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This massacre of Ngaanyatjarra people occurred after hunters killed a camel that was part of a prospecting expedition. An estimated 4 Aboriginal men were killed and 2 prospectors. The event is well attested in Indigenous Knowledge of the area and depicted in many artworks. <\/p>\r\n
The location may not be accurate.<\/p>", "id": "te86c5", "state": "WA", "source": "
Bennet, D T, Chamber, J, Shepherd, D Circus Waters Massacre<\/em> Canberra: National Museum Australia, 2012 2012.0009.0001 https:\/\/collectionsearch.nma.gov.au\/icons\/images\/kaui2\/index.html#\/home?usr=CE<\/a><\/p>\r\n Jackson, N N, Chambers, J Y Tutjurangara Massacre (Circus Water Rockhole Massacre) in Tjanpi Desert Weavers at Desert Mob<\/em> Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council, September 15, 2018 https:\/\/www.npywc.org.au\/news\/tjanpi-desert-weavers-at-desert-mob\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n The date 'late 1930s' and the information 'I recall hearing that more than four people were killed, though a painting by Dorcas Tinamayi Bennett depicting the massacre includes a caption stating that three or four Wati were killed, along with two members of the prospecting party.' was provided in a private communication.<\/p>",
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"name": "Ophtalmia Ranges",
"placename": "Murderer's Well",
"description": " When returning to camp, a group of prospectors including Slavin and Oregon noticed Aboriginal men attempting to ambush it. The article says, \"Beyond venturing the information that he believes his matesopened fire on the hostile blacks, Slavin prefers to leave it to the imagination of his listeners to fill in the blankspaces\" (p 1 Geraldton Guardian, 10 Jul 1926). Their four horses were killed, forcing them to walk back to Meekathara.<\/p>\r\n The year 1896 is estimated from the article of 1926 stating it occurred '30 years ago'.<\/p>",
"id": "te86c6",
"source": " IN SEARCH OF GOLD. (1926, July 10). Geraldton Guardian (WA : 1906 - 1928)<\/em>, p. 1. Retrieved November 27, 2025, from http:\/\/nla.gov.au\/nla.news-article67218966<\/p>",
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"name": "Canning Stock Route - Well No. 46",
"description": " In January 1911 a party of three drovers, George Shoesmith, James Thompson and an Aboriginal stockman known as 'Chinaman', were killed by Aboriginal people at Well 37. In September 1911, Sergeant R.H. Pilmer led a police punitive expedition to find the culprits and ensure the stock route remained open. The police made no arrests, but the expedition was considered a success after Pilmer acknowledged killing at least 10 Aboriginal people. Later newspaper reports, (Daily News, May 21, 1912, p 8) put the figure at 14. Pilmer wrote in his diary: 'The most exciting and disastrous incident of the whole journey happened on 16 November while the party was spelling the camels at Well 46. The men were whiling away their time by reading or doing odd jobs when they were suddenly attacked by a band of 25 Aborigines. Fourteen Aborigines formed an advance party, and each armed with two whackaburras they came running down a gravelly slope towards the camp. Going outside the camp Sergeant Pilmer called and motioned them to sit down, but they still came on, it being evident they were trying to get close quarters with the police. The invaders reached the camp but were not close enough to use their weapons when the police opened fire. Six natives fell dead while another was killed about twenty yards away. Three were wounded but they escaped with the others who immediately took to their heels' (Pilmer cited in Clement, 1989b, pp 130-151).<\/p>",
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"source": " 'Shooting Aborigines', Daily News, May 21, 1912, p 8 https:\/\/trove.nla.gov.au\/newspaper\/article\/79898128\/7816557<\/a>; Clement 1989b, pp.130-151; 'Stock Route Murders, Fourteen Dispersed,' Kalgoorlie Miner, December 9, 1911, p 8 http:\/\/nla.gov.au\/nla.news-article91329964<\/a><\/p>",
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"name": "Mount Ida",
