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| Name | Far North Queensland, Cairns War and Resistance |
|---|---|
| Description | Aboriginal People: Yidinydji, Buluwanydji, Djabuganydji, Yirrganydji and Barbaram, Ngadanydji and Djiru. Colonial Forces: Queensland Native Mounted Police, some cattlemen and settlers, Constable Hansen; Sub Inspector Ernest Carr Notable Colonists: GE Dalrymple; Sub-Inspector Johnstone; Prof. Rentoul; Sen Constable Whelan (NMP); Inspector John Isley; Sub-Inspector Douglas; Patrick Molloy; John Atherton Audio/visual Massacre Recollection by the Elders, in the Tully Region (south of Cairns) A Conspiracy of Silence, Qld's frontier killing times - Timothy Bottoms Narrative Queensland came into existence in 1859, but the land-grab began earlier (from the 1840s). Some thirteen years later in 1872 in Far North Queensland a Sydney ship, the Maria, packed with would-be gold miners was wrecked off the coast from Tam O’Shanter Point, near Cardwell. After one of the rafts was attacked by Aborigines and a European killed, a party of Native Police led by Sub-Inspector Johnstone, and some settlers, massacred Djiru people, opposite Dunk Island in retribution. They were following precedence that originated from the 1838 Myall Creek Massacre, where seven whites were hanged for their part in those killings. This influenced Queensland squatters to be quiet about any massacres that they were involved with, and led to the conspiracy of silence that pervaded the frontier. Gold had been found on the Palmer River in 1873 and on the Hodgkinson Goldfields in 1876 and George Elphinstone Dalrymple had been sent to reconnoitre the coastline from Cardwell to Cooktown (1873). From this, miners from the Hodgkinson Goldfield managed to find a shorter route closer to the coast at 80 miles (128 kms) versus Cooktown at 200 miles (320 kms). This heralded the invasion of Indigenous Far North Queensland. Coming on the heels of the miners came settlers who wanted to rear cattle for the goldfields, and others who wanted to farm. The newly created Government of Queensland claimed the land as Crown land. In 1873 Dalrymple’s exploration party landed in Yirrganydji territory opposite Wangal Djunggay (Double Island) where they shot several Yirrganydji. Dalrymple ‘helped’ to settle Bowen and had, as historian Bruce Breslin stated: ‘no intention of avoiding bloodshed … What he said and what he did were often two different things …[he]… showed from the beginning he would arm and alarm the frontier.’ On the southern Atherton Tablelands white settlers in conjunction with the Native Mounted Police began what the first historian for Cairns, JW Collinson, identified as ‘The Skull Pocket, Mulgrave River and Skeleton Creek Battue’. This happened in December 1884 and ended in January 1885. We know that at Skeleton Creek there were at least 16 Bama [Rainforest Aboriginal People] killed but the overall total was said to be sizeable, according to the witness, Jack Kane, who retold the tale to Dr Norman Tindale in 1938. Combined with the separate 1886 massacre at Cockatoo Bora ground in the Goldsborough Valley led by Christy Palmerston and his Ngadjanydji carriers, as Collinson stated, it completely broke up the Yidinydji tribe. This inspired some bully-boy Cairns’ residents to go to Buchans Estate to quell the Yirrganydji, but the melee was short-lived and was over before they arrived. The Djabuganydji experienced four separate killings, starting with Rifle Creek in the 1880s, when an Irish prospector turned pack-horse carrier, Patrick Molloy, worked the Port Douglas-Herberton Road. At one stage he lost eight of his draught horses to the Djabugay, Molloy and a party of Native Mounted Police and some white settlers tracked the Djabugay group to Bunda Bugal (Black Mountain), at the head of Rifle Creek where blacks who showed fight were dispersed. Also in the 1880s, cattlemen, on three occasions on Flaggy Creek, (Black Water Lagoon, Mama’s Camp and Balilee) shot Djabugay for rustling their cattle. Again in the 1880s at Bones Knob (just North of Atherton near Tolga), many Barbaram were forced over cliffs and killed. To the Bama it felt that the Native Mounted Police and settlers were out to exterminate local tribes. Many tribes were reduced to enclaves, refugees in their own country. ‘Depredations’ were sometimes followed by the murder of a white man, which regularly led to a violent European response culminating in a massacre. The massacre at Butcher’s Creek in 1889 seems to have been as a result of one John Clifford being murdered on the Russell River Goldfield. The tribe concerned were the Ngadjanydji, however, the overall effect on the Bama was to drive terror in any rainforest Aborigines left alive. Between 1878 and