ghap_id,layer_id,title,record_type,description,latitude,longitude,datestart,dateend,source,linkback,created_at,updated_at,linked_dataitem_uid,Source_ID,LanguageGroup,Colony,StateOrTerritory,PoliceDistrict,Victims,VictimsDead,VictimDescription,Attackers,AttackersDead,AttackerDescription,CorroborationRating,War,Stage,Region,Period,AboriginalPlaceName
te15d9,2484,"Escape Cliffs",Event,"Gordon Reid (1990) wrote that a soldier, Pearson, was unhorsed and wounded while another, FH Litchfield, was struck and disabled. Two horses were speared. Going to their aid in a party, Alaric Ward shot an Aboriginal man and the Aborigines retreated. Col BT Finniss, who was in charge of the settlement, appointed his son Frederick as the head of a mounted and foot party. 'As they set out on 8 September eastwards towards Chambers Bay, William McMinn, who had charge of the foot party, asked Frederick Finniss what was to be done. Young Finniss replied: ""Shoot every bloody native you see"". When asked later by the royal commission whether he understood that the orders implied an indiscriminate massacre of the natives, McMinn replied: ""Everyone could interpret the orders in his own way"". He could see ""from the feeling coming from them"" that his men would slaughter the Aborigines. Three of them trapped an Aborigine behind some scrub and, instead of taking him prisoner, one of them shot him dead. The whites then went to the native camp, recovered stolen property and destroyed the camp. They then encountered the surveyor, JWO Bennett, who ""ordered them not to kill a native within fifty yards of his camp"", apparently because he feared the Aborigines would associate him with this action. It was too late; they had already done so. 'When the party returned to Escape Cliffs, Finniss complimented his son by saying, ""Well done, Freddy, I thought you would let them see"". Some time later, Alaric Ward was out of the whites' camp and was killed by the natives' (Reid 1990, pp 32-33). 
Finniss, responding to F Rymill during the <i>Northern Territory Commission of Inquiry</i>, said: 'The government had sent the party to occupy their territory without regard to their wishes, and if we were to remain there we were to overcome their hostility; and this, as we had proved, could not be done by means of conciliation and forebearance' (cited in Reid p 34).",-12.148,131.266,1864-09-08,1864-08-13,"Reid, 1990; Austin, 1992; SA Parliament Northern Territory Commission of Inquiry, 1866.",https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/detail.php?r=999,"2025-08-11 10:31:21","2025-08-11 10:31:21",td0de3,999,Woolna,SA,NT,"Military settlement","Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People",10,Aboriginal,Colonists,1,Military,***,"Daly and Mary River",Early,North,North,
te15da,2484,"Yam Creek",Event,"A gold rush between 1871 and 1895 resulted in miners murdering Aboriginal people. The situation was often discussed in letters to the editor. For example:  'On Sunday evening, the 14th, three blacks came round the Princess Louise camp at dark, but finding they were discovered, they made ""tracks"" in a hurry, with a few shots after them. During the same afternoon several niggers visited Newman's battery, and on Monday morning a lot of tools were missing. The matter is becoming serious, and before long I fear there will be a collision of a more serious nature. The various camps are making arrangements to signal each other, and each party of men will have firearms in case of need. You will notice that the provocation is entirely on the side of the niggers, as they are continually told to go away, but unless they see a revolver they refuse to do so' (cited in <i>NTTG</i>, 26 Dec 1873, p 4). And a response: 'There may be occasions on which firmness is absolutely necessary with the natives, when they must be taught that the whitefellow is master and not to be trifled with; but to hunt them down to endeavor to make them prisoners; to break their jaws with the fist of a giant; to wound them in the shoulders with bullets from a revolver, and then let them escape into the bush to suffer pain and agony for weeks is the very way to make them troublesome and dangerous in the bush and on the road (WSN cited in, <i>NTTG</i> 30 Jan 1874, p 3). And this: 'The niggers are still prowling and crawling about and around the camps. Even at nights they are to be met with; it is not safe to go to the swamp for water to work on the claims; or to stop to mind the tents singly without being fully armed and prepared for an attack from them; and