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Myall Creek Massacre |
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This is the only massacre for which Europeans were
charged, found guilty and punished. In early May 1838 a group of about 40 Aboriginal people set up camp on Henry Dangars Myall Creek station. A posse of blood thirsty, white stockmen and squatters arrived one day seeking revenge for cattle losses. The Aboriginal people (the Kamilaroi) at the property had no involvement in these attacks on stock. Despite this knowledge the men cold bloodedly killed 28 old men, women and children and later another three. Children were decapitated and people hacked to death. A young women was forced to witness her people being killed and was then repeatedly brutalised. Governor Gipps ordered an investigation onto the massacre with a view to prosecution. There was a great deal of public anger towards the government over this decision. In the initial trial the 11 men were found not guilty, in the retrial 7 men were charged with murder and sentenced to be hung. The intended message of this trial and hanging from the government was that Aboriginal people could not be treated in this way. The message that was received was that if you did kill Aboriginal people, don't tell the authorities and cover up any evidence. The result was that nearly all further massacres went unrecorded. |
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Today there is a monument in the place of the massacre which was unveiled at a special ceremony in 2001 The Myall Creek Massacre Memorial was established in 2001. The Memorial consists of a large granite boulder with a plaque, erected on a hill overlooking the site of the massacre at Myall Creek. The path winding up to the monument has seven smaller rocks each containing some of the story, with a seat opposite each rock and situated under trees. The Memorial brought together the descendants of the victims, survivors and perpetrators of the violence in an act of reconciliation which had implications for the whole community. On 10th June each year a commemoration ceremony is held at the site. The site is becoming more frequently visited by non Indigenous people who are slowly becoming aware of the true history of Indigenous Australians and the struggle since the invasion. |
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Teachers may like to use these prepared units from InovatED to support this area of learning.
