| Site Name | Freshwater Creek, Gippsland This massacre is part of a group of massacres |
| Aboriginal Place Name | |
| Language Group | Brataualung |
| Present State/Territory | VIC |
| Colony/State/Territory at the time | PPD |
| Police District | Gippsland |
| Latitude | -38.554 |
| Longitude | 146.962 |
| Date | Between 15 Jul 1843 and 31 Jul 1843 |
| Attack Time | Day |
| Victims | Aboriginal People |
| Victim Descriptions | Aboriginal |
| Victims Killed | 25 |
| Victims Killed Notes | Killed: M F C; Probable: M F C; . |
| Attackers | Colonists |
| Attacker Descriptions | Settler(s), Stockmen/Drover(s) |
| Attackers Killed | 0 |
| Attackers Killed Notes | Killed: M F; Wounded: M F |
| Transport | Horse |
| Motive | Reprisal |
| Weapons Used | Firearm(s), Double-barrelled Purdey(s) |
| Narrative | In July 1843, Ronald Macalister, nephew of squatter Lachlan Macalister, was killed by Brataualang Aborigines, near Port Albert. According to Chief Protector of the Aborigines, G A Robinson, who visited the region in June 1844, 'he was murdered after some depraved white men had, in a fit of drunkenness, shot and killed some friendly natives' (Robinson, 1844, cited in Gardner, 2001, pp.47-61). An avenging party of 20 horsemen, known as 'The Highland Brigade' was organised by Angus McMillan, Lachlan Macalister's former overseer, to look for the killer. The "Brigade" was 'sworn to secrecy'. After slaughtering about 75 at Warrigal Creek Waterhole and a further 25 at Warrigal Creek mouth, they then shot down another family group of 25 at Freshwater Creek, before moving on to Gammon Creek (Gardiner, 2001, p 61). |
| Sources | Gardner, 2001, pp 47-61. See also: Pepper and de Araugo, 1985, p 24; Cannon, 1990, p 171; Shaw, 1996, p 133; Bartrop, 2004, p 199-205. (Sources PDF) |
| Corroboration Rating | *** |
Colonial Frontier Massacres
in Australia, 1788-1930
