| Narrative | According to Collins (2002, p 164), native police officer Sergeant Richard Dempster permitted a stockman named Johnston from Yamboucal station to lead native police troopers and other stockmen in a 'collision' with the Mandandanji people, one and a half kilometres from Surat, the headquarters of Crown Lands Commissioner Henry Whitty and Clerk of Petty Sessions Luke Sibthorpe. According to Collins (2002, p 164), on 20 April 1852 Dempster and his detachment of six native police were ordered by Lt George Fulford to visit William Ogilvie junior's Wachoo station where the 'blacks are killing and disturbing the cattle'. 'Should any collisions occur...with the hostile blacks you will use every endeavour upon your part to prevent the unnecessary effusion of blood and sacrifice for life' (Fulford in Collins 2002, pp 164-165). Between 9 and 15 May 1852, Dempster 'and some of his troopers became sick and rested at Wachoo. While they were recovering, Dempster allowed a station worker...Johnston to lead the remainder of the troopers in pursuit of the wanted Mandandanji' (on Yamboucal station). According to Collins, when Commissioner Whitty became aware of a 'collision' between the native police led by Johnston and the Mandandanji at Yamboucal station, and warned Dempster to call in his troopers at once (Collins, 2002, p 171), because he could be accused of breaking the law in allowing a civilian to lead a native police detachment. Collins believes that an investigation was carried out into Dempster's behaviour and that he was suspended for three months but the affidavits and the report are missing from the archives. Collins considers that a witness to the Yamboucal massacre, George Neale, told of the massacre to explorer Hovenden Hely who was in the area at the time, conducting a search for the missing explorer, Leichhardt (Collins, 2002, pp 173-179). It is unknown how many Mandananji were killed on Yamboucal station. |
