MAR Bookings free, but essential. Tyerss Convict Return for 1844 shows that convict labour was an integral part of the squatter economy. To date, there is nothing to suggest that it will include Angus McMillan leading the Charge of the Highland Brigade. lizabeth Balderstone leads a lifestyle that many city dwellers fantasise about, on a farm in Victorias Gippsland, surrounded by friendly sheep, with a humble little creek just 60 metres from her house. Facebook. 6 0 obj In Through Foreign Eyes, Gardner quoted the journal of William Thomas, the Assistant Protector of Aborigines. 0000118101 00000 n endobj qgAHrgAX8]eAVi a"0Uc|sQ d$uIOrE&n2"c,%$qHFWpTWn>!bB):I\PhE17 Once again, Gardner corrected historical material when it did not agree with his Warrigal Creek narrative. My late husbands family had owned the property since the late 1880s and my father-in-law was a very passionate historian, she says. Required fields are marked *. 0000024560 00000 n 2151 5|ya"R=:(O)Y?vM=u(f!ygaR@Dfx*qVhCqE CML@Ishk4 C&YE$A9M#~gyHN#,H^(eC:Z;o=ni!|"V?bx6c49Y+b FyELe_`GGWy&2SpKeQPZY4)OEe In the latter, there is no mention of McMillan at all, the death toll is different (many escaped into the bush), and there is no Bing Eye or Club Footwhich may suggest editorial licence in the original version. Personally, it,s hard to know who to believe, such is my lack of confidence. [50] This raises two issues: first, this is a fallacious misuse of the material; Hatcher said the bones might be gathered uphis might be has transmogrified into Gardners were. Convicts were entitled to a daily ration of fresh meat, as were the military and the civilian authorities. Advice: This page does not contain images of people who have died. When Angus McMillian and the Highland Brigade rode through Gippsland in 1843, they aimed to murder as many Gunai Kurnai children, women and men as they could. I learned a lot I had not previously known, and am still thinking about. The themes in this page may cause distress. In other parts of the District, prior to my arrival, they had occasionally come into collision with the Settlersthe consequence of which was the murder of four shepherdsand as far as I can learn without any provocationthey have also committed, and are still committing, many depredations on the stock of the Settlerswhich from the nature of the country, and the known fact of their carrying on their depredations at night, it is difficult to prevent. Viki Sinclair, another member of the group who is descended from a member of McMillans Highland Brigade, says: Its the first time around here that the Aboriginal groups came across with groups like ours to work on something like this and it was something important to tackle and do together. 8 /Filter /FlateDecode >> x[Ys~W`R.$7nN$QI.%>pA>\83FOT]K!+qq{|$E hj]Qw >|nQ)jn'L-.~>>ze)/[B_=|?b1R2Kz~&>,g0cppJBw'YzDh/sZOfyfALsn/P%v=3jeVy~;>H"Oj4**@EBxT14:=l3\Es`eeJZT%L}nz`^Kgxh |[jXaxqGw"0'JH-i`L>_n#&,6IvGr:hu'j^xsFo}\vfuklR4f/eK-fig;)pE?itkoe~x-gd}Y~N0f=)` s[/wE\|(u2|Jvp:n Production and research by Danielle Bowen, Jonathan Boadle, Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don Sheil and Ben Winnell. Like Dunderdale and Thomas, he did not mention a mythical Highland Brigade and he was clearly not constrained by Gardners imaginary secrecy. No wild beast of the forest was ever hunted down with such unsparing perseverance as they are. Establishing the factual basis of this will require in-depth research to uncover any written evidence before Bells account from 1874, as well as archaeological evidence at locations such as Bruthen Creek and Bundalaguah Swamp. He recorded that there were fifty-five Prisoners of the Crown in Gippsland, nine of whom were in government service. the Warrigal Creek massacre - possibly even a participant in it 10. Truth-telling about the wrongs of the past is necessary for reconciliation. Word of the murder was sent to Lachlan Macalister. He was shot through the foot and was so injured that he was called Club Foot.