Mapping Australian history and culture
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| Name | Northern Rivers War and Resistance |
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| Description | Events in this conflict will be added as Australian Wars and Resistance research continues. |
| Type | Other |
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| Number of places | 20 |
| Contributor | Dr Bill Pascoe |
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| Allow ANPS? | No |
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| Added | 2025-08-11 14:37:48 |
| Updated | 2026-07-25 17:35:47 |
According to an article published in 1922 Aboriginal people killed 5 shepherds and then, 'After this outrage the natives divided - one body seeking shelter south west towards the source of the Gloucester River, and the other going north west towards the Upper Arundel.' A group of colonists pursued the first group and massacred people at McKenzie Cliffs. The second group was also pursued, 'At a small plain a mile west of the present Cobakh Station the Port Stephens men came into conflict with the remaining body of natives, but the fugitives broke and fled northwards to a little flat on the Bowman River. Here the final tragedy occurred; a stand was made by the blacks, but in vain. Years afterwards their unburied skeletons could be seen' (The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer, 25 April, 1922 p 2).
A correspondent calling themself 'Wirrapit' wrote that after the massacre of the 'Rawdon Vale' tribe at McKenzie Cliff, 'advantage was taken of the presence of the Williams River settlers to further punish the tribes inhabiting the Upper Bowman and what is now Glen Ward, as they had become very daring and troublesome. A party of whites rode up the Cobark River and fought a pitched battle with the tribe that had arrived from Mount Moonee, and killed over 50 of them, losing seven or eight of their own men.' A larger party then went on to Bowman River where 'over 100 it is said --- being killed and also twelve white were killed and badly wounded' (The Scone Advocate, 7 May 1935, p 4). This article notes that 'as time went on most exaggerated reports began to filter in and reach the authorities in Newcastle and Sydney'. A massacre involving the deaths of this many colonists would most likely have been widely reported at the time, and no other records have been found. The numbers of colonists and Aboriginal people killed have most likely been exaggerated.
The massacres at Mt McKenzie, Cobark River and Bowman River occurred around the same time but available reports are long after the incidents so it is difficult to determine their year.
The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer, 25 April, 1922 p 2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166220492; The Scone Advocate, 7 May 1935, p 4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/158993470
After killing 5 shepherds, colonists pursued Aboriginal people in two groups and massacred them at Cobark River and Mt McKenzie. After Cobark River they went on to massacre people at Bowman River. These massacres were reported in 1922.
'After this outrage the natives divided - one body seeking shelter south west towards the source of the Gloucester River, and the other going north west towards the Upper Arundel.' A group of colonists pursued the first group and massacred people at McKenzie Cliffs. The second group was also pursued, 'At a small plain a mile west of the present Cobakh Station the Port Stephens men came into conflict with the remaining body of natives, but the fugitives broke and fled northwards to a little flat on the Bowman River. Here the final tragedy occurred; a stand was made by the blacks, but in vain. Years afterwards their unburied skeletons could be seen' (The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer, 25 April, 1922 p 2).
A correspondent calling themself 'Wirrapit' wrote that after the massacre of the 'Rawdon Vale' tribe at McKenzie Cliff, 'advantage was taken of the presence of the Williams River settlers to further punish the tribes inhabiting the Upper Bowman and what is now Glen Ward, as they had become very daring and troublesome.' After a massacre at Cobark river 'a larger party rode over to the Bowman River through McKenzie's Gap (Neilson's selection), and meeting with a large number of blacks fought another pitched battle, where Mr. J. Grant's homestead now stands, many blacks --- over 100 it is said --- being killed and also twelve white were killed and badly wounded' (The Scone Advocate, 7 May 1935, p 4).
This article notes that 'as time went on most exaggerated reports began to filter in and reach the authorities in Newcastle and Sydney.' A massacre involving the deaths of this many colonists would most likely have been widely reported at the time, and no other records have been found. The numbers of colonists and Aboriginal people killed have most likely been exaggerated.
The massacres at Mt McKenzie, Cobark River and Bowman River occurred around the same time but available reports are long after the incidents so it is difficult to determine their year.
The Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer, 25 April, 1922 p 2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166220492; The Scone Advocate, 7 May 1935, p 4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/158993470
According to the Wingham Chronicle, after warriors stole cattle from the Australian Agricultural Company's 'heifer station at Baker's Creek, 12 miles north east of Gloucester,' (near Mount Ganghat) in 1834, beleaguered employees 'in the hut were driven to dire straits, and as a last resource mixed arsenic in dampers and placed them where the natives had easy access to them. The result was deadly to the natives. The black warriors lay down and died all around.' (Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer 25 Apr 1922 p 2)
In 1889 a corresponden to the Daily Telegraph, 'J.W.C' wrote, 'White women were scarce in those days, and these men took as help-mates a couple of black gins from a tribe belonging to the head quarters they started from. The aborigines or native blacks were very troublesome in those days, especially in the vicinity of Cape Hawke, not far from the Manning River entrance, and being aware that a supply of rations had been recently brought to Gangat and that there were only two men in charge, they decided to stick the station up and help themselves, One or two of the Cape Hawke blacks were in the habit of visiting the station occasionally on their marauding excursions, and unwittingly, apparently, made the gins acquainted with their designs, probably in the hope of satisfying them of their safety in the event of success. The gins were honest enough to apprise their mates of the threatened danger, and suitable precautions were adopted. Slits were cut in the slab walls so that guns could be protruded to cover the approach of their assailants. Everything useful and portable was brought into the humpy and doors and windows barricaded. On the morning of the attack two blacks came to the hut as usual and were at once ordered to leave and keep away or they would be fired upon. The day wore on and towards the afternoon a mob of blacks numbering from 50 to 60 came down to the station, fully armed for hostilities with spears, boomerangs and nulla-nullas, and demanded grub. These also were cautioned to keep off under penalty of being fired upon, and seeing the muzzles of two guns sticking out of a slit in a slab in front of them, they retired a few yards off, made their fires and camped for the night. Their intention evidently was to attack the station as soon as it was dark, and probably set the hut on fire and murder the men. Taylor and M'Grath were in a serious fix. Miles from any help, their horses in the bush unavailable for flight, they felt that with the approach of night their doom was sealed, and to make matters worse, on examination they found that they had only a couple of charges of powder. Taylor fortunately had a good supply of arsenical soap, so the men went to work and made up a lot of Johnny cakes, well mixing tho dough up with the soap; and in the evening they opened the door of tho hut and pitched out the cakes and drew the attention of the blacks to the grub supplied for their gratification. There was a regular scramble for the cakes, while the door was closed and the inmates awaited the result. The effects of the arsenic soon told upon the blacks, many of whom rushed to the water and drank to repletion to allay tho burning inside. Some of the most gluttonous dropped dead, and such a scare was produced upon the tribe that they bolted, being perfectly satisfied that the grub they had so daringly demanded was not exactly the kind of grub they desired. This, I believe, was the first act of poisoning the native cannibals in the colony, and I don't believe there are many of the present generation who will blame Taylor and McGrath for their action in self-defence. The men next morning left for head-quarters, and the cattle were scattered in every direction, causing a heavy loss to the company. Many took to the scrubs about Bundobah and Boolaydeelah, and the destruction of the bulls years after afforded many a day's sport to crack pistol-shots from horseback' (The Daily Telegraph, 13 Jul, 1889, p 9).
Wingham Chronicle, April 25, 1922, p. 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166220492; Newcastle Morning Herald, July 25, 1964; Fitzpatrick, 1925, p 29; The Daily Telegraph, 13 Jul, 1889 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236015071
Aboriginal people were shot dead and leapt or were thrown over a cliff in retaliation for them killing five convict shepherds at Robert Ramsay Mackenzie's property at Wattenbakh on the western bank of the Barrington River, two miles from Rawdon Vale, at the time known as 'Kiripit'. Survivors fled and were caught and killed on a flat at Bowman River (Wingham Chronicle, April 25, 1922, p 2).
A later article from 1935 claimed 6 shepherds were killed in the lead up to this massacre, and decribed the massacre at McKenzie's Cliffs as follows: 'The settlers from the Williams River side came across to the head of the Gloucester, driving the blacks before them, while the settlers on this side drove all the blacks up the river and at last cornered them on the small flat above McKenzie's cliffs where they shot men, women and children without mercy or consideration. Those who escaped the bullet were killed by falling over the cliffs and being smashed on the rocks below. Thus was the whole tribe of blacks, with one or two exceptions, who inhabited this part of the district exterminated' (The Gloucester Advocate, 22 Mar 1935, p 1).
According to Geoffrey Blomfield, 'The massacre has a strong oral tradition' (Blomfield 1981, p 121-2).
The location marked here is purposefully not the location of the massacre. Please note that 'The Aboriginal community has requested that the actual site is not promoted and visitation is discouraged' (NSW Parks and Wildlife Service. Barrington Tops National Park, Mount Royal National Park and Barrington Tops State Conservation Area: Plan of Management. Parramatta, NSW: Environment and Heritage: Department of Planning and Environment, 2022, p 22).
Blomfield, 1981, p 121-2; Wingham Chronicle, April 25, 1922, p 2; Newcastle Morning Herald, July 25, 1964; The Gloucester Advocate, 22 Mar 1935 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/159633029; NSW Parks and Wildlife Service. Barrington Tops National Park, Mount Royal National Park and Barrington Tops State Conservation Area: Plan of Management. Parramatta, NSW: Environment and Heritage: Department of Planning and Environment, 2022 https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/Parks-plans-of-management/barrington-tops-mount-royal-national-parks-barrington-tops-sca-plan-of-management-220192.pdf