Mapping Australian history and culture
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| Name | Lower Murray War and Resistance |
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| Description | Events in this conflict will be added as Australian Wars and Resistance research continues. |
| Type | Other |
| Content Warning | |
| Contributor | Dr Bill Pascoe |
| Entries | 14 |
| Allow ANPS? | No |
| Added to System | 2025-08-11 14:36:08 |
| Updated in System | 2025-10-04 13:07:14 |
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Location of Mr Coghill's station, Lower Murray according to Ham's Squatting map (1849). Mr Coghill's station was a reference point for events in the area, and for overlanding between Sydney and Adelaide. It was a focal point in events related to the killing of Mr Beveridge, followed by the killing of a stockman at Mr Coghill's, and arrests and counter attacks around Coghill's and Beveridge's station. Some other references associate 'Coghill' with Berrima and Braidwood which are near Sydney, and with Mount Barker near Adelaide, but the events related to the killing of Mr Braidwood are all reported as in the 'Lower Murray', so the location is certainly the one recorded on Ham's Squatting map near the junction of the Murrumbidgee, Logan and Murray. One of the men killed in the affrays was known to colonists as 'Dick the Needle' reportedly a chief of the Murrumbidgee.
Ham, Thomas. (1849). A map of Australia Felix Retrieved October 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-231450539
MELBOURNE. (1846, September 2). Geelong Advertiser and Squatters' Advocate (Vic. : 1845 - 1847), p. 3. Retrieved October 4, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article94444530
Local Intelligence. (1846, September 3). The Port Phillip Patriot and Morning Advertiser (Vic. : 1845 - 1848), p. 2. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226351156
Port Phillip. (1846, September 12). The Citizen (Sydney, NSW : 1846 - 1847), p. 4. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article252637417
CAPTURE OF THE MURDERERS OF MR. BEVERIDGE. (1846, November 26). The Port Phillip Patriot and Morning Advertiser (Vic. : 1845 - 1848), p. 4. Retrieved June 9, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226350807
Local Intelligence. (1846, December 1). The Port Phillip Patriot and Morning Advertiser (Vic. : 1845 - 1848), p. 2. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226351014
DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE. (1846, December 9). Port Phillip Gazette and Settler's Journal (Vic. : 1845 - 1850), p. 4. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223154201
PORT PHILLIP. (1847, February 6). The Courier (Hobart, Tas. : 1840 - 1859), p. 3. Retrieved June 10, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2972734
On 23rd August, 1846, Andrew Beveridge was killed in a targeted attack by Aboriginal men known to colonists as Bobby, Wellington, and Tungie. Tungie was said to be a chief of the Burra Burra tribe. Another, 'Watty' had enticed Beveridge out of the tent where he was eating breakfast with John Ryan and John Kelly (12 Sept, 1846, p4). Beveridge died of 4 spear wounds (1 Dec, 1846 p2). Since the Aboriginal people spoke directly to Beveridge and killed him with 4 spears, while others were told to leave or allowed to escape, it is likely Beveridge was being punished for a serious offense against Aboriginal people.
3 days after Mr Beveridge was killed, a stockman at Coghill's was also killed (3 Sept 1846, p2).
Later, Mr Byerley, the superintendent of Mr Coghill's station noticed a large camp of Aboriginal people across the river and sent for the police. He told Sergeant Johnson of the Border Police, with two troopers, he could identify Mr Beveridge's killers. The police disguised themselves as shepherds. An Aboriginal messenger visited asking who the 'fresh arrivals' were and why they had come. The police pretended to be looking for a run and offered tomahawks to be shown good land and promised more to anyone who would help them. Eventually a group of 25 was enticed with offers of food and tomahawks to eat with the disguised police at a campfire. Mr Byerley identified Beveridge's killers by surreptitiously placing pieces of bark behind them. Taken by surprise those identified were captured with ropes, held at gun point, handcuffed and taken into the hut, while the others got away. After an hour the messenger arrived and told both the prisoners and the colonists to stay awake as many 'Murray black fellow' (26, Nov 1846, p 4) would be coming. Signal fires were seen across the hills and warriors assembled. The colonists fortified the hut, prepared ammunition and dispatched their a messenger of their own to Curlewis's neighbouring station 75km away who sent 3 men as reinforcements making a total of 'eight well armed, active, and determined men' (26, Nov 1846, p 4). '... fifty of the picked men of the assembled tribe, resolutely advanced into the open space in front of the hut; they were all in their war dress - paint and emu feathers, and other insignia of their rank, and standing as warriors and chiefs of the various tribes, then congregated... Their bodies were smeared from head to foot with a red earth (curraco) their feathers nodding like plumes from a hearse..." (26, Nov 1846, p 4). Among those killed the colonists claimed to have shot 'Dick the Needle', a Murrumbidgee chief and Warrangurran, a chief of the Gunboree tribe (26, Nov 1846, p 4). The attack continued until night when the Aboriginal people continued the seige by camping near the hut. At dawn nine armed men on horseback arrived and the Aboriginal warriors retreated. One of the captured men almost escaped during the trip to Melbourne for trial.
Three Aboriginal warriors, known to colonists as Bobby, Ptolmie and Bullet-eye where charged (1846, December 1, p 2).
Ham, Thomas. (1849). A map of Australia Felix Retrieved October 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-231450539
MELBOURNE. (1846, September 2). Geelong Advertiser and Squatters' Advocate (Vic. : 1845 - 1847), p. 3. Retrieved October 4, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article94444530
Local Intelligence. (1846, September 3). The Port Phillip Patriot and Morning Advertiser (Vic. : 1845 - 1848), p. 2. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226351156
Port Phillip. (1846, September 12). The Citizen (Sydney, NSW : 1846 - 1847), p. 4. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article252637417
CAPTURE OF THE MURDERERS OF MR. BEVERIDGE. (1846, November 26). The Port Phillip Patriot and Morning Advertiser (Vic. : 1845 - 1848), p. 4. Retrieved June 9, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226350807
Local Intelligence. (1846, December 1). The Port Phillip Patriot and Morning Advertiser (Vic. : 1845 - 1848), p. 2. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226351014
DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE. (1846, December 9). Port Phillip Gazette and Settler's Journal (Vic. : 1845 - 1850), p. 4. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223154201
PORT PHILLIP. (1847, February 6). The Courier (Hobart, Tas. : 1840 - 1859), p. 3. Retrieved June 10, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2972734
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.
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.
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
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