this state of things is likely to remain until someone is murdered by them, and the miners ���in defiance of their sympathiser at Pine Creek���are driven to take the law in their own hands, and effectually hunt them down' (Correspondent cited in <i>NTTG</i> 19 Jun 1874, p 3). This was written in 1878: 'I should not be surprised if there is a little more shooting before long, but whatever is done I trust that the parties concerned will not blow about their exploits but hold their tongues ""Speech is silver, but silence is gold!""' (<i>NTTG</i> 13 Apr 1878, p 2).",-13.431,131.548,1873-10-01,1878-05-01,"<i>Northern Territory Times and Gazette</i> 26 Dec 1873, p 4 <a href=""https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3142228"">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3142228</a>; 
<i>Northern Territory Times and Gazette</i> 30 January 1874, p 3 <a href=""https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3142370"">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3142370</a>;
<i>Northern Territory Times and Gazette</i>  19 June 1874, p 3 <a href=""https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3142892"">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3142892</a>; 
<i>Northern Territory Times and Gazette</i> 13 April 1878, p 2 <a href=""https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3146804"">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3146804</a>",https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/detail.php?r=1000,"2025-08-11 10:31:21","2025-08-11 10:31:21",td0de5,1000,"Wagiman, Mayall, Arigoolia and Jawoyn",SA,NT,"Howley, Yam Creek, Pine Creek","Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People",15,Aboriginal,Colonists,0,,**,"Daly and Mary River",Early,North,North,
te15db,2484,"East Alligator",Event,"John Lewis was making his way to establish the Coburg <i>[sic</i>] Cattle Company pastoral lease. His party included Charles Levi, George Reid, Jack Crossman, Ling Ah Hoo, an Aboriginal man named Prince from Port Essington, and Neddie Lewis. John Lewis (1922, pp 141-144) takes up the commentary: 'Levi and I made through the reeds to the open plain, where the horses were. We found them surrounded by between sixty to seventy armed natives, with spears ready for action, who, as soon as they saw us, ran together and formed a very formidable body. Yelling and dancing, they rushed towards us and threw their spears��� Fortunately none touched us. We knew that if we turned the natives would chase and probably overpower us, and the only thing to do was to shoot at them, which we did. Many of them were hit, although we could not be sure that any of them were fatally wounded. We shot twenty-one rounds, and then had only our revolvers left. They stood their ground, so we charged, and when they saw us coming they disappeared behind some reeds. When we let our horses go and formed our camp the natives came down from the hills on the eastern side in great numbers. We had six staghounds, which we tied to pegs driven in the ground to keep them from chasing the natives, who came nearer and nearer until they got within about 150 yards. Then they threw spears. Meantime we had taken up positions behind our packsaddles and arranged a good supply of bullets, which were nicely greased. The Chinaman had a double-barrelled gun loaded with buck-shot. The natives kept encroaching until they got near to send a shower of spears over us (many of which stuck in our baggage), and then we fired. We kept up fire for a long time, and many of them were injured. These were taken away by the lubras, who made a hideous row. We maintained fire for nearly half an hour, and then they retreated. We finished cooking our turkey, and had a most enjoyable meal....[next day] I turned round to see the rest [of the men in the party] come through, when I heard Levi cry ""Look out!"" Then I saw a shower of spears falling around me. Fortunately, I was close under the cliff, and out of reach of the spears; and although many fell around the Chinaman and Levi, and two touched the ammunition pack, nobody was injured. We heard the men yelling at the back, and the horses came through the gorge at a great rush���.one native, who had been very determined the day before and was very active on this occasion, stood on the edge of the cliff throwing spear after spear. He must have been struck by one of the rifle bullets, as he disappeared soon afterwards. We adjusted the packs and made north, thinking that the natives would follow us into the forest country, as they had done the year before; but they thought discretion the better part of valour, and we saw them no more'.",-12.241,132.862,1875-06-01,1875-06-03,"<i>NTTG</i>, August 7, 1875, p 2 <a href=""https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3144339"">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3144339</a>; Lewis, 1922, pp 141-144; Daly, 1887, pp 226-227.",https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/detail.php?r=994,"2025-08-11 10:31:21","2025-08-11 10:31:21",td0dd9,994,Kunwinjku,SA,NT,Darwin,"Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People",20,Aboriginal,Colonists,0,Overlander(s),***,"Daly and Mary River",Early,North,North,
