| Narrative | A shepherd on EG Cory's estate at Paterson River killed a dog belonging to Wonnarua warriors. In reprisal the Wonnarua wounded the shepherd and set fire to the corn crop. In reprisal the shepherd gathered other shepherds and workmen on the estate and attacked the Wonnarua and killed 12 of them. On 25 August 1877, the Maitland Mercury recorded the following, 'a man who was present, as he admits, when a party had formed for the purpose of punishing the blacks for pulling cobs of maize in the field, and carrying it off in their nets to their camps. Observing some smoke rising from the midst of the Wallalong Brush, they armed themselves with muskets, and reached unobserved to the camp, where a considerable of men, women and children were. They fired at upon them, killing some and wounding others. The rest fled through the bush, pursued by the whites, and then the whole of the natives took to the water intervening between the brush and the high land, towards which it gradually deepened, and some of the poor creatures drowned.' |
