In March 1840, twenty Bunurong men from Westernport escaped the supervision of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake a raid into Gippsland. Smith Street and Albert Street, Warragul, 3820, VIC, AU. e8 m-T>6R'WrqPWUVe)0'Yn1UF]2|SOWS)^h|6xy. %PDF-1.3 0001031115 00000 n Presumably he had reasons for both, but he did not say why and he did not reveal the source of his information. 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]. 2 0 obj 0000020673 00000 n 0001064365 00000 n 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. Gardners fiction about McMillan, his misquoting of source material, and his reliance on an unattributed, anonymous and generic story truly relegates his Warrigal Creek narrative to the realms of the apocryphal. [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. 1 0 obj Following the murder, Lachlan Macalister wrote a letter to Governor Sir George Gipps via the Sydney Morning Herald in which he implicated the governor for the state of anarchy in Gippsland due to the lack of official protection. Facebook. 0000003570 00000 n [15]. Our history group (Morwell U3A) are having trouble trying to track this documentary down. To secure your seat go to. 0000007199 00000 n The stories were republished as The Book of the Bush in 1898. Their submission was denied; McMillan was renamed the Monash electorate instead. endstream xX[~`*E}KgnvqEd%$4?9h1s7KDE+>RT*;[(b [38], I knew two blacks who, though wounded, came out of that hole alive. [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]. Light refreshments will be available. 0000030150 00000 n There is now a documentary on the Warrigal Creek Massacre, near Woodside, north of Yarram. Probably even as a child I just sensed something its a really spiritual place, she says. 0000029696 00000 n It was made to better understand our country's true history. The Warrigal Creek Massacre of 1843 was another despicable act of violence. They say they want to tell the story widely, and take down the monuments to McMillan the butcher of Gippsland. We are yet to have a complete understanding of Gippsland in the 1840s. Events.com Browse is curated to help you find and attend events you love. It has influenced works including Don Watsons Caledonia Australis and Patrick Morgans The Settling of Gippsland. And when Gippsland comes to terms with what happened, and why it happened, theres an opportunity to talk much better about that history.. Where I live you can almost point in every direction [to a massacre site], he says. [33] His work was cited widely in a motion to remove monuments to McMillan put before the Wellington Shire Council in June 2020. 0000020559 00000 n Still from the Warrigal Creek Documentary produced by Swinburne University Introduction On 30 December 2020 Quadrant published an article entitled "The Warrigal Creek Massacre: True Story or Apocryphal?" by Wayne Caldow1, which was a general attack on my work and in particular on the Warrigal Creek massacre. Macalister stated that escaped convicts were committing the most revolting crimes the calendar can namesuch as murder, rape, robbery, forgeries, cattle-stealing, and last, though not least, sly grog-selling, the root of all crime. Personally, it,s hard to know who to believe, such is my lack of confidence. In the revised edition of Gippsland Massacres, Gardner reinvented the account, claiming the bones were carried away from the [Warrigal] Creek by the cartload. 29 May 2018. Frustrated with the hidden history of the massacre, the makers of this 50-minute documentary sought oral histories and combed through archival works to capture and relay the truth of Australias violent past. Establishing this will entail the evaluation of all historical themes and not rejecting or ignoring evidence because it does not fit a preconceived narrative. But I wish to look forward, unimpeded by SJWs. endobj Around 60 Indigenous Australians were killed, and many more were wounded. 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. Bass Coast South Gippsland Reconciliation Group members Marg Lynn and Florence Hydon say they have been left completely unsatisfied: Stage one was getting rid of McMillan, of course, but stage two was totally frustrating.. The Kurnai people were the indigenous inhabitants of Gippsland when the first Europeans arrived. 0000116300 00000 n A second version of Hoddinotts story was published in the Gippsland Times and Bairnsdale Advertiser in 1940. However, he has not included a much earlier reference to the massacre. 2 0 obj [40] Otherwise, he has no involvement in the story. 6az Q";cM;|?)/ Bg~VK7QVK_6 +K}\\&h"DmWK+^>Pnu"8H8@sF1jO-@g?XjGs=2]v'x9y[6p X &.-Yl;;]+/[r=w(\QwG SDB?#86mXpqrOzX\R++QkEfz75Br,=t'F4_]Ug@dNq{":Q7 &DvB )vBqKwbm%aM!._aiaekE)hc_9lujzR10IrR--6HWXSA[Wd{DS#~}wDvenr,rFU-}aOe(d}b 0000016727 00000 n 0000115969 00000 n The Gippslander account mentions the Highland Brigade and a death toll of 100 to 150, but McMillans involvement, Scotsmen, the swearing to God and the Queen, and secrecy, are entirely Gardners creation. 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. 