Over there, thats where the whitefellas killed our old fellas., The Gurnaikurnai artist Steaphan Paton says the monuments to McMillan one calls him Gippslands discoverer should be removed: They belong in a museum, they dont belong on our land.. Warrigal Creek Massacre is within the scope of WikiProject Australia, which aims to improve Wikipedia's coverage of Australia and Australia-related topics. This article has been rated as Stub-Class on the project's quality scale. The culture of secrecy surrounding the massacres was evident in Willy Hoddinotts account (as an anonymous Gippslander) published in the Gap magazine more than 80 years later: .css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The brigade coming up to the blacks camped around the waterhole at Warrigal Creek surrounded them and fired into them, killing a great number, some escaped into the scrub, others jumped into the waterhole, and, as fast as they put their heads up for breath, they were shot until the water was red with blood. In his first notes [in the 1970s], he talks about the massacre and, from the beginning of my time here, no one ever kept a blanket over the story. Warrigal Creek Massacre Documentary This documentary will be shown at the Regent Theatre in Yarram on 10 July at 7.30pm during Naidoc Week. 16 0 obj They travelled with Edward Hobson, who was attempting to find an overland route to Gippsland. [22] Sydney Morning Herald 15 April 1844, p. 4; the article appears to have Lachlan Macalisters turn of phrase. In July 1843, a European named Ronald Macalister was killed by First Nations men near Port Albert, in Victoria. endobj And when Gippsland comes to terms with what happened, and why it happened, theres an opportunity to talk much better about that history.. Launch date: Wednesday 4 AprilStratford Courthouse TheatreFree entry but bookings essentialRegister via Eventbrite http://bit.ly/2sTmWsCAbout the filmWhen An. Second, Gardners narrative is based on the assertion that the massacre and Angus McMillan are synonymous, but he has produced no evidence whatsoever to implicate McMillan. The theme for Reconciliation Week 2018 is 'Don't keep history a mystery' Learn - Share - Grow. Gardner believes that the lack of primary evidence for massacres such as Warrigal Creek is due to silence and secrecy and this is a recurrent theme in his work. Rather, his involvement is presented as a fait accompli. Balderstone and Irving hope that one day Australia fully recognises the extent of the massacres through a truth and reconciliation commission. 148 0 obj <>stream Word of the murder was sent to Lachlan Macalister. 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. The return did not include ex-convicts.[28]. The Australian reported in August: The Prince George touched at Port Albert on the 25th ultimo, and reports that the Agenoria is taking in cattle there, the captain of which reported the blacks to be in a very riotous state. Required fields are marked *. While the murder was well documented in contemporary newspaper accounts, the reports also indicate that by mid-1843, Gippsland was in a state of disarray. This special screening is being hosted by the Healesville Local Aboriginal Network (LAN), Healesville Indigenous Community Services Association (HICSA), Yarra . 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. [45] Australasian 15 September 1923 p. 55; 31 January 1925; Glen Innes Examiner 31 August 1911 p. 6; Smiths Weekly 12 April 1919, p. 15, [47] Gardner (1990) Our Murdering Founding Father, Ngarak Press, Ensay, p. 40, [51] Stephens, Margeurita, transcribed from the journal of William Thomas; cited on Peter Crowleys website Snow on the Jeeralangs, [52]Adams, John (1990) From These Beginnings, Alberton Shire Council, Yarram, p. 21, [54] Tyers, Charles 1859 Submission to the Select Committee on Aborigines, Government Printer, Melbourne, p.77, [56] Gippsland Times 24 June 2020 (on-line edition), [57] Dunderdale, George (1898) The Book of the Bush, Ward Locke, London, pp.214- 215, [60] County Lands in the Parishes of Bundalaguah and Nuntin, 1857, W T Dawson, District Surveyor, on-line copy, NLA. the Warrigal Creek massacre - possibly even a participant in it 10. [10], When the squatters began occupying Kurnai territory with their herds of sheep and cattle, conflict soon followed. In Chapter 4, he gives another rendition of the Gippslander story, stating the massacre was lead [sic] by McMillan. Its part of our life and its not that I dont stop and think about it. xX[~`*E}KgnvqEd%$4?9h1s7KDE+>RT*;[(b One might assume that Balderstone was blissfully unaware of this when she moved to the farm in 1974, but she explains she knew about Warrigal Creek from the beginning. The timing of this record is important because it was made after two of the three searches for a white woman allegedly held captive by the Kurnai. Thomas wrote that Meyrick, gave me a most awful statement of doings in Gippsland & tho he stated the utter impossibility of bringing forward valid evidence to convict in a court of law, yet the awful spectacle of human skeletons & pack[s] of bones & report[s] of doings within the last 3 yrs, shows that the Aborigines have been cut off in awful numbers, & the residue left almost totally destitute, in fact he said how they lived God only knew as they were driven to the Lakes & Lagoons where Europeans would not follow them, that the Maneiro Blks (encouraged he believed by the early Settlers) [had] been very instrumental with the Black Police of awfully thinning their numbers that the Awful Sacrifice of life after the Murder of Mr McAlister was awfully reckless & merciless [53]. While the murder was well documented in contemporary newspaper accounts, the reports also indicate that by mid-1843, Gippsland was in a state of disarray. 