te15dc,2484,"The Shackle, Granite Creek",Event,"In reprisal for the murder of teamster James Ellis in January 1878, Mounted Constable William Stretton with two other troopers, civilians and a South Australian Aboriginal tracker located the party of Aboriginal suspects near the Daly River and shot at least 17 of them. After Ellis' death, a jury found that ""the only available retaliation is to give a lesson to the tribe"" (NTTG, 26 January 1878, p 2). An unknown number of Aboriginal people were shot by a civilian reprisal party.",-14.217,131.951,1878-01-01,1878-01-31,"SHAR 2014; Roberts, 2009; Roberts, 2005, p 123; Reid, 1990, p 70; <i>NTTG</i>, 19 January, 1878, p 2 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146552"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146552</a>; 26 January, 1878, p 2 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146569"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146569</a>; 2 February, 1878, p 2 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146587"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146587</a> 9 February, 1878, p 2 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146598"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146598</a>, 23 February, 1878, p 2 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146639"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146639</a>, 9 March, 1878, p 2 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146690"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146690</a>; <i>SA Register</i>, 28 January, 1878, p 6<a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40780933"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40780933</a>; 30 January, 1878, p 4 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40791443"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40791443</a>; Kelsey, 1975, pp 64-65; Austin, 1992, p 16.",https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/detail.php?r=702,"2025-08-11 10:31:21","2025-08-11 10:31:21",td0d97,702,"Malak Malak",SA,NT,"Pine Creek","Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People",17,Warrior(s),Colonists,0,Overlander(s),***,"Daly and Mary River",Early,North,North,
te15dd,2484,"Daly River",Event,"Markus (1974), Wilson (2000), Nettelbeck (2004), Morris (2019) and others have detailed that on 2 September 1884 at Mt Hayward Copper Mine on the Daly River, four miners were killed in an attack. John Landers and Johannes Noltenius were speared at or near the mine, their cook, Thomas Schollert, was killed near the kitchen and Henry Hauschildt, who was absent at the time, was later found dead some way from the mine (Morris 2019, p 36). A reprisal operation was carried out by Mounted Constable George Montagu and took in Argument Flat and Marrakai Station along the Mary River. Montagu's report documented 20-30 Aboriginal deaths, but other contemporary reports suggest between 70-150, and modern estimates are higher. Inspector Paul Foelsche also led a reprisal party. A third, civilian, party, known as the 'Hauschildt Rescue' party, led by former police officer August Lucanus and split into three groups, was provisioned by the Government but not accompanied by any police and did not account for ammunition used. See also <a href=""https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/detail.php?r=724"">Argument Flat</a>.",-13.713,130.687,1884-09-02,1884-10-17,"Nettelbeck, 2004; Wilson, 2000; Morrison <a href=""https://www.australianfrontierconflicts.com.au"">https://www.australianfrontierconflicts.com.au</a>; <i>Evening Journal</i>, June 4, 1885 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198397078"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198397078</a>; <i>SA Register</i>, June 11, 1885 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44534459"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44534459</a>; Roberts, 