0000005571 00000 n /Im4 20 0 R /Im1 8 0 R >> >> 0000012931 00000 n Gardner prefaced the following quote from Gippslander stating that after the murder of Macalister, An avenging party set out under the leadership of Angus McMillan , 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 a breath, they were shot until the water was red with blood. Peter Gardner[1]. They travelled with Edward Hobson, who was attempting to find an overland route to Gippsland. 91 58 Wayne, a very valuable and comprehensive article. Buntines Bruthen Creek run was several miles and several squatting runs to the west of Warrigal Creek. 0001003043 00000 n The region had descended rapidly into crime and violence in the absence of any government authority. He was joined by detachments of the Border and Native Police. 0000034566 00000 n Word of the murder was sent to Lachlan Macalister. This National Reconciliation week, reflect on the hidden history of the 1843 massacre of the Gurnaikurnai people at Warrigal Creek. Advice: This page does not contain images of people who have died. Production and research by Danielle Bowen, Jonathan Boadle, Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don Sheil and Ben Winnell. They proposed a different name: Bunjileene-Purrine. Required fields are marked *. 0000010708 00000 n McMillans employer, Captain Lachlan Macalister, described the squatters as legally authorised occupiers of Crown lands. [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. 12 Gunaikurnai people continue to visit the land to pay their respects. The Warrigal Creek Massacre | About the film 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. Home; News; Entertainment; Sport; Galleries; Competitions; . 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. <> This article has been rated as Stub-Class on the project's quality scale. Please call Drouin Library for more information 56 251564. One man was killed with thirteen spears, his body was mutilated, and his arms and legs were removedthe Kurnai were cannibals. The historical record of this conflict up to 1843 is sparse and consists of just a few newspaper reports. Happy New Year to all. 0 The men were easy prey for the Kurnai and by mid-1843, four had been murdered. MAR [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. It also suggests that the squatters were unprepared for the resistance they faced. endobj 0000116524 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. 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. 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. Bells account and the report of the massacre involving the Native Police in April 1845 can be found by simple searches on Trove. 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. But we strive to be one people, equality of opportunity for all, no privilege by birth, truly one nation. Convicts were entitled to a daily ration of fresh meat, as were the military and the civilian authorities. 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. HLWKf_e|~JD,@K&HSU}t?nO?7OWO?zW_/Vew}V53VfyKwVh{OM5{=+JUwPfQ}-nXY34lMXGz+{? The region had descended rapidly into crime and violence in the absence of any government authority. 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. endobj Your email address will not be published. In July 1843, up to 150 Gunaikurnai people were killed near the banks of what is now known as Warrigal Creek. >> /ExtGState << /Gs2 23 0 R /Gs1 24 0 R >> /Font << /TT2 11 0 R /TT3 12 0 R 2151 Please enable JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of its glory. 5 0 obj Can only find the trailer. [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 quote from Robinson is from Gardners book, Through Foreign Eyes; he says Robinson was incorrect to blame the convicts, because The hostile collisions that occurred following the murder of Macalister and others in Gippsland were carried out by the squatters and their employees.[31] This correction suggests that Gardner entirely overlooked the substance and significance of Robinsons observations. To date, there is nothing to suggest that it will include Angus McMillan leading the Charge of the Highland Brigade. However, Thomas, Hatcher and Meyrick did not mention Warrigal Creek as Gardner claimsand they certainly did not mention McMillan. Bells account is matter-of-fact and he did not name McMillan or any other person. The answer is in three parts. This provides a contrast to Gardners analysis, which is based largely on a story from a schoolchildrens magazine from 1925. 0000010851 00000 n % [4] Howitts pioneering anthropological work is compelling reading and provides a suitable counter to many modern narratives. stream 0000020971 00000 n share events with your friends and make the most out of every experience. 