[43] The fallacy of this secrecy argument is that it is contradicted by Gardners own evidence from William Thomas from 1845 and other versions of the massacre story that pre-date Gippslander by more than fifty years (see below). 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.. [37] Again, no proof is offered. 0000001456 00000 n 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. [13], The squatting runs were large tracts of unfenced landMacalister had 100 square mileswhere livestock was left in charge of shepherds and hut keepers whose job it was to tend the livestock and prevent it from straying. >> /ExtGState << /Gs2 23 0 R /Gs1 24 0 R >> /Font << /TT2 11 0 R /TT3 12 0 R This implied that the other four police were assigned servants, or white slaves, as John Pascoe Fawkner, the editor of the Port Phillip Patriot and a fierce critic of the convict system, called them. To implicate McMillan, Gardner imputed words and meaning into this story that are simply not there, rendering his narrative both perplexing and questionable. 2, pp.20-21, [9] Cox, Kenneth (1973) Angus McMillan: Pathfinder, Published by the author. 91 0 obj <> endobj Macalisters letter to the Sydney Morning Herald in 1843 and a search of Trove and the PROV websites reveal that this statement is incorrect. He also claimed this appeared to be part of a cover-up due to the arrival of Tyers or Robinson. [10], When the squatters began occupying Kurnai territory with their herds of sheep and cattle, conflict soon followed. [56] These accounts nonetheless provide evidence of the otherwise unrecorded conflict between the Europeans and the Kurnai at places such as Bruthen Creek. Some of the tale also bears a resemblance to accounts of the Hospital Creek massacre in New South Wales that emerged between 1911 and 1919, in which the survivor was a one-eyed Aborigine. [32] Gardners work has been influential and generally unquestioned. Warrigal Creek is the site of an 1843 massacre in of Gunai/Kurnai people in colonial Victoria, during the Australian frontier wars. 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 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. Probably even as a child I just sensed something its a really spiritual place, she says. [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 Scottish colonist and pastoralist, Angus McMillan, led a group of around 20 colonists to attack and kill several groups of Aboriginal people across a number of days. Your email address will not be published. Third, Gardners narrative is constructed around a story written for schoolchildren in 1925, a story that could at best be considered as folk history. We are yet to have a complete understanding of Gippsland in the 1840s. Every day I look over and make sure things look peaceful there.. We are here to help! L4V n)p>WRMXBe*(ru)%]>9,ZUN \p ,_`s=L{5vs{Gw 2ngnBaz0&#Xk+_ q10 m An independent expedition from Melbourne to Corner Inlet in the barque Singapore in the same year led to the discovery of the mouths of the Albert and Tarra rivers. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> 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. [33] His work was cited widely in a motion to remove monuments to McMillan put before the Wellington Shire Council in June 2020. To discount Macalisters involvement, Gardner states there is no proof he was in Gippsland before 1848. A second version of Hoddinotts story was published in the Gippsland Times and Bairnsdale Advertiser in 1940. *OAQg( n}wWdcKuYl7nfTTYP0|8o6rlBUb[O>03v-Jg1]sng~f5!M .]e?n? The murder of his nephew gave him both a professional and a family interest in chastising the criminals, and he soon organised a party to look for them. 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. Bookings free, but essential. 0000029696 00000 n Emotional articles in the Guardian in 2019 parroted the denunciation of McMillan, as did the Gippsland Times in June 2020. I welcome you all to (insert place name). Produced and directed by Andrew Dodd and Lisa Gye. Oh how I wished I had written down the stories my grandmother used to regale us with. 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. ]V)cxN:*e%{ZXi8C -[Y1d-ZZ. [11] Sydney Morning Herald 6 September 1843, p.2, [13] Port Phillip Patriot 23 December 1841, p. 3, [15] Fels, Marie Hansen (2010) I Succeeded Once: The Aboriginal Protectorate on the Mornington Peninsula 1839-1840 , ANU E-Press, pp 249-271, [16] See also: George Henry Haydon (1846) Five Years Experience in Australia Felix pp151-152 (on-line edition), [17] Port Phillip Gazette 30 April 1845 p.2, [18] Gardner, P D (2005) The Myth of Tribal Warfare On-line essay, [20] Geelong Advertiser 5 August 1843, p.2, [21] Sydney Morning Herald 6 September 1843, p.2. This is a 50 minute documentary and is being held on Wednesday 5 December. In March 1840, twenty Bunurong men from Westernport escaped the supervision of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake a raid into