0000001936 00000 n To date, there is nothing to suggest that it will include Angus McMillan leading the Charge of the Highland Brigade. Gardners cover-up conspiracy theory thus rests on an obvious misrepresentation of Hatchers account. Balderstones home was built 20 years after the massacre which happened just steps from the front door. If the problem persists contact Customer Support. The creek is on a farm 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Sale, and 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of Melbourne, in the South Gippsland area of Victoria, Australia. Every day I look over and make sure things look peaceful there.. McMillan is not implicated in any of the material cited as evidence against him. >> /ExtGState << /Gs2 23 0 R /Gs1 24 0 R >> /Font << /TT2 11 0 R /TT3 12 0 R The Commissariat let annual tenders for the supply of fresh meat and other staples. While we are not personally responsible we continue to live different experiences from these events; some of privilege, some of disadvantage, some unknowing. Gardner claims it is a secondary source but it is, at best, folk history that he has embroidered with his own fiction about McMillan. HLWKf_e|~JD,@K&HSU}t?nO?7OWO?zW_/Vew}V53VfyKwVh{OM5{=+JUwPfQ}-nXY34lMXGz+{? [51] The latters wife, Lavinia, published a well-known account of their journey. The Warrigal Creek Massacre on Vimeo. Gardner regards tribal warfare as a myth.[18]. [30] Escapees living outside the law would therefore have posed a dire threat to the Kurnai. [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. 0000118101 00000 n Within a period of two years, it appears that Gippsland became a haven for escapees. They did not find any Bunurong so they ransacked a squatters station instead. x]xG)mIq$hpwwR+VKqPMps^63.ffv>Y ?hiO#'FZ@&.JGr4O,D5nHEK{GDs ,2fspcd88qpB[V,4~nfrpe8,$Y}i{rq]v9sl{3g &6mBRii&"0k2dZNPR5foHWJcJWLlel+_0d)[Vs[ ])[UJT+Wd41 At a quiet bend on a beautiful creek they committed one of the worst acts of indiscriminate killing in the Australian colonies. The region had descended rapidly into crime and violence in the absence of any government authority. Sell more tickets through digital marketing. 6 0 obj Personally, it,s hard to know who to believe, such is my lack of confidence. E lizabeth Balderstone leads a lifestyle that many city dwellers fantasise about, on a farm in Victoria's Gippsland, surrounded by friendly sheep, with a humble little creek just 60 metres from. At a quiet bend on a beautiful creek they committed one of the worst acts of indiscriminate killing in the Australian colonies. The validity of the will remains a problem. I knew two blacks, who though wounded came out of the hole alive. startxref /TT4 13 0 R /TT6 15 0 R /TT1 10 0 R >> /XObject << /Im2 16 0 R /Im3 18 0 R 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. It really hadnt happened before and it just was not even acknowledged or recognised.. 0000034566 00000 n The area of Nuntin is on the western side of the Avon and was shown in a survey map of 1857. [6] It's an atrocity which historians found fitting the criteria of 'genocidal massacre.' [3] Gary Foley's Koori History Website http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/indexb.html Kevin Gilbert, Because a . An important part of Australian history, necessary for reconciliation. endobj 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]. Buntines Bruthen Creek run was several miles and several squatting runs to the west of Warrigal Creek. Gardner claimed in June 2020 that Meyrick gave a death toll of about 150 for Warrigal Creek, which he did not. 0000002903 00000 n Please note and use or adapt the following words. This documentary was made by university journalism students and staff. share events with your friends and make the most out of every experience. It also suggests that the squatters were unprepared for the resistance they faced. [6=ViWy|4X$l`DvNk#F/W/kO>{Z_:/\ 'lrgQvFY+fGQ 4\y~QVG[\^aeiQ>mx2k |#R[?#5M. But I wish to look forward, unimpeded by SJWs. The stories were republished as The Book of the Bush in 1898. Happy New Year to all. Thats not to say they dont exist, but if you have knowledge of such I would be grateful to know it. <>>> 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. Gardner concludes that McMillan's group initially killed two family groups at Warrigal Creek waterhole and then a few days later killed another 60 people at the mouth of Warrigal Creek, then killing three other groups at Freshwater Creek, Gammon Creek, and Red Hill. Home News Warrigal Creek doco at the Memo. It was made to better understand our country's true history. Please enable JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of its glory. 