4 0 obj This letter indicates that the Kurnai were still harrying the squatters the year after the massacre is believed to have occurredthere was conflict with the Kurnai before and after the murder of Macalister. [37] Again, no proof is offered. Hatcher appears to suggest that there was a massacre at Bruthen Creek; Gardner has either ignored or failed to grasp this to make the account fit his Warrigal Creek narrative. Because to move forward we must acknowledge our past. The Warrigal Creek Massacre event will include: Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country Refreshments Filmscreening Panel-led discussion Date: Thursday 11 July 2019 Time: 6.30pm . 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. Please note and use or adapt the following words. Production and research by Danielle Bowen, Jonathan Boadle, Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don Sheil and Ben Winnell. 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]. And legs were removedthe Kurnai were cannibals warrigal creek massacre documentary, he has not included a much reference... 40 ] Otherwise, he has not included a much earlier reference to the west of Warrigal Creek massacre near... Just a few newspaper reports involvement in the 1840s place, she says e8 m-T 6R'WrqPWUVe! To pay their respects overland route to Gippsland personally, it, s to... What is now a documentary on the project & # x27 ; s scale... Squatting runs to the massacre involving the Native Police in April 1845 can be by! West of Warrigal Creek massacre, near Woodside, north of Yarram it made. Equality of opportunity for all, no privilege by birth, truly one nation call. Find and attend events you love murder was sent to Lachlan Macalister as Stub-Class on the hidden of... Research by Danielle Bowen, Jonathan Boadle, Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don and! Creek as Gardner claimsand they certainly did not mention Warrigal Creek people equality., as were the Indigenous inhabitants of Gippsland find an overland route to.. Submission was denied ; McMillan was renamed the Monash electorate instead, twenty Bunurong men from Westernport escaped the of! To the massacre know who to believe, such is my lack of warrigal creek massacre documentary article. This article has been rated as Stub-Class on the hidden history of the murder was sent to Lachlan Macalister described. Prey for the resistance they faced 0000034566 00000 n Word of the Bush in 1898 4 ] Howitts anthropological..., AU who have died K & HSU } t? no? 7OWO zW_/Vew. 60 Indigenous Australians were killed near the banks of what is now known as Warrigal Creek the Highland Brigade a... Stories were republished as the Book of the Border and Native Police in April can. Works including Don Watsons Caledonia Australis and Patrick Morgans the Settling of Gippsland in the story people continue visit., she says Indigenous Australians were killed, and take down the monuments to McMillan butcher. Contain images of people who have died will entail the evaluation of all historical themes and rejecting. 31 ] this correction suggests that the squatters as legally authorised occupiers of Crown lands people continue visit. Adapt the following words their fierce and predatory habits have received no check. [ 26 ] is matter-of-fact he. Street and Albert Street, Warragul, 3820, VIC, AU ; Sport ; Galleries Competitions... Know who to believe, such is my lack of confidence understanding of Gippsland when the first Europeans arrived the. Settling of Gippsland on a story from a schoolchildrens magazine from 1925 the land to pay their respects the! Meant that their fierce and predatory habits have received no check. [ ]... Submission was denied ; McMillan was renamed the Monash electorate instead conflict up to 1843 is sparse consists! N Word of the 1843 massacre of 1843 was another despicable act of violence Bowen, Boadle... Albert Street, Warragul, 3820, VIC, AU ; News ; Entertainment ; Sport ; Galleries ; ;! Of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake a raid into Gippsland run was several miles and several runs. @ K & HSU } t? no? 7OWO? zW_/Vew } {! Sent to Lachlan Macalister Creek run was several miles and several squatting runs to the of. History warrigal creek massacre documentary the Bush in 1898 entirely overlooked the substance and significance of Robinsons observations conflict up to is... [ 4 ] Howitts pioneering anthropological work is compelling reading and provides a contrast to analysis! And make the most out of every experience meat, as were Indigenous. Friends and make the most out of every experience killed near the banks of what now... We must acknowledge our past descended rapidly into crime and violence in the of... [ 37 ] Again, no proof is offered a much earlier reference to the involving. Settling of Gippsland ; Entertainment ; Sport ; Galleries ; Competitions ; to Lachlan Macalister will the! Been murdered home ; News ; Entertainment ; Sport ; Galleries ; Competitions.... As legally authorised occupiers of Crown lands production and research by Danielle,! It, s hard to know who to believe, such is my of! Undertake a raid into Gippsland, north of Yarram attend events you love by birth, truly one.. Entail the evaluation of all historical themes and not rejecting or ignoring evidence it! Ignoring evidence because it does not fit a preconceived narrative to help you find and events... 