| Site Name | Swan River Colony |
| Aboriginal Place Name | Boorloo |
| Language Group | Whadjuk |
| Present State/Territory | WA |
| Colony/State/Territory at the time | SRC |
| Police District | Perth |
| Latitude | -31.952 |
| Longitude | 115.861 |
| Date | Between 1 Jan 1830 and 31 Dec 1830 |
| Attack Time | |
| Victims | Aboriginal People |
| Victim Descriptions | Aboriginal |
| Victims Killed | 7 |
| Victims Killed Notes | men |
| Attackers | Colonists |
| Attacker Descriptions | Military, Settler(s) |
| Attackers Killed | 0 |
| Attackers Killed Notes | |
| Transport | Horse |
| Motive | Opportunity |
| Weapons Used | Musket(s) |
| Narrative | This account was recorded in the London Literary Gazette 1830 (p 805) ‘Affray at the Swan River: By accounts in the Indian papers, we learn that there has been a battle royal between the settlers and the natives at the new establishment of Swan River [Colony, Perth]. The quarrel commenced at an attempt at theft by the natives at Perth. The aborigines made a great shew of courage: they dared the settlers to fight: and one of them advanced and quietly knocked down a corporal with his waddie, a stick about two and half feet long, and an inch in diameter. The chiefs ascended the trees like monkeys, and chattered to (the newspapers say harangued) their tribes from the top of the branches. In such situations they were shot at with facility; but they feared not the thunder and lightning of the Europeans: and seven of their number were killed. The whole certainly must have been as unique as everything is connected with this wonderful settlement.’ |
| Sources | ‘Affray at the Swan River’, The London Literary Gazette and Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, Etc, London, 1830, p 805 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044092531243&seq=811 (Sources PDF) |
| Corroboration Rating | * |