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. In a letter to the Age in August 1874, R.L. Tyerss Convict Return for 1844 shows that convict labour was an integral part of the squatter economy. Peter Gardner deserves recognition for highlighting the reality of conflict in early Gippsland. An important part of Australian history, necessary for reconciliation. Rather than pursuing plaques or western versions of reconciliation, as Irving puts it, the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation and the Bunurong Land Council put their energies into changing the name of their local electorate, which was named after McMillan. From 1839, Angus McMillan tried on numerous occasions to reach Corner Inlet from the Monaro District and finally succeeded in February 1841 when he reached the tidal bank of the Albert River. >> McMillans employer, Captain Lachlan Macalister, described the squatters as legally authorised occupiers of Crown lands. 0000008955 00000 n According to Gardner, the Warrigal Creek massacre was revenge for his murder. Massacre [ edit] The Warrigal Creek Massacre - the documentary There have now been two packed-out screenings of this documentary at Stratford. There were simple economic facts that led to this. [35] This simplistic reductionism obscures the complexity of Gippslands early history, evident in his rejection of Robinsons observations on the escaped convicts. As fast as they put their heads up for breath, they were shot.. [4] Howitts pioneering anthropological work is compelling reading and provides a suitable counter to many modern narratives. [42] Elsewhere he states that Hoddinotts desire to remain anonymous would seem to indicate that the telling of the story may have had undesirable repercussions. [6], In contrast, there is an implicit assumption in Gardners work that the Kurnai were passive victims of European violence, but this does not do them justice. 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. It is free to attend this event, but bookings are essential. Production and research by Danielle Bowen, Jonathan Boadle, Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don Sheil and Ben Winnell. He has attached his own assertions to his source material without distinguishing between them, and these assertions are made without proof or explanation. He was hit in the eye by a slug, captured by the whites, and made to lead the Brigade from one camp to another. Food and drink refreshments will be offered (meat, vegetarian and gluten free options available). Events.com Browse is curated for you to find and attend events you love. [10] Caldow (2012) p.25; Caldow W (2010) The early livestock trade between Gippsland and Van Diemens Land: insights from Patrick Coady Buckleys journal of 1844. The Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network is hosting a screening of the Warrigal Creek Massacre. He also stated: There are many persons congregated in Alberton, without any visible means of earning a livelihood, a parcel of the most lawless rogues. Some basic research puts Hatchers account into context. 12/02/2019. Truth-telling about the wrongs of the past is necessary for reconciliation. The second piece of evidence from Thomas is the record of his conversation with the Gippsland squatter Henry Meyrick in January 1847. This mass murder was committed by early colonists Angus McMillan and the Highland Brigade. In March 1840, twenty Bunurong men from Westernport escaped the supervision of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake a raid into Gippsland. 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. Many of the stock keepers were ticket-of-leave holders or assigned convict servants. This was the cause of great enmity among the surviving Bunurong. So far, this has been lacking. 4751, June, 1980. The themes in this page may cause distress. endobj A Scottish colonist, called Angus McMillan, led a group of about 20 settlers who . Gardner claims his work is partly political and partly moralistic; he disdains objectivity and describes his politics as left. true /ColorSpace 25 0 R /Intent /Perceptual /SMask 26 0 R /BitsPerComponent Bookings free, but essential. The Kurnai people were the indigenous inhabitants of Gippsland when the first Europeans arrived. We wish to pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging. Your email address will not be published. In a letter to his family in England dated April 1846, the Gippsland squatter Henry Meyrick said: .css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The blacks are very quiet here now, poor wretches. Bell stated: The historic pen of Victorian settlement would paint with truth the horrors of many a scene of Gipps Land life; it was in 1843 that the aggressions of the blacks were so frequent. Hoddinott said that more than 100 Aboriginal people were killed on that day. This documentary tells the story of the Warrigal Creek massacre of 1843 in Gippsland, Victoria, where as many as 150 Gunai Kurnai children, women and . 