early 1880s, there were reports from the Native Mounted Police of ‘outrages’ and ‘depredations’ that had been committed by the ‘bad Blacks of the north’. One such report was the ‘dispersal’ at Clohesy River in 1881 by Sub Inspector Ernest Carr (stationed at Baan Bero) where a local village of the Buluwanydji was attacked and ‘dispersed’. Nine years later, John Atherton and party were camped at Groves Creek where a pony was commandeered by local Buluwanydji. Atherton’s party followed up and killed the horse thieves at Speewah. Apparently a second massacre occurred not long afterwards. The dispersal of tribes in the Cairns region was, as it was for the rest of Australia, a disaster for Aboriginal Australians. Any independence or freedom from European dominance was to wait until the late 20th Century. Contributor: Timothy Bottoms Sources T. Bottoms, Bama Bulmba Series, The Tribes of the Wet Tropics; Yidinydji Tribe; Yirrganydji Tribe; Buluwanydji Tribe & Djabuganydji Tribe www.cairnshistory.com.au |
| Type | Other |
| Content Warning | Colonial violence. Historical sources may include racist language and attitudes. |
| Contributor | Dr Bill Pascoe |
| Entries | 13 |
| Allow ANPS? | No |
| Added to System | 2025-08-11 14:45:17 |
| Updated in System | 2026-01-26 01:05:02 |
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Waterview Station, near Ingham
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
A retired native police trooper told James Cassady that he was part of the detachment that was responsible for 'dispersing' nine Aboriginal people at Waterview Station, south of Ingham, in reprisal for killing two white men near Strathalbyn station and that the skeletons could still be seen. Cassady wrote of the incident in a letter published in the The Queenslander on 23 October 1880, p 530. Historian Tim Bottoms considers that the incident took place in 1864 (Bottoms 2013, p 114).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 979
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- Port Denison
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 9
- VictimDescription
- Aboriginal
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Native Police
- CorroborationRating
- *
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Early
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Murray River, North Queensland
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
A detachment of native police ambushed a campsite of Djira people on the Murray River at dawn and, according to the Acting Sub Inspector, Native Mounted Police in his report, 'I came upon a mob camped near the mouth of the "Murray River". Having only three troopers with me, I judged it advisable to take the extreme measure of dispersing the camp at once' (QSA COL /A185/1873/993).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 657
- LanguageGroup
- Djira
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- North Kennedy
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 6
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Native Police
- CorroborationRating
- *
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Early
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
'Maria' massacre, Mission Beach
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
On 26 February 1872, the brig Maria carrying 75 passengers on a gold prospecting expedition to New Guinea, was wrecked on Bramble Reef. The survivors escaped the sinking ship on three boats and two rafts. Two of the boats made it to safety at the British settlement at Cardwell, but the other three craft washed up on the shoreline further north at present day Mission Beach where 14 of the crew, including the captain were killed by the Djuru people (The Queenslander April 13, 1872).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 666
- LanguageGroup
- Djiru
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- Cardwell
- Victims
- Colonists
- VictimsDead
- 14
- VictimDescription
- Sailor(s)
- Attackers
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Aboriginal
- CorroborationRating
- ***
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Early
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Mission Beach (1), Sabben Expedition
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
Sailors led by Lt Sabben RN and another officer were sent with a detachment of sailors from Brisbane to Mission Beach to recover any survivors of the brig Maria which had been wrecked on Bramble reef on 26 February 1872. Some survivors had reached the British settlement at Cardwell but the captain and 13 crew were killed by Djiru people at present day Mission Beach. Sabben and his men landed at Clump Point, Mission Beach and were confronted by about 120 Djiru people.