2005, pp 125-131; Roberts, 2009, np; <i>North Australian</i>, November 27, 1885 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47995004"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47995004</a>; Markus 1974, p 12-34; 'Report on the pursuit of the Daly River murderers', <i>North Australian</i>, January 8, 1886 <a href=""https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47995130"">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47995130</a>; SAPP, No.170, 1885; Morris 2019; Reid, B, 2020; Clement & Bridge, 1991, p 16; Daly 1887, pp 257-263; SA <i>Register</i>, 12 February 12, 1886, p 6 <a href=""https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50184608"">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50184608</a>",https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/detail.php?r=704,"2025-08-11 10:31:21","2025-08-11 10:31:21",td0d9a,704,"Murrinh-patha, Malak Malak, Woolwonga",SA,NT,"Port Darwin","Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People",70,Warrior(s),Colonists,0,"Settler(s), Police",***,"Daly and Mary River",Mid,North,North,Nauiyu
te15de,2484,"Argument Flat",Event,"Protector of Aborigines, Dr Robert Morice wrote in the SA <i>Evening Journal</i> (June 4. 1885, p 3) that three teamsters claimed to have shot some Aborigines in self-defence following Aboriginal visitors to their camp the night before who, upon learning there were no police in the group, returned the next day, armed, and demanded food. The carters defended themselves and reported the matter. This occurred around the same time as the <a href=""https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/detail.php?r=704"">Daly River</a> massacre:
""While this was going on, and before the Inspector of Police had returned from the Daly River, three teamsters reported that they had been attacked by the natives at Argument Flat, about twenty miles from Southport. According to their account the natives flourished their spears and demanded tucker; the teamsters resisted, and shot five or six of them. There were three weak points about this tale. None of the teamsters were wounded; it is unusual for natives to attack in the bold way described and, lastly, it was admitted that there were women with the natives (one of the killed was a lubra, I think). Now it is well known that the natives when they mean mischief always keep their women out of the way."" (<i>Evening Journal</i>, 4 June 1885, p3)",-13.008,130.956,1884-09-27,1884-09-27,"Austin, 1992; 
SA <i>Evening Journal</i>, 4 June 1885, <a href=""https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198397078/22398064"">https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198397078/22398064</a>;
<i>SA Register</i>, February 12, 1886  p 6 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50184608"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50184608</a>; 
<i>NTTG</i> 4 Oct 1884 <a href=""http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3156540"">http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3156540</a>;
Reid, 2020, p 70; Government Resident's Quarterly Report on the NT, Quarter ending 30 Sept 1884, pp13-14;",https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/detail.php?r=724,"2025-08-11 10:31:21","2025-08-11 10:31:21",td0dc1,724,Ngan'gikurrunggurr,SA,NT,"Yam Creek","Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People",6,Warrior(s),Colonists,0,Settler(s),***,"Daly and Mary River",Mid,North,North,
te15df,2484,"Stapleton Siding",Event,"Joe McGuinness (1991, p 8) recalled: 'The majority of the tribe (Kungarakany)... about one hundred people, became victims of poisoned damper... at a railway siding known as Stapleton... weed-killing powder... was supposedly mistaken for baking powder and added to the flour in preparing damper. Those who ate the poisoned damper became violently ill before their death'. This is one of at least three poisoning incidents suffered by the Kungarakan people.",-13.179,131.041,1895-07-01,1895-07-30,"McGuinness, 1991, p 8; Murgatroyd, 2001, p 6; Toohey, 1981, p 39; Kungarakan Culture and Education Association: <a href=""https://kungarakan.org.au/language/"">https://kungarakan.org.au/language/</a>",https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/detail.php?r=1008,"2025-08-11 10:31:21","2025-08-11 10:31:21",td0df9,1008,"Kungarakany, Warray",SA,NT,"Howley, Yam Creek, Pine Creek","Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People",80,Aboriginal,Colonists,0,Servant(s),***,"Daly and Mary River",Late,North,North,Perrmadjin