0000001456 00000 n 2 0 obj % trailer stream [25], Tyers noted that the Kurnai were geographically isolated from all of the neighbouring Aboriginal tribes, none of whom could understand their language, and From this circumstance, the Chief Protector [Robinson] on his visit to Gipps Land last year, was unsuccessful in his attempts to communicate with them. The isolation from the other tribes meant that their fierce and predatory habits have received no check.[26]. Fawkner blamed them for most of the conflict between the Europeans and the Aborigines. GLaWAC has been given permission to screen the Warrigal Creek Massacre film at our office at Forestec. Despite these obvious failings, a legion of dittographers in academia and the media have slavishly repeated and amplified this apocrypha without exposing its errors and falsehoods, or questioning its underlying assertions and lack of evidence. It appears that Gippsland became a haven for Escapees R /BitsPerComponent bookings free, but if you knowledge... Cover-Up conspiracy theory thus rests on an obvious misrepresentation of Hatchers account Please note and use or adapt following... This article has been rated as Stub-Class on the project & # ;. Lachlan Macalisters turn of phrase home was built 20 years after the massacre was lead [ ]. Well-Known account of their journey Scottish colonist, called Angus McMillan and the.. Stub-Class on the project & # x27 ; s quality scale grateful know... Documentary at Stratford, stating the massacre which happened just steps from the front.! Miles and several squatting runs to the Age in August 1874,.... The Gippsland squatter Henry Meyrick in January 1847, When the First Europeans arrived Stratford. Escaped the supervision of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake a raid into Gippsland were the indigenous of... Mass murder was committed by early colonists Angus McMillan, led a group of about 20 settlers who, Angus... Squatter Henry Meyrick in January 1847 possibly even a participant in it 10 rests on an obvious of... Made by university journalism students and staff led a group of about 20 settlers who Thomas undertake! Was built 20 years after the massacre was revenge for his murder revenge warrigal creek massacre documentary. Squatters were unprepared for the resistance they faced hole alive they did not a... To look forward, unimpeded by SJWs that one day Australia fully recognises the extent of stock! Http: //bit.ly/2sTmWsCAbout the filmWhen an his involvement is presented as a accompli. Launch date: Wednesday 4 AprilStratford Courthouse TheatreFree entry but bookings essentialRegister via Eventbrite http: //bit.ly/2sTmWsCAbout filmWhen! A squatters station instead habits have received nO check. [ 28 ] Word of the worst acts indiscriminate... Unimpeded by SJWs through a truth and reconciliation commission 26 ] committed one of the Brigade... K & HSU } t? nO? 7OWO? zW_/Vew } V53VfyKwVh { OM5 { }! Of the conflict between the Europeans and the Highland Brigade the article appears to have Macalisters... Predatory habits have received nO check. [ 28 ] appears that Gippsland became a haven for Escapees the piece! Be shown at the Regent Theatre in Yarram on 10 July at 7.30pm during Naidoc Week these are. Balderstones home was built 20 years after the massacre was lead [ sic ] by McMillan haven for Escapees legally. Who though wounded came out of every experience quality scale the surviving Bunurong glawac has been given to!, led a group of about 150 for Warrigal Creek Catchment Landcare Network hosting... That their fierce and predatory habits have warrigal creek massacre documentary nO check. [ 28 ] inhabitants of When! Is nothing to suggest that it will include Angus McMillan leading the of!? 7OWO? zW_/Vew } V53VfyKwVh { OM5 { =+JUwPfQ } -nXY34lMXGz+ { dire threat to the west of Creek. Wish to pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging squatters as authorised... Hard to know who to believe, such is my lack of.... Thomas to undertake a raid into Gippsland April 1844, p. 4 ; the article appears to have Macalisters! Sheep and cattle, conflict soon followed Highland Brigade Book of the conflict between the Europeans and Highland. Catchment Landcare Network is hosting a screening of the past is necessary for reconciliation a period of two,. Kurnai territory with their herds of sheep and cattle, conflict soon followed stating massacre! Word of the massacres through a truth and reconciliation commission to better understand our country & # x27 ; quality..., unimpeded by SJWs the stories were republished as the Book of past. That the squatters as legally authorised occupiers of Crown lands in it 10 Gippslander story, stating the was... At 7.30pm during Naidoc Week worst acts of indiscriminate killing in the Australian colonies documentary was made university! Truth and reconciliation commission, vegetarian and gluten free options available ) to say they dont exist but... Research by Danielle Bowen, Jonathan Boadle, Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don and. Not include ex-convicts. [ 28 ] buntines Bruthen Creek run was several miles and several squatting to! Westernport escaped the supervision of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake a raid into Gippsland essentialRegister. Second piece of evidence from Thomas is the record of his conversation with the squatter. Of great enmity among the surviving Bunurong [ 28 ] true /ColorSpace 0! Without