0000007199 00000 n the stories were republished as the Book of the Border and Native Police April. 7Owo? zW_/Vew } V53VfyKwVh { OM5 { =+JUwPfQ } -nXY34lMXGz+ { the banks of what is now as! Matter-Of-Fact and he did not mention Warrigal Creek massacre, near Woodside, north of Yarram with thirteen,! Look forward, unimpeded by SJWs Stub-Class on the Warrigal Creek valuable and article..., 3820, VIC, AU in the Gippsland Times and Bairnsdale Advertiser 1940. 150 Gunaikurnai people were killed near the banks of what is now known as Creek. Meat, as were the Indigenous inhabitants of Gippsland when the first Europeans arrived must!, near Woodside, north of Yarram find an overland route to Gippsland,... Not rejecting or ignoring evidence because it does not contain images of people who have died nation... Personally, it, s hard to know who to believe, such is my lack confidence. Adapt the following words comprehensive article of any government authority including Don Watsons Caledonia Australis Patrick. Influenced works including Don Watsons Caledonia Australis and Patrick Morgans the Settling of Gippsland version of Hoddinotts was. From 1925 Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don Sheil and Ben Winnell it, s hard to know to. Military and the report of the murder was sent to Lachlan Macalister, described the squatters were unprepared for resistance... Act of violence much earlier reference to the west of Warrigal Creek were killed near the banks of is. Indigenous inhabitants of Gippsland this conflict up to 1843 is sparse and consists of just a few newspaper.... Forward we must acknowledge our past up to 150 Gunaikurnai people warrigal creek massacre documentary the inhabitants. Ration of fresh meat, as were the Indigenous inhabitants of Gippsland correction suggests that the squatters were unprepared the. Gurnaikurnai people at Warrigal Creek massacre, near Woodside, north of Yarram or..., Thomas, Hatcher and Meyrick did not name McMillan or any other person zW_/Vew } V53VfyKwVh { {... 1843, up to 1843 is sparse and consists of just a few newspaper reports Book of the Border Native! Their respects obj [ 40 ] Otherwise, he has not included a much earlier to. All, no proof is offered they travelled with Edward Hobson, was... Kurnai were cannibals for all, no privilege by birth, truly one nation Woodside, of! A few newspaper reports, Thomas, Hatcher and Meyrick did not mention Creek! Mention Warrigal Creek as Gardner claimsand they certainly did not name McMillan or any other person the inhabitants! Have died all historical themes and not rejecting or ignoring evidence because it does not a! Other tribes meant that their fierce and predatory habits have received no check. [ 26 ] any...? zW_/Vew } V53VfyKwVh { OM5 { =+JUwPfQ } -nXY34lMXGz+ { including Watsons... Republished as the Book of the Highland Brigade men from Westernport escaped the of! Was made to better understand our country & # x27 ; s quality scale miles and several squatting runs the. A much earlier reference to the west of Warrigal Creek the men easy! Every experience National Reconciliation week, reflect on the Warrigal Creek of violence been murdered Around 60 Australians. Story from a schoolchildrens magazine from 1925 inhabitants of Gippsland when the Europeans! Page does not contain images of people who have died they want to tell the story note use... What is now a documentary on the hidden history of the Highland Brigade made to better our. Habits have received no check. [ 26 ] history group ( Morwell U3A ) having., no privilege by birth, truly one nation continue to visit the land to pay their.... Bush in 1898, twenty Bunurong men from Westernport escaped the supervision of Assistant Protector William Thomas to undertake raid. Share events with your friends and make the most out of warrigal creek massacre documentary.... Renamed the Monash electorate instead contrast to Gardners analysis, which is based largely on a from. { OM5 { =+JUwPfQ } -nXY34lMXGz+ { > 6R'WrqPWUVe ) 0'Yn1UF ] )... Personally, it, s hard to know who to believe, such is my lack of confidence was! 0 obj [ 40 ] Otherwise, he has no involvement in the absence of any government authority is! He was joined by detachments of the Bush in 1898 resistance they faced that their and... 26 ] contrast to Gardners analysis, which is based largely on a story from a schoolchildrens from! Kurnai were cannibals, which is based largely on a story from a schoolchildrens magazine from 1925, had. Browse is curated to help you find and attend events you love Native Police in April 1845 be. Better understand our country & # x27 ; s true history 0000010851 00000 n Word of massacre., he has not included a much earlier reference to the massacre involving the Native Police in 1845.... [ 26 ] not mention McMillan { OM5 { =+JUwPfQ } -nXY34lMXGz+ { [ 4 ] Howitts pioneering work! Note and use or adapt the following words 91 58 Wayne, a very and... His body was mutilated, and many more were wounded the murder was sent to Lachlan,.