'Whilst engaged in cooking we
were suddenly surprised by a terrific yell from
about 120 natives who rushed out from the mangrove bushes,
300 yards from the boat, with the intention of capturing
her. This, however, was frustrated by my crew getting
there first, and when the nearest of the natives were
within eighty yards I opened fire on them, but at the first
volley three of the six rifles missed fire, and on examination
it was found all the powder had got wet, as it had
rained a great deal during the morning, and we had also
shipped some water in the boat on our way up. We had
now only our own three Sniders to trust to. Our first
volley was returned by the natives (who were each armed
with a sword, shield, and boomerang) with a volley of
stones, which they kept up to the end of the fight with
great rapidity, but, strange to say, not a stone struck any
of us, though there were several narrow escapes. After
half-an-hour's fighting the blacks retreated into the scrub,
leaving behind them eight killed and eight wounded.' (Sydney Morning Herald, 6 Apr 1872, p 8)
According to Moresby: 'Suddenly there was a yell, and about 120 natives, making hostile demonstrations, rushed from the mangrove bushes 300 yards off the boat, and made for her; Mr. Sabben and his men ran also, gained her first, and opened fire on the blacks at eighty yards, who returned it with a volley of spears, and took to their heels after a while, leaving eight dead and eight wounded behind them' (Moresby, 1876, ch 4).
According to Moresby: 'Suddenly there was a yell, and about 120 natives, making hostile demonstrations, rushed from the mangrove bushes 300 yards off the boat, and made for her; Mr. Sabben and his men ran also, gained her first, and opened fire on the blacks at eighty yards, who returned it with a volley of spears, and took to their heels after a while, leaving eight dead and eight wounded behind them' (Moresby, 1876, ch 4).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 667
- LanguageGroup
- Djiru
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- Cardwell
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 8
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Military
- CorroborationRating
- ***
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Early
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Mission Beach (2), Peri Expedition
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
Following the wreck of the schooner Maria on Bramble reef on 26 February 1872 after which Djiru people had massacred survivors, Captain Moresby from HMS Basilisk and Lieutenant Hayter sailed on the Peri and landed at Mission Beach with a party of sailors, two native police officers and eleven troopers. They then searched for survivors and attacked camps:
'We next proceeded to Tam o'Shanter's Point,
and from this point to Clump Point (the site of Mr. Sabben's encounter) a most vigorous search was made.
A large camp was found, which was rushed, and several
blacks dispersed. In this camp we found a large quantity
of the murdered men's effects, and some charred bones;
other effects were also found in two other camps to the
southward. This completed all traces of the wrecked men.
In this expedition some few natives were killed, and all the
camps between the points above mentioned were destroyed.' (Sydney Morning Herald, 6 Apr 1872, p 8)
Captain Moresby recorded that, 'On our arrival, Mr. Sabben came and reported his execution of this service to me, and Mr. Sheridan met me with a magisterial requisition for assistance, rendered necessary by the fact that various murders and acts of violence had been committed by the blacks of late near Cardwell. It concluded in these words���"If some immediate action is not taken, no boat will be safe on the coast, and I am afraid that the settlers outside the town, or even the town itself, may be attacked by the savages." I therefore aided him to send his black troopers and their officers to the scene of the latest murder���that of the boat's crew of the "Maria" (there to inflict a decisive punishment), by embarking them on board the "Peri",���sending with them three officers and twelve men of H.M.S. "Basilisk", under the command of Lieutenant Francis Hayter. It is needless to say that I felt it very painful to take such a step, but in Mr. Sheridan's opinion as well as my own it was necessary, not only for the sake of justice, and in the interests of all white men who might hereafter be placed at the mercy of the tribe, but to secure the safety of Cardwell itself. The tribe was surprised before daylight,���several unfortunate blacks were shot down by the native troopers, who showed an unrestrained ferocity that disgusted our officers; and the camp, in which some clothing and effects of the four murdered men were found, was destroyed. This work of justice over, the party returned to Cardwell, bringing with them a little native lad about six years old, whose father had been shot.' (Moresby, 1876, Ch. IV, pp 28-29)
Timothy Bottoms estimates that 88 Aboriginal men, women and children were killed overall in the killings carried out during the Peri and Governor Blackall expeditions, 45 of these at Tam O'Shanter Point (Bottoms, 2013, p 135).