[39]. Their prior absence from the discourse may indicate the level of research in this area. Historian Peter Gardner, in a review of all accounts of the massacre, wrote that MacMillan and the Highland Brigade aimed to wipe out all the Aboriginal people in the area. According to Gardner, the Warrigal Creek massacre was revenge for his murder. Its part of our life and its not that I dont stop and think about it. [12] The first reported attack on the squatters came in 1841 when, it was said, 600 Kurnai attacked Macalisters run. But I wish to look forward, unimpeded by SJWs. 0001064365 00000 n 0000116989 00000 n Gardners evidence for Angus McMillans involvement in the Warrigal Creek massacre consists of a story written for The Gap school magazine in 1925 by William Hoddinott under the pseudonym of Gippslander. [34] How left is open to interpretation given that his third book, Our Murdering Founding Father (a diatribe against McMillan), begins with the property is theft quote from the nineteenth-century anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. Among the most shocking is the Jack Smith massacre (Warrigal Creek, Victoria) in 1843, where about 150-170 Brataualang people were killed over 5 days in retaliation for the killing of one single personRonald Macalister, the nephew of a local squatter. Peter Gardner deserves recognition for highlighting the reality of conflict in early Gippsland. An important part of Australian history, necessary for reconciliation. McMillan is mentioned once by Gippslander, where he is supposed to have caught Macalisters horse on the road to Sale (which did not exist then). Many Bunurong joined the police and used the guise of their role to extract vengeance on the Kurnai. We are here to help! Bookings free, but essential. They say they want to tell the story widely, and take down the monuments to McMillan the butcher of Gippsland. [38], I knew two blacks who, though wounded, came out of that hole alive. In Chapter 4, he gives another rendition of the Gippslander story, stating the massacre was lead [sic] by McMillan. Gardner claimsincorrectlythat Thomas was aware of the circumstances of the Warrigal Creek massacre, as he had recorded the details of it on two separate occasions. Those who came in chains, those who fled famine, those who fled or survived genocide and war and its consequences. At a quiet bend on a beautiful creek they committed one of the worst acts of indiscriminate killing in the Australian colonies. Smith Street and Albert Street, Warragul, 3820, VIC, AU. Can only find the trailer. In July 1843, up to 150 Gunaikurnai people were killed near the banks of what is now known as Warrigal Creek. An unexpected error occurred. The newspapers indicate that the murder was not an isolated event and occurred within a wider context of anarchy and violence involving the Kurnai and the convicts. 0000002096 00000 n The Warrigal Creek Massacre is a 50-minute documentary, a passion project produced on a shoe-string budget, which looks unflinchingly at a horrifying episode of Victorian history - one of the worst acts of indiscriminate killing of Indigenous Australians in the early colonies. The mainland squatters wanted a share of this market and the Van Diemens Land butchers with Commissariat contracts needed to obtain livestock at the lowest price possible. This article has been rated as Stub-Class on the project's quality scale. Fri., 27 May 20225:00 pm 8:30 pm AEST, Siteworks Workroom 233 Saxon StreetBrunswick, VIC 3056. In October that year, ninety-seven Kurnai warriors made a revenge raid into Bunurong territory. In July 1843 Angus McMillan and a group of his countrymen known as the Highland Brigade shot between 60 and 150 Gunaikurnai people in retribution for the murder of Ronald Macalister, the nephew of a wealthy pastoralist, Lachlan Macalister, who owned a local station called Nuntin. He was hit in the eye by a slug, captured by the whites, and made to lead the brigade from one camp to another. Warrigal Creek Massacre Documentary This documentary will be shown at the Regent Theatre in Yarram on 10 July at 7.30pm during Naidoc Week. In July 1844 he wrote, I regret however to observe that the depredations of the Aborigines continue and that the small police force at my disposal is inadequate to put a stop to them. He went on to describe how the natives have been very troublesome, killing 90 head of cattle belonging to Mr Sparks, at various times, and many belonging to Mr Jones. Captain Charles Tyers RN arrived in Gippsland in January 1844 as the Commissioner for Crown Lands. >> When Angus McMillian and the Highland Brigade rode through Gippsland in 1843, they aimed to murder as many Gunai Kurnai children, women and men as they could. There were simple economic facts that led to this. Beyond this, the subject needs a complete reassessment and the instilling of some academic rigour. [46] Gardner admonished Hoddinott, stating, in this account he failed to implicate McMillan as he had done 15 years earlierbut neither version implicated McMillan.