"description": "An early account said that eight Aboriginal people had died from poisoning (The West Australian, December 14, 1908, p 5) but a thorough police investigation found that the eight had been killed by a rival group from Darlot (West Australian, 6 Jan 1909, p5). The initial report of poisoning claimed, 'THE MOUNT IDA BLACKS. To the Editor. - Sir,-I see Mr. Nanson has asked the Premier certain questions re the finding of eight dead blacks a mile from the Ida H battery. I think the Minister should refer Mr. Nanson to reports of the Coroner, Mr. Campbell Shaw, who is one of the straightest men in the Commonwealth; Dr. Pritchard, one of the best surgeons living; and the police of Laverton, who are as good men as police can be. 'If those blacks have been poisoned it must have been accidentally. They have possibly raided some poor beggar's camp and got something more to eat than they bargained for. I have known one of those eight niggers for years, and a dirtier, begging, lazy, thieving, and would-be murdering lot never crawled Australia. If there is anybody in the country who should complain of them it is myself, as I have to live among them, and once a year about this time they always make their way to Cosmo Newbury Hills, where they cleared Mr. PD Nash, my partner, out last Christmas' (W. Carr-Boyd, The West Australian, December 14, 1908, p 5). \n\tAn investigation by Mr C F Gale found that circumstances related to the alleged poisoning could not be substantiated, but that there was evidence of attacks by spears and nullas. Aboriginal people questioned claimed the attack had been by a rival Aboriginal group and other witnesses had seen the rival group in the area. 'I examined the native woman who identified the bodies of the deceased, and other natives who were in town, and closely questioned them as to the cause of the death of their friends. They all unhesitatingly stated that some Darlot natives had killed them, although I tried to put their thoughts into a groove of suspicion that death was caused otherwise, they were all very positive that the natives were killed by spearing at the hands of some Darlot tribe, and I was absolutely unable to shake their statement.' (West Australian, 6 Jan 1909, p5)",
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"properties": {
"name": "Mount Clere and Mount Labouchere",
"description": "The official government report (The Governor - Statements of Rev J B Gribble (xi) Natives shot at Mounts Clere and Labouchere) to the Western Australian Governor and the Aborigines Protection Board record that Reverend JB Gribble stated '11 Natives shot at Mounts Clere and Labouchere' in the Gascoyne District (SROWA). In his 1886 text, Dark Deeds in a Sunny Land<\/i> Gribble wrote 'Early this year it was reported that five natives had been shot dead by white men near Mount Clare, and about the same time two more were shot by a party somewhere in the direction of Mount Labouchere' (Gribble, JB, 1886, p 51).",
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"source": "'The Governor - Statements of Rev JB Gribble (xi) Natives shot at Mounts Clere and Labouchere (3673\/86)', SROWA, S2032, Cons 388, Item 9; Gribble, JB 1987 [1886] https:\/\/ro.ecu.edu.au\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=8231&context=ecuworks<\/a>",
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"name": "Laverton (2)",
"description": "Newspaper articles attribute this massacre to ongoing 'inter-tribal' fights that had been occurring for several years around Laverton (see Laverton Massacre 1908) between who they described as the 'Laverton natives' and the 'Darlot Natives' (Laverton and Beria Mercury<\/i>, September 24, 1910, p 3; Clarence and Richmond Examiner<\/i>, September 22, 1910, p 6).",
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"source": "'The Massacre of Aborigines,' Laverton and Beria Mercury<\/i>, September 24, 1910, p 3 https:\/\/trove.nla.gov.au\/newspaper\/article\/203551976\/22573788<\/a>; 'The Native massacre,' Clarence and Richmond Examiner<\/i>, September 22, 1910, p 6 https:\/\/trove.nla.gov.au\/newspaper\/article\/61528019\/5428156<\/a>",
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"name": "Goldfields",
"description": "A newspaper (The Southern Cross Times<\/i> of December 24, 1904 p25) reported on the exploits of a 'plucky pioneer' Harold Cocking who was a gold prospector in the Goldfields district in the 1890s. The article reports that following the death of a prospector named Cahill, 30 Aboriginal people were shot in reprisal.\n\n'It took them four days to get there and they had to be extremely cautious and careful as the blacks were very wild and dangerous.\nSome of them had murdered a prospector named Cahill and his mate and it was said that a party of whites avenged this by shooting about 30 of the aboriginals' (The Southern Cross Times<\/i>, December 24, 1904 p25).",
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