Captain Moresby recorded that, 'On our arrival, Mr. Sabben came and reported his execution of this service to me, and Mr. Sheridan met me with a magisterial requisition for assistance, rendered necessary by the fact that various murders and acts of violence had been committed by the blacks of late near Cardwell. It concluded in these words���"If some immediate action is not taken, no boat will be safe on the coast, and I am afraid that the settlers outside the town, or even the town itself, may be attacked by the savages." I therefore aided him to send his black troopers and their officers to the scene of the latest murder���that of the boat's crew of the "Maria" (there to inflict a decisive punishment), by embarking them on board the "Peri",���sending with them three officers and twelve men of H.M.S. "Basilisk", under the command of Lieutenant Francis Hayter. It is needless to say that I felt it very painful to take such a step, but in Mr. Sheridan's opinion as well as my own it was necessary, not only for the sake of justice, and in the interests of all white men who might hereafter be placed at the mercy of the tribe, but to secure the safety of Cardwell itself. The tribe was surprised before daylight,���several unfortunate blacks were shot down by the native troopers, who showed an unrestrained ferocity that disgusted our officers; and the camp, in which some clothing and effects of the four murdered men were found, was destroyed. This work of justice over, the party returned to Cardwell, bringing with them a little native lad about six years old, whose father had been shot.' (Moresby, 1876, Ch. IV, pp 28-29)
Timothy Bottoms estimates that 88 Aboriginal men, women and children were killed overall in the killings carried out during the Peri and Governor Blackall expeditions, 45 of these at Tam O'Shanter Point (Bottoms, 2013, p 135).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 668
- LanguageGroup
- Djiru
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- Cardwell
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 45
- VictimDescription
- Aboriginal
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Native Police, Police
- CorroborationRating
- **
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Early
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Details
Description
Following the wreck of the 'Maria' and the killing of eight Djiru people by Lt Sabben RN and a group of sailors at Mission Beach, Lieutenant Gowlland set sail on the steamer 'Governor Blackall' to search for survivors 'having on board thirteen relatives or friends of the castaway crew ��� [these gentlemen proffered their services on this occasion
as volunteers] ��� as well as a crew of Water Police, with a supply of arms and ammunition' (The Queenslander, 6 Apr, 1872, p 9). At Cardwell he was joined by 'Sub-lieutenant Jones, from the Basilisk... and a detachment of native police under the command of Mr. Johnstone' (The Queenslander, 6 Apr, 1872, p 9). This group set out after the voyage of the Peri on 17 March, 1872 and so was the third expedition to rescue survivors and kill Djiru people at Mission Beach.
According to Gowlland 'Each boat's crew detached an armed landing party, who walked along the beaches, and over the rocks, and whenever feasible, made excursions in various directions through the dense scrub and jungle which fringed the shore of the mainland. A strong party of volunteers, reinforced by the native trackers, forced their way inland along the banks of the river which falls into the sea at the spot marked Shoalhaven on the plan, through an all but impassable country, and in their passage intersected the footmarks ot blacks in numerous directions. Every native camp between Cardwell and Point Cooper [north of Johnstone River], a distance of about fifty miles, was visited and minutely searched for any traces of white men that might permit us to hope that some of our missing countrymen might even still be alive, though languishing in captivity. A second party with two boats, and accompanied by Mr. Johnstone and the native police were sent to examine the banks of a large river, still further to the northward [Mulgrave River], marked on the plan as Shoal Rivulet. They were absent about two days, but with the exception of a felt hat found in a native encampment four miles north of the river, no traces of the existence of living white men in this neighborhood were discovered' (The Queenslander, 6 Apr, 1872, p 9).
Gowlland's report published in the Queenslander does not include details of any people killed. Dr Tate, a surgeon who was on board both the Peri and the Governor Blackall expeditions wrote that 'Lieutenant Gowlland, of the Governor Blackall, for reasons unknown to me, was so inconsiderate as not to send me, the only surgeon on board his vessel ashore, for the purpose of examining the different bodies found, though I had repeatedly requested him to do so' (The Queenslander, 13 Apr 1872, p 8).
According to Timothy Bottom's footnotes, a later report provides details of the people killed on this expedition. This report is cited as 'Sub-Inspector Johnstone to Captain Gowlland, Ship "Governor Blackall," 22 March 1872, Annexure No.3, p.5 of J T Gowlland RN, "New Guinea Expedition per Brig 'Maria.' (Correspondence Respecting Rescue and Arrival of Survivors of.)", NSW Legislative Assembly Votes & Proceedings (NSWV&P), 1872.' According to this report, 'On 21 March 1872, R A "Johnstone and his trackers having given a very good account of the sixteen he came across" (p.21) and the next day "Mr Johnstone's trackers [ie troopers] shot 27 of the Blacks in the Camp" (p.22)' (Bottoms, 2013, p 234). Based on this report Timothy Bottoms writes, 'A week later Johnstone confirmed to Lieutenant Gowlland the killings that had already occurred: "I have also to state that I have severely punished the guilty parties having found the property of the missing men in their possession." Johnstone and his troopers shot a total of 43 Djiru' (Bottoms, 2013, p 135).