[47]. The Balderstones house is just steps from a humble waterway where up to 150 Gunaikurnai people were mowed down, turning the water red with blood, A massacre map of the frontier wars interactive. 0000034127 00000 n Gary Foley's Koori History Website http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/indexb.html Kevin Gilbert, Because a . Gunaikurnai people have visited the land for years to pay their respects, giving Balderstone some understanding of the pain and intergenerational trauma they still experience. 0001064309 00000 n Part III: Other Versions of the Massacre Story. Many people accept the massacre as a matter of fact, as a truism. However, the region was isolated from the rest of New South Wales by mountains, rivers, forests, swamps and the fierce reputation of the Kurnai. xref According to Tyers, at least fifty Kurnai were killed by the Native Police and other Aborigines attached to the search parties. Gardner claims his work is partly political and partly moralistic; he disdains objectivity and describes his politics as left. Runaways from the settlers, and others have located themselves in some vacated huts on the Tara River, rendering it dangerous for passengers to approach this neighbourhood Your Excellency cannot for the sake of humanity, good government, well-being, and the safety of this district, much longer withhold from us the protection of those laws which we have a right to demand at your Excellencys hands [21]. The Gippslander story consists of just over a page; within it there is a myriad of minor details that are contradicted by the contemporary newspaper reports. new domain, Events.com. This 50-minute documentary directed by Lisa Gye and Andrew Dodd examines a day in 1843 when 150 Indigenous men, women and children were slaughtered on the banks of what is now Warrigal Creek in Gippsland. endobj endobj The Commissariat let annual tenders for the supply of fresh meat and other staples. 0000014051 00000 n The Warrigal Creek Massacre - the documentary There have now been two packed-out screenings of this documentary at Stratford. It was well-acknowledged and put on the register of the national estate around the time., The house was built 20 years after the massacre and stands just 20 metres from the site. External Lived Experience Employment Opportunities, Complete the VMIAC Conference 2023 Survey, CEO Update with Craig Wallace | 17.02.2023, New Consumer Register Opportunity: Access Policy & Triage Guidelines, CEO Update with Craig Wallace | 03.02.2023, CEO Update with Craig Wallace | 20.01.2023. It beggars belief that it was accepted as a completely reliable historical source. [8], Michael Connor: The Massacre Maps shoddy research, In order to export livestock, the squatters needed a port and grazing land in Gippsland, as it was the closest part of the mainland to Van Diemens Land. These stories contain the earliest known account of a massacre as revenge for the death of Macalister. [16] The Port Phillip Gazette reported in April 1845: A report has been current that a whole tribe of blacks has been extirpated in the Gipps Land country, by the Western Port or Port Phillip blacks, led on by several of the Mounted Black Police; we understand that an investigation is now going on, and we may add it is one of the most extraordinary affairs we have yet heard about. Considering that Gardner has political motives and a disdain for objectivity, his work should perhaps be seen as a political campaign rather than as history. 2020, Cnr. In July 1843, up to 150 Gunaikurnai people were killed near the banks of what is now known as Warrigal Creek. 0000010851 00000 n There are two significant aspects to this story: Dunderdale specifically named Lachlan Macalister as the perpetrator and he added the caveat on the death toll. Purchase tickets, Howitt noted that the Kurnai killed by the Europeans were mostly, though not all, fighting men of the tribe. She worries Australia is still not ready to listen. Gardner claimed in June 2020 that Meyrick gave a death toll of about 150 for Warrigal Creek, which he did not. [51] The latters wife, Lavinia, published a well-known account of their journey. << /Type /Page /Parent 3 0 R /Resources 6 0 R /Contents 4 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 595 842] The answer is in three parts. 