cape York (Bottoms, 2013, p 124).

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]]> 1889-06-02 1889-06-14 142.814,-12.992 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

Kaanju people were attacked by a party of at least 40 armed men on horseback, comprising three detachments of native police and men from cattle stations at Cape York. The party was conducting a two-week dispersal campaign of the Kaanju in reprisal for their killing of Edmund Watson from Pine Tree Station in early May 1889 (Bottoms, 2013, p 124).

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]]> 1889-06-06 1889-06-14 142.943,-12.91 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

Following the killing of Edmund Watson at Pine Tree station on the Upper Archer River on Cape York by Kaanju warriors in early May 1889, Sub-Inspector Frederick Urquhart was despatched to the nearby Mein Telegraph station where he formed a party of at least 40 armed men comprising three detachments of native police, the brother of Edmund Watson and stockmen from every cattle station in the area with the purpose of giving 'the blacks a lesson' (Vogan, 1890, p 137). According to Timothy Bottoms, in early June the party went to Merluna Station for rations, left there on 9 June and on 11 June 'came up with them on Batavia (Wenlock) River... dispersed them and recovered telegraph wire, iron pins and insulators in their camp'. There were five of these 'dispersals' (Bottoms, 2013, p 124).

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]]> 1889-06-11 1889-06-11 144.229,-14.935 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

Following the Aboriginal killing of Macdonald (or Donald) Mackenzie, owner of Lakefield station at the head of the saltwater on the Normanby River, 75 km north east of Laura, a special train transported detachments of native police from Cooktown, Musgrave, and Maytown to Deighton and then by track to Lakefield station (Queenslander, May 9, 1896, p 871). On the track they 'came across the dead bodies of some blacks who had evidently died of poison.' Constable David Hardie surmised that they had 'used the arsenic stolen after the murder from Mackenzie's house, believing it to be baking powder' (Queenslander, June 6, 1896, p 1063).

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]]> 1896-05-01 1896-05-31 142.166,-12.017 #TLCMapStyle

Contains descriptions of colonial violence. Historic sources may contain racist attitudes and language.

After the remains of 'several Aboriginal men' were found on the Ducie River, an investigation followed. 'Suspicion had pointed to Constable Hoole and the native police patrol which was in April last in the neighbourhood of the place where some of the remains had been subsequently found. Dr. Roth gave lengthy evidence of having had certain things shown him, and produced certain exhibits.' (The Brisbane Courier 30 Sep 1902, p 5). According to Richards, the bodies were burnt to remove the evidence (Richards, 2008, p 35).

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