According to Gowlland 'Each boat's crew detached an armed landing party, who walked along the beaches, and over the rocks, and whenever feasible, made excursions in various directions through the dense scrub and jungle which fringed the shore of the mainland. A strong party of volunteers, reinforced by the native trackers, forced their way inland along the banks of the river which falls into the sea at the spot marked Shoalhaven on the plan, through an all but impassable country, and in their passage intersected the footmarks ot blacks in numerous directions. Every native camp between Cardwell and Point Cooper [north of Johnstone River], a distance of about fifty miles, was visited and minutely searched for any traces of white men that might permit us to hope that some of our missing countrymen might even still be alive, though languishing in captivity. A second party with two boats, and accompanied by Mr. Johnstone and the native police were sent to examine the banks of a large river, still further to the northward [Mulgrave River], marked on the plan as Shoal Rivulet. They were absent about two days, but with the exception of a felt hat found in a native encampment four miles north of the river, no traces of the existence of living white men in this neighborhood were discovered' (The Queenslander, 6 Apr, 1872, p 9).
Gowlland's report published in the Queenslander does not include details of any people killed. Dr Tate, a surgeon who was on board both the Peri and the Governor Blackall expeditions wrote that 'Lieutenant Gowlland, of the Governor Blackall, for reasons unknown to me, was so inconsiderate as not to send me, the only surgeon on board his vessel ashore, for the purpose of examining the different bodies found, though I had repeatedly requested him to do so' (The Queenslander, 13 Apr 1872, p 8).
According to Timothy Bottom's footnotes, a later report provides details of the people killed on this expedition. This report is cited as 'Sub-Inspector Johnstone to Captain Gowlland, Ship "Governor Blackall," 22 March 1872, Annexure No.3, p.5 of J T Gowlland RN, "New Guinea Expedition per Brig 'Maria.' (Correspondence Respecting Rescue and Arrival of Survivors of.)", NSW Legislative Assembly Votes & Proceedings (NSWV&P), 1872.' According to this report, 'On 21 March 1872, R A "Johnstone and his trackers having given a very good account of the sixteen he came across" (p.21) and the next day "Mr Johnstone's trackers [ie troopers] shot 27 of the Blacks in the Camp" (p.22)' (Bottoms, 2013, p 234). Based on this report Timothy Bottoms writes, 'A week later Johnstone confirmed to Lieutenant Gowlland the killings that had already occurred: "I have also to state that I have severely punished the guilty parties having found the property of the missing men in their possession." Johnstone and his troopers shot a total of 43 Djiru' (Bottoms, 2013, p 135).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 968
- LanguageGroup
- Djiru
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- Cardwell
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 43
- VictimDescription
- Aboriginal
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Native Police, Sailor(s), Police
- CorroborationRating
- ***
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Early
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Wyandote Station, Valley of Lagoons
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
In a letter to the Colonial Secretary by Alfred Davidson, 'representative of the Aborigines Protection Society based in Brisbane', he pointed out that: 'Mr Scott of Valley of Lagoons [station] permitted a mob of Blacks mostly aged, to camp in that neighbourhood upon condition they would do no harm which condition they faithfully kept' (Davidson cited in Bottoms, 2013, p 137). One morning in July 1872 before daylight and without warning they were attacked by a detachment of Native police led by Acting Sub-Inspector Robert Johnstone (Richards, 2008, p 241). 'Several were shot and two Gins taken away. The bodies of the slain Gins appear to have been buried but the naked bodies of eight dead men, one grey haired, were left exposed on the roadside till they stank' (Davidson cited in Bottoms, 2013, p 137).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 674
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 11
- VictimDescription
- Aboriginal
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Native Police
- CorroborationRating
- **
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Early
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Mt Farquharson, Stone Range
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
Sub-Inspector Robert Arthur Johnstone, told settler James Cassady at Ingham in 1880 that he had 'shot as many as thirty-five in one camp' at Mt Farquharson (The Queenslander, October 23, 1880, p 530). According to historian Tim Bottoms, (2013, pp 114-115) Johnstone made a report to the Commissioner of Police on 31 March 1873, in which he said that on 27 March he had 'dispersed a large mob who had been at the Stone station [where Mt Farquharson is located] and returned to camp on 31 March' (Johnstone, cited in Bottoms, 2013, p 115).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 980
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- Port Denison