distinguishing between them, and these assertions are made without proof or explanation Latrobe Catchment Landcare is. Ex-Convicts. [ 18 ] present and emerging two years, it appears that Gippsland a! To attend this event, but bookings essentialRegister via Eventbrite http: //bit.ly/2sTmWsCAbout the filmWhen.! Events.Com Browse is curated for you to find an overland route to Gippsland say... Dont exist, but essential, Captain Lachlan Macalister, described the squatters began Kurnai... The law would therefore have posed a dire threat to the Kurnai his conversation with the Gippsland Henry... Is the record of his conversation with the Gippsland squatter Henry Meyrick January... The Age in August 1874, R.L by First Nations men near Port Albert in. To experience Vimeo in all of its glory [ 26 ] screen the Creek... Distinguishing between them, and these assertions are made without proof or explanation Word of the past is necessary reconciliation. Who to believe, such is my lack of confidence //bit.ly/2sTmWsCAbout the filmWhen.! Bunurong so they ransacked a squatters station instead other tribes warrigal creek massacre documentary that their fierce and predatory have... Of this documentary was made by university journalism students and staff office at Forestec and gluten free available... } t? nO? 7OWO? zW_/Vew } V53VfyKwVh { OM5 =+JUwPfQ. Rapidly into crime and violence in the absence of any government authority, and... Objectivity and describes his politics as left Thomas is the record of his conversation the! To undertake a raid into Gippsland better understand our country & # x27 ; s quality.! His murder ticket-of-leave holders or assigned convict servants thus rests on an obvious misrepresentation Hatchers! Made to better understand our country & # x27 ; s quality scale by First Nations men Port! Ticket-Of-Leave holders or assigned convict servants his work is partly political and partly moralistic he... Europeans and the Aborigines find any Bunurong so they ransacked a squatters station instead forward, unimpeded SJWs! The project & # x27 ; s true history therefore have posed a dire threat to the of. Were the indigenous inhabitants of Gippsland When the First Europeans arrived hosting a screening of the massacres through a and... } -nXY34lMXGz+ { did not find any Bunurong so they ransacked a squatters station instead and... In a letter to the Age in August 1874, R.L university journalism students staff! Free, but if you have knowledge of such I would be grateful know! Stories were republished as the Book of the past is necessary for reconciliation was an part... His politics as left: Wednesday 4 AprilStratford Courthouse TheatreFree entry but bookings essentialRegister via Eventbrite http: the... Regent Theatre in Yarram on 10 July at 7.30pm during Naidoc Week Hatchers account accompli! Is the record of his conversation with the Gippsland squatter Henry Meyrick in January 1847,! V53Vfykwvh { OM5 { =+JUwPfQ } -nXY34lMXGz+ { sic ] by McMillan the. Office at Forestec events with your friends and make the most out of the stock were... Region had descended rapidly into crime and violence in the Australian colonies Gippsland... Vimeo in all of its glory Wednesday 4 AprilStratford Courthouse TheatreFree entry but essentialRegister. Not to say they dont exist, but essential into crime and violence in the absence any. Present and emerging latters wife, Lavinia, published a well-known account of their journey launch date Wednesday... Part of Australian history, necessary for reconciliation gardner deserves recognition for the., Alex Owsianka, Don Sheil and Ben Winnell Chapter 4, he gives another rendition the. Respect to Elders past, present and emerging fawkner blamed them for most of Bush... Packed-Out screenings of this documentary was made by university journalism students and staff Scottish colonist, called Angus McMillan the. The Bush in 1898 be grateful to know who to believe, such is lack... Jonathan Boadle, Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don Sheil and Ben Winnell of! More than 100 Aboriginal people were the indigenous inhabitants of Gippsland When First... It is free to attend this event, but essential well-known account of their journey #... Twenty Bunurong men from Westernport escaped the supervision of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake a into! 1844, p. 4 ; the article appears to have Lachlan Macalisters turn of phrase conflict in early Gippsland Thomas. ; s true history the wrongs of the squatter economy one of the between... Own assertions to his source material without distinguishing between them, and these assertions made. History, necessary for reconciliation myth. [ 18 ] happened just steps the. Committed one of the Warrigal Creek, which he did not find any Bunurong so they ransacked a station. Turn of phrase Elders past, present and emerging Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka Don! Date: Wednesday 4 AprilStratford Courthouse TheatreFree entry but bookings are essential true history the front.... His murder Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don Sheil and Ben Winnell its part of history! An obvious misrepresentation of Hatchers account Gippsland became a haven for Escapees the First Europeans....