Gippsland. HLWKf_e|~JD,@K&HSU}t?nO?7OWO?zW_/Vew}V53VfyKwVh{OM5{=+JUwPfQ}-nXY34lMXGz+{? [2], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}374014S 1463957E / 37.67056S 146.66583E / -37.67056; 146.66583, Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:43, List of massacres of Indigenous Australians, "Victoria's Deadly & Proud campaign remembers Indigenous victims of Warrigal Creek massacre in South Gippsland", "Living on a massacre site: home truths and trauma at Warrigal Creek", "Victoria to introduce Australia's first truth-telling process to address Indigenous injustices", "Victoria to establish truth and justice process as part of Aboriginal treaty process", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Warrigal_Creek_Massacre&oldid=1141638012, "The Settling of Gippsland - A Regional History", by Patrick Morgan, published by Gippsland Municipalities Association, Traralgon, 1997. Within a period of two years, it appears that Gippsland became a haven for escapees. 16 0 obj [citation needed], A witness, Willy Hoddinott, wrote the following in 1925:[3], "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 1845, Tyers reported on the Aborigines, stating: In the early part of 1843as I have been informed, some of the Corner Inlet tribe were occasionally employed by the few Settlers at Port Albert in carrying fire wood and in other light work for which they generally received payment in flour & cbut since the unprovoked murder of Mr Ronald Macalister by them at Port Albert, about that time, they have not been seen in the neighbourhood. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work. 0000885516 00000 n According to Dunderdale, Donald Macalister fired at some Kurnai without any provocation. 0000117321 00000 n Because to move forward we must acknowledge our past. You can still browse your favorite events on our The aim of this article is to examine Gardners interpretation of the Warrigal Creek massacre story and his accusations against McMillan. 0000116989 00000 n Thomas wrote in April 1845: He said he and another man had come unarmed from Gippsland. 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. I asked him if he was not afraid of meeting the Blacks, his reply was, Blks Sir no fear of them now they would run away as soon as they see a white man but there are not many left, he said he had a Brother who had been in Gippsland from the first his name was Bunton & kept a Public house in Gippsland by the Dirty Water Holes & a cattle station joining to Mr. McAllister who was killed, that after Mr. McAllisters murder great slaughter of the blacks took place and that on his brothers station a cart load of Blks bones might be gath.rd up [49]. Film Screening The Warrigal Creek Massacre This country has a hidden history that is not widely acknowledged. On the 13th ultimo, Mr. Ronald McAlister was removing his sheep station about two miles from the settlement, when he was attacked by the blacks and murdered; his body was found the following day by a native in his employ. It was made to better understand our country's true history. Create events for free. He was hit in the eye by a slug, captured by the whites, and made to lead the Brigade from one camp to another. Shepherds worked in pairs, armed, as if in an enemys country, to resist them; and it was 1843 that ended by wholesale destruction, the massacres at Warrigal Creek and Bundalaguah Swamp, where only one aboriginal was left to tell the story of how they died and the history of his race.[61]. 3 0 obj Light refreshments will be available. [7], Many histories of Gippsland have quaint notions of founding fathers, churches and shires, but the reality is that squatters occupied the region in order to capture a share of the filthy lucre of the Van Diemens Land convict economy. 0000115969 00000 n Smith Street and Albert Street, Warragul, 3820, VIC, AU. He was shot through the foot and was so injured that he was called Club Foot.[39]. 29 May 2018. An important part of Australian history, necessary for reconciliation. The Warrigal Creek Massacre on Vimeo. News; Warrigal Creek doco at the Memo. Like Dunderdale and Thomas, he did not mention a mythical Highland Brigade and he was clearly not constrained by Gardners imaginary secrecy. Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. 4751, June, 1980. 0000118101 00000 n [45] Hoddinotts tale thus appears to contain generic elements from the period. To those who came by jet plane yesterday. 4 0 obj 0000010708 00000 n The current awareness of the Warrigal Creek massacre stems largely from the writing of the self-published historian Peter Gardner, who contends that his work represents currently accepted history. 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. It is free to attend this event, but bookings are essential. Advice: This page does not contain images of people who have died. <<6C2049F009130640B9B98E7F057F832E>]/Prev 1164416/XRefStm 1766>> Voice.Treaty.Truth. ~]}.>xxs6s;^^`MjEa 5oA/P;uv!MU~86>>iBTju?#Ghnudlnr\;u?pIyo%# if+;J6fLA,4lMMhn]Zrg b_tr>b$3]wG4?mdw # 7Lw/_Mx+47nY;N9Uvs1;. 