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 35
- VictimDescription
- Aboriginal
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Native Police
- CorroborationRating
- **
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Early
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Rifle Creek, Black Mountain
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
After Djabugay raids in which Patrick Molloy lost 8 draught horses, Molloy, with other white settlers and a party of native mounted police 'tracked the Djabugay group to Bunda Bugal (Black Mountain) at the head of Rifle Creek.' where they were, in the colonists language of the time, 'dispersed' and 'taught a lesson' (Bottoms, 2013, p 151).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 672
- LanguageGroup
- Djabugay
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 6
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Native Police, Settler(s)
- CorroborationRating
- *
- AboriginalPlaceName
- Bunda Bugal
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Late
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Details
Description
In 1884, Jack Kane, aged 18, joined with police officers and Aboriginal trackers in a week long operation. They surrounded a Yidinydji camp before dawn. 'At dawn one man fired into their camp and the natives rushed away in three other directions. They were easy running shots, close up' (Jack Kane to Tindale cited in Bottoms 2013). The native police then killed off the children. From there the native police chased them to Mulgrave and Four Mile and shot more of them.
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 677
- LanguageGroup
- Yidinydi
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- Cooktown
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 20
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Field Police, Aboriginal Tracker(s)
- CorroborationRating
- *
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Late
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Irvinebank, inland from Cairns
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
'Native police led by Sub-Inspector William Nichols and Cadet Roland Garraway killed at least six Aboriginal people at Irvinebank, inland from Cairns' (Richards, 2008, p 33). 'Mr Mowbray [and] Dr Bowkett . . . visiting the scene of the slaughter, not a vestige of human remains were visible, a large fire having been evidently built on them the previous night' (Brisbane Courier, November 14, 1884, p 5).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 662
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- Cairns
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 6
- VictimDescription
- Aboriginal
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Native Police
- CorroborationRating
- ***
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Late
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Malanda
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
Following the Aboriginal killing of a miner, Frank Paske, at Waraimba Creek, near Peeramen, Fred G Brown, George Clark, George Goodson, Willie Joss, Aleck Neilsen, an unnamed police sergeant and two black trackers, set out to avenge his death. They came across 'a dozen or so' tracks of an Aboriginal group making camp near present day Malanda, and at dawn the following morning, they attacked the camp, shooting six of them (Townsville Daily Bulletin, February 2, 1933, p 10). Fred Brown captured a little boy aged five or six years of age who was orphaned in the massacre. A few weeks later he gave the little boy to Scottish taxidermists, Robert and Elizabeth Grant, who were collecting specimens for the Australian Museum in Sydney. They named the boy Douglas Grant. He grew up with the Grant family in Sydney, fought for Australia in World War I and died without issue in Sydney on 4 December 1951 (Ramsland 2019, pp 46-49).
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 947
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- Kennedy
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 6
- VictimDescription
- Aboriginal
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Aboriginal Tracker(s)
- CorroborationRating
- **
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Late
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
Sources
Barron River, Cairns
- Type
- Event
Details
Description
In June 1890, following the murder of Mr Hobson on his station by one of his Aboriginal workers, known as Bismarck, a detachment of native police surrounded the camp of the 'Barron tribe' 'towards which "Bismarck's" steps were tracked and surrounded; and, without warning, the cordon of rifles fired into the camp, and left eight Aboriginals dead' (Queenslander, Sept 19, 1891, pp 572-573). However Bismarck and his accomplice, Darkie, were not among the victims and were later arrested. Their fate is not known.
Extended Data
- Source_ID
- 970
- Colony
- QLD
- StateOrTerritory
- QLD
- PoliceDistrict
- Cairns
- Victims
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
- VictimsDead
- 8
- VictimDescription
- Aboriginal
- Attackers
- Colonists
- AttackersDead
- 0
- AttackerDescription
- Native Police
- CorroborationRating
- *
- War
- Tropical Coast
- Stage
- Late
- Region
- North East
- Period
- North
