January 26th has a special place in Australia as the First Fleet carrying the soldiers and convicts arrived at Port Jackson on the east coast of 'New Holland' they renamed New South Wales in 1788. But the same day commemorates a massacre upon my people on an inland lagoon in 1838, 50 years later. - ThreadSky

cutmore.bsky.social • 31 days ago

January 26th has a special place in Australia as the First Fleet carrying the soldiers and convicts arrived at Port Jackson on the east coast of 'New Holland' they renamed New South Wales in 1788.

But the same day commemorates a massacre upon my people on an inland lagoon in 1838, 50 years later.

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cutmore.bsky.social•31 days ago

It is not known how many people died that day on country not taken up by any white settler, but between 100-300 people are thought to have perished at the hands of 50 mounted men armed with pistols, swords, whips in a killing spree which lasted hours.

cutmore.bsky.social•31 days ago

Well summed up by Missionary Lancelot Threkeld, “… when the tribe was driven into a swamp surrounded and fired until destroyed and where it is said the stench is intolerable from the carcasses of the slain, the number must be considerable but known (only) to those engaged in the slaughter.”

cutmore.bsky.social•31 days ago

An inquiry was held into the matter some 18 months later, but no further action was taken by the Colonial Executive Council. It accepted the view of the inquiry that the deaths at Snodgrass Lagoon were justified to repel an "aggressive attack" by First People.

cutmore.bsky.social•31 days ago

But there was another massacre of my people only 5 months later at Slaughterhouse Creek, when a large group were led by deception to a station but were betrayed and murdered. Cutmore family history recalls some 140 were killed

cutmore.bsky.social•31 days ago

"They went to all the dark people, called them in, killing a bullock. Them all come in get some meat. When they all come in they just, told ‘em to come into the yard and shot ‘em down and knocked the kids in the head they say. I don’t know why.” George Jenkins, 1974.

cutmore.bsky.social•31 days ago

Another massacre occurred only 5 weeks later up-river at Myall Creek where some 28 people were killed on a station where they thought they were safe. Seven men were eventually hanged for this crime, but no justice was ever given to the victims of the previous substantive massacres.

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