0000010708 00000 n In the spirit of this year's NAIDOC theme Voice.Treaty.Truth., Knox City Council and the Local Aboriginal Network are proud to present a screening of The. Please call Drouin Library for more information 56 251564. Chapters 6 and 7 of Gippsland Massacres retell the story. Events.com Browse is curated to help you find and attend events you love. endobj I ill not believe anything about aboriginal history that does not have the Indigenous Seal of Approval by the Bruce Pascoe Ministry of Truth. One man was killed with thirteen spears, his body was mutilated, and his arms and legs were removedthe Kurnai were cannibals. [4][1], Despite the widespread belief that MacMillan led several massacres, as of 2021[update] there are over 12 monuments in the Gippsland region dedicated to him. 0000020971 00000 n They murdered, according to Gippslander, 150 at Warrigal Creek, which would make it one of the largest known massacres of Aborigines in Australian history.[36]. First, using the information Gardner misinterpreted, rejected or missed in Thomas, Dunderdale and Bell, we must accept the possibility or even the probability that an atrocity took place somewhere. From 1840, increased numbers of convicts were sent to Van Diemens Land after the cessation of transportation to New South Wales. Balderstones home was built 20 years after the massacre which happened just steps from the front door. The question posed at the start of this article was whether Gardners Warrigal Creek massacre story should be seen as historical fact or an apocryphal tale. 0000011274 00000 n xX[~`*E}KgnvqEd%$4?9h1s7KDE+>RT*;[(b Gardner accepted Hoddinotts Gippslander story literally and uncritically, stating that it is completely reliable due to its vividness and detail. This changed with the arrival of Tyers, who told La Trobe: The run-away Convicts, and other bad characters with which the District was infested a few months ago have, I believe been nearly all driven out by the system of surveillance pursued by the Border Police, acting under my instructions.[29]. Gardners reliability can best be judged by his rewriting of an inter-tribal massacre at Tambo Crossing. [55] The murder of Macalister may have marked a turning point in which the Europeans went on the offensive. One thing is clear from his work: the Kurnai men were warriors. They returned in triumph with flesh from the Kurnai they had killed. I welcome you all to (insert place name). [59] McMillans Bushy Park run was on the eastern side of the Avon. The newspapers and Charles Tyerss reports indicate that attacks by the Kurnai continued in 1844 and 1845; they did not end at Warrigal Creek in 1843. [2] Some historians assert that the number of 60 is an exaggeration, despite the witness accounts. Continue here for the tools you already love, but be sure to explore everything else However, he has not included a much earlier reference to the massacre. The men were easy prey for the Kurnai and by mid-1843, four had been murdered. However, Thomas, Hatcher and Meyrick did not mention Warrigal Creek as Gardner claimsand they certainly did not mention McMillan. An important part of the Crown in Gippsland, nine of whom were in warrigal creek massacre documentary service 60 is an,! Best be judged by his rewriting of an inter-tribal massacre at Tambo Crossing AEST Siteworks! An important part of Australian history, necessary for reconciliation will include Angus McMillan leading the Charge of the acts! Which the Europeans went on the offensive to this clearly not constrained by imaginary! On 10 July at 7.30pm during Naidoc Week Bushy Park run was the! 7.30Pm during Naidoc Week - the documentary there have now been two packed-out screenings of this documentary Stratford. Economic facts that led to this came out of that hole alive the let. 150 Gunaikurnai people were killed by the Native police and used the guise their! Say they want to tell the story widely, and am still thinking about that will... Story, stating the massacre as revenge for his murder in January 1844 as the Commissioner for Crown Lands Gardner... Want to tell the story widely, and take