Mapping Australian history and culture
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. First Australians...
| Name | Second Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal War and Resistance |
|---|---|
| Description | Listen:
Notes: This conflict, in the south of Wiradjuri country came after the well known First Wiradjuri War or 'Bathurst War' to the north. It was part of one of the major phases of the Australian Wars throughout the south east of the continent, from south east Queensland to Victoria, starting in the late 1830s, and through to the 1850s and 60s, as colonists expanded rapidly in all directions from the earlier settlements. This conflict is closely connected to conflict along the overland route or 'south road' (now the Hume Highway) from south Wiradjuri (upper Murrumbidgee) through Yorta Yorta (upper Murray) to Kulin country (Port Philip/Melbourne). It is also closely connected to conflict on the overland route to Adelaide, along the lower Murrumbidgee and lower Murray where many languages are spoken around Tar Ru and Millewa-Mallee. The first report of open violent conflict in this area was of widespreading raiding in 1830 at Yass Plains in Ngunnawal country. This was followed by an extended period of Wiradjuri raids on squatters stations, including killing of shepherds and hut keepers, burning huts and killing and driving away livestock. There were sometimes gatherings of up to 1000 Wiradjuri people, and war bands were about 30 in number focusing on the Rivers and the road connecting Sydney to Melbourne (the Overland). One of the main leaders of this resistance was dubbed 'Buonaparte' by colonists. Similar to 'Blucher' in the First Wiradjuri War, colonists most likely named him after a famous European general, in recognition of his leadership. Another was 'Brian Boru', named after a medieval High King of Ireland - though this may be the same person with two aliases. Colonists at the time referred to this conflict as a 'war', some saying it should be admitted as such by the government. They described losing control of flocks and herds as Wiradjuri took control of livestock using traditional land care and hunting methods. In these vast plains, Wiradjuri warriors appear to have used high points, such as at Wamber Tumber gap, as strategic positions from which to raid. Such positions give unobstructed views over large areas. Buonaparte's group was surrounded and some captured at Wamber Tumber gap by a posse of colonists and a police officer. Some escaped but Buonaparte was recaptured after severely wounding two of his captors. The Border Police, recruited from the military, were active in this period but were overstretched along the Overland and ineffective. The notorious Native Police were established during this period. In 1850 it was reported that the Native Police were recruiting in the Murrumbidgee district, and that they were very effective in swiftly ending armed resistance and bringing 'peace' where ever they went. Also in 1850 colonists relied on Aboriginal labour to replace workers leaving for the gold fields. These reports suggest that by 1850 the period of intense open violence in this conflict had ended, and the colonial government had gained control. Resistance after this would have to take on different forms. |
| Type | Other |
| Content Warning | This is a history of colonial violence and reference's include racist attitudes of the time. |
| Contributor | Dr Bill Pascoe |
| Entries | 35 |
| Allow ANPS? | No |
| Added to System | 2025-05-10 17:35:59 |
| Updated in System | 2025-10-24 18:27:42 |
| Subject | |
|---|---|
| Creator | |
| Publisher | |
| Contact | |
| Citation | |
| DOI | |
| Source URL | |
| Linkback | |
| Date From | |
| Date To | |
| Image |
| Latitude From | |
|---|---|
| Longitude From | |
| Latitude To | |
| Longitude To | |
| Language | |
| License | |
| Usage Rights | |
| Date Created (externally) |
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
According to the reminiscences of Overlander James R. Byrne, in August, 1839, his party shot three Wiradjuri warriors after one stockman was badly wounded on the northern side of the Murrumbidgee River. Byrne and his party decided 'to intercept the aborigines and cut them off from the river.' After the first attempt failed, a second attempt was more successful. Five stockmen drove the Wiradjuri towards the river and another six stockmen lying in ambush, 'fired as the natives appeared and then rode down upon them with cutlasses' (Byrne 1848, 2, p 231). After they killed nine Wiradjuri warriors, 'they allowed the rest to escape across the river' (Byrne 1848, vol 2, p 255).
Byrne 1848, vol 2, pp 230-2.
In a planned ambush warriors speared and tomahawked a hut keeper at Mrs Jenkins, plundered and burned the hut. 'The blacks have recently done a deal of mischief since the murder of a hut-keeper of Mrs Jenkin's. This man's murder was very coolly planned and perpetrated, viz.—they lay in ambush until the man went to milk his cows, and then threw six spears at him, which went through his body; they afterwards mangled his body with tomahawks, and then plundered the hut, and set fire to it.' (The Sydney Monitor and Commercial Advertiser, May 11, 2025 p2)
Police Magistrate Hardy reported to the Colonial Secretary that the killing of Jenkins's servant happened not at 'Bangus' but 40miles downstream. This would be somewhere near Wagga Wagga. However, Jenkins is indicated as owning a station at Buckenbong, further down river near Narrandera, so this is likely the place meant. The report gave a description of a Wiradjuri resistance leader known to colonists as 'Brian Boru', named after a legendary Irish king:
'a well known Tribe of Blacks indigenous to that neighbourhood were known to have been on the spot
on the morning of the murder as well as for several days previously; that amongst them was a very
remarkable Black known by the name of "Brian Boru", who, amongst other peculiarities, has a foot
of very great length (14 inches at least, and of proportionate breadth); that the marks of this foot
were distinctly seen on the ashes of the Hut and round about by several persons the same day the
murder was committed; that this Tribe have not made their appearance since in the neighbourhood,
but are known to have gone farther down the River; and, lastly, that, owing to the great scarcity of
water, the Tribe in question are, in his opinion, certainly to be met with on its Banks, and at no great
distance.' (Hardy to Thomas, 18/01/1839)
Colonists who later captured warriors at Wamber Tumber Gap blamed one of them known as 'Buonaparte' for the killing of Jenkins's servant. It's not clear if there were two warriors, both blamed for the murder, or one warrior known by two names to colonists.
Yass. (1839, February 13). The Sydney Monitor and Commercial Advertiser (NSW : 1838–1841), p. 2 (Morning) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32162854 ; Letter – Hardy to Thomson, 18 January 1839; AONSW Reel 1912, CSO 4/2470.4; 20-22.