| Narrative | Ryan’s Well was sunk as a stock well in 1889 by Ned Ryan’s team who had a contract with the SA Water department, hence the name. The date of this massacre is unclear, but is referred to by Pastor Friedrich Wilhelm Albrecht, who arrived in Central Australia in 1926, in these terms (1981, pp5-6): 'Still, off and on, we found quite old people, perhaps 70 or 80 years of age, yet still able to walk quite long distances. During the winter months, we sometimes found whole groups with a cough. After they had come to know that we had medicine better than their witch doctors had to offer, they lined up soon after we had arrived at a camp, asking for medicine. One morning, after most of the people had received a dose of Fryars Balsam in a little water, one tall, strong man came up. Looking in the medicine glass, into which I put some drops the medicine which made the (illegible) curdle, he hesitated. Then, after looking at me very intently, he piped up "Might be paason (meaning poison)". I replied: "Him poison alright." Another intense look, when I tried to remain as unmoved as possible, he continued: "Me takem all same." This little incident is related to show how these primative [sic] people had gained confidence quickly with white people, even if some of them had been with white people and had made some unpleasant and in the case of the Ryans Well massacre, even horrifying experiences.'
The South Australian Museum holds information that Pastor Albrecht estimated that 30 people were massacred. |