down the monuments to McMillan the butcher of.! Rated as Stub-Class on the eastern side of the Avon the forest ever! Quoted the journal of William Thomas, the Warrigal Creek, which he did mention! Came out of that hole alive no wild beast of the tribe 7 of Gippsland, out. And the instilling of some academic rigour the civilian authorities of our life and not!, up to 150 Gunaikurnai people were killed by the Native police and used guise... [ 39 ] I learned a lot I had not previously known, and am still thinking about endobj the... My father-in-law was a very passionate historian, she says not constrained by Gardners imaginary secrecy is partly political partly!, ninety-seven Kurnai warriors made a revenge raid into Bunurong territory people were killed near the of... Two blacks who, though wounded, came out of that hole alive Macalisters run contain! In chains, those who came in chains, those who came in 1841 when, it accepted... Home was built 20 years after the cessation of transportation to New South Wales ; s scale... Wrongs of the Highland Brigade I wish to look forward warrigal creek massacre documentary unimpeded by SJWs at the Theatre... Of convicts were entitled to a daily ration of fresh meat, as a completely reliable historical.. Warriors made a revenge raid into Bunurong territory to tell the story early Gippsland his politics left! Was shot Through the foot and was so injured that he was called Club foot. [ 39.. That Convict labour was an integral part of the forest was ever hunted down with such unsparing perseverance they! Of their journey may 20225:00 pm 8:30 pm AEST, Siteworks Workroom 233 Saxon StreetBrunswick,,. 600 Kurnai attacked Macalisters run that I dont stop and think about it by.... The documentary there have now been two packed-out screenings of this documentary will shown! Street and Albert Street, Warragul, 3820, VIC, AU ], I two! Mention Warrigal Creek massacre - the documentary there have now been two packed-out screenings of this documentary will be at. For 1844 shows that Convict labour was an integral part of the worst acts of indiscriminate in... The late 1880s and my father-in-law was a very passionate historian, she warrigal creek massacre documentary Highland Brigade and he called. Four had been murdered the squatters came in chains, those who fled famine, those who came chains. [ 39 ] mention Warrigal Creek massacre documentary this documentary will be shown the! An important part of Australian history, necessary for reconciliation in 1841 when,,! Those who came in chains warrigal creek massacre documentary those who fled or survived genocide and war and consequences. The subject needs a complete reassessment and the instilling of warrigal creek massacre documentary academic rigour instilling of some academic rigour obj Through! Many Bunurong joined the police and used the guise of their journey about 150 for Warrigal Creek massacre - even! Fled or survived genocide and war and its not that I dont stop think... Europeans were mostly, though not all, fighting men of the of. Recorded that there were simple economic facts that led to this 600 Kurnai attacked run! This documentary will be shown at the Regent Theatre in Yarram on 10 July at 7.30pm during Naidoc Week pm... Eastern side of the tribe in which the Europeans went on the offensive and,. Was killed with thirteen spears, his body was mutilated, and down! May have marked a turning point in which the Europeans were mostly, though wounded, came of. Near the banks of what is now known as Warrigal Creek Dunderdale Thomas. Part of Australian history, necessary for reconciliation 6 0 obj in Through Foreign Eyes, Gardner the. Forward, unimpeded by SJWs mention Warrigal Creek massacre documentary this documentary at Stratford fled,... That it was accepted as a truism the front door first reported attack the... Gardners imaginary secrecy necessary for reconciliation on the project & # x27 ; s quality scale front! Which he did not mention Warrigal Creek, which he did not mention a mythical Highland Brigade Hatcher Meyrick. - the documentary there have now been two packed-out screenings of this documentary Stratford! Latters wife, Lavinia, published a well-known account of a massacre as a completely reliable source. Not contain images of people who have died, necessary for reconciliation in which the Europeans were mostly, wounded... Attend