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. This essay appears in Decembers Quadrant. The region had descended rapidly into crime and violence in the absence of any government authority. 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. I think the first thing for Gippsland is to acknowledge that it does have that history, like other places where bad things have happened, where massacres have occurred, where theres some acknowledgement of whats occurred instead of masking it, a Gurnaikurnai elder, Doris Paton, told the film-makers Andrew Dodd and Lisa Gye. There exists little to no official documentation of the Warrigal Creek Massacre. Warrigal Creek Massacre is within the scope of WikiProject Australia, which aims to improve Wikipedia's coverage of Australia and Australia-related topics. share events with your friends and make the most out of every experience. endobj The Warrigal Creek Massacre, a documentary exploring the history of colonisation in Gippsland in the 1800s, is screening at the Memo in Healesville on Wednesday 27 February at 6:45pm. This National Reconciliation week, reflect on the hidden history of the 1843 massacre of the Gurnaikurnai people at Warrigal Creek. A Scottish colonist, called Angus McMillan, led a group of about 20 settlers who . Rather, his involvement is presented as a fait accompli. Perhaps the most revealing example of Gardners influence is Cal Flynns Thicker Than Water, in which McMillan is denounced by his own descendant. Events.com Browse is curated to help you find and attend events you love. Use your same username and password to log in and you'll be 0000002765 00000 n 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. This article has been rated as Low-importance on the . 0000011274 00000 n While we are not personally responsible we continue to live different experiences from these events; some of privilege, some of disadvantage, some unknowing. Produced and directed by Andrew Dodd and Lisa Gye. 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. The Commissariat let annual tenders for the supply of fresh meat and other staples. 2020, Cnr. 0000024560 00000 n 0 Stay updated on Warrigal Creek Massacre Documentary Screening and find even more events in Warragul. [55] The murder of Macalister may have marked a turning point in which the Europeans went on the offensive. Gardner accepted Hoddinotts Gippslander story literally and uncritically, stating that it is completely reliable due to its vividness and detail. Convicts were entitled to a daily ration of fresh meat, as were the military and the civilian authorities. Following the screening, VMIAC will facilitate a discussion about the film and its importance in understanding the effects of colonisation and inter-generational trauma and resilience for First Nations peoples. Both expeditions left Melbourne in April 1844; after battling through the bush for weeks, the two parties encountered each other near Alberton. [23] Inwards correspondence Tyers to La Trobe 44/1367 p.5 PROV, [24] Port Phillip Gazette 21 May 1842, p.3, [25] Tyers to La Trobe Inwards Correspondence 45/324 PROV, [27] Tyers to La Trobe Inwards Correspondence 46/219 PROV, [28] Tyers to La Trobe Inwards Correspondence 44/2112, PROV; Port Phillip Patriot 12 August 1839, p.4, [29] Tyers to La Trobe Inwards Correspondence 44/1367, p.4, PROV, [30] Port Phillip Patriot 12 August 1839, p.4, [31] Gardner, P. D. (1994) Through Foreign Eyes, Ngarak Press, Ensay, p.45, [32]Gardner (1993) p.58; (1990) Our Murdering Founding Father, 2nd Edition, Ngarak Press, p.28, [33] The Guardian 6 March 2019; 8 March 2019; Gippsland Times 16 June 2020, [34] Gardner (1993) pp 6-7; (2015) Some Random Notes on Massacres 2000-2015 (on-line essay). He was joined by detachments of the Border and Native Police. 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. 0000117691 00000 n endobj Please call Drouin Library for more information 56 251564. @7k_|F_j}t'J'fu_}"Y5Xgx{ps:KQb#wOQ:/[]6Hy endstream endobj 92 0 obj <>/Metadata 5 0 R/PageLabels 2 0 R/Pages 4 0 R/StructTreeRoot 7 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 93 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC/ImageI]/Properties<>>>/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 595.276 841.89]/Type/Page>> endobj 94 0 obj [95 0 R 96 0 R] endobj 95 0 obj <>/Border[0 0 0]/H/O/Rect[243.918 110.871 393.795 129.239]/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> endobj 96 0 obj <>/Border[0 0 0]/H/O/Rect[262.285 160.096 431.264 175.524]/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> endobj 97 0 obj <> endobj 98 0 obj [/Indexed/DeviceCMYK 244 110 0 R] endobj 99 0 obj [/ICCBased 111 0 R] endobj 100 0 obj <>stream % This raises the inevitable question of whether the massacre story, based on Gardners interpretation, should be seen as historical fact or an apocryphal tale. His alleged role in the massacre is a construct entirely of Gardners own making, where he attached McMillans name to the Gippslander story without revealing this to his readers.