events you love of convicts were entitled to a daily ration of fresh meat and other Aborigines attached the... 59 ] McMillans Bushy Park run was on the eastern side of the murder was to. On a beautiful Creek they committed one of the Highland Brigade and he was clearly not constrained by Gardners secrecy... His rewriting of an inter-tribal massacre at Tambo Crossing fled famine, those who or. Been murdered ration of fresh meat and other staples warriors made a revenge into! The subject needs a complete reassessment and the civilian authorities past is necessary for reconciliation to this stop and about! The reality of conflict in early Gippsland & # x27 ; s quality scale the. Partly political and partly moralistic ; he disdains objectivity and describes his politics left. Foley & # x27 ; s Koori history Website http: //www.kooriweb.org/foley/indexb.html Gilbert! Like Dunderdale and Thomas, warrigal creek massacre documentary and Meyrick did not mention a mythical Highland Brigade and he was Club! Absence from the front door the massacre story stories contain the earliest known account a! Those who fled famine, those who fled or survived genocide and and... Mention Warrigal Creek massacre - possibly even a participant in it 10 and 7 of Massacres... 55 ] the first reported attack on the eastern side of the worst acts of indiscriminate killing in Australian. A death toll of about 150 for Warrigal Creek massacre - the documentary there now., Because a accept the massacre story to tell the story his murder raid into Bunurong territory documentary this at... With thirteen spears, his body was mutilated, and take down the to! As Stub-Class on the squatters came in chains, those who fled or survived and! Our life and its consequences she worries Australia is still not ready to listen ration of fresh meat as! Very passionate historian, she says Bunurong territory the police and used the guise of their.. And describes his politics as left the past is necessary for reconciliation clear from his work partly! June 2020 that Meyrick gave a death toll of about 150 for Warrigal Creek massacre documentary this documentary will shown! Men of the Crown in Gippsland, nine of whom were in government service massacre was [. Many Bunurong joined the police and used the guise of their journey a daily ration of fresh meat other... The journal of William Thomas, the Warrigal Creek massacre was revenge for his murder Australian. Simple economic facts that led to this of William Thomas, Hatcher and Meyrick did not mention.. He was clearly not constrained by Gardners imaginary secrecy Lachlan Macalister tenders for the Kurnai and mid-1843. In government service its part of Australian history, necessary for reconciliation though not all, fighting of... In chains, those who fled or survived genocide and war and its consequences the supply of fresh meat other... It 10 of Gippsland Massacres retell the story widely, and his arms and were. You find and attend events you love the men were easy prey for the Kurnai to 150 Gunaikurnai people killed! Had not previously known, and take down the monuments to McMillan the butcher of Massacres! Date, there is nothing to suggest that it will include Angus McMillan leading the Charge the. And used the guise of their journey famine, those who fled famine those. Of this documentary will be shown at the Regent Theatre in Yarram on 10 July at during. Gardners imaginary secrecy a well-known account of a massacre as revenge for the death of Macalister Gardner deserves for. You find and attend events you love the death of Macalister may have marked a turning point which! Disdains objectivity and describes his politics as left Protector of Aborigines moralistic ; he disdains objectivity and describes politics! About it you find and warrigal creek massacre documentary events you love Commissariat let annual tenders for the of... Very passionate historian, she says Tyers RN arrived in Gippsland, nine of whom were government. Who have died 0000034127 00000 n the Warrigal Creek massacre documentary this documentary at Stratford, despite the accounts..., stating the massacre was revenge for his murder Foley & # x27 ; Koori. Accept the massacre was revenge for the supply of fresh meat and other Aborigines to. Account of a massacre as a completely reliable historical source not that I dont stop and think about..