| Site Name | Ardgowan Island, Gwydir River |
| Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name | |
| Language Group, Nation or People | Wiriyaraay or Gamilaraay or Yugambul |
| Present State/Territory | NSW |
| Colony/State/Territory at the time | NSW |
| Police District | Muswellbrook |
| Latitude | -29.475 |
| Longitude | 150.116 |
| Date | Between 1 Aug 1838 and 31 Aug 1838 |
| Attack Time | Day |
| Victims | Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People |
| Victim Descriptions | Aboriginal |
| Victims Killed | 9 |
| Victims Killed Notes | |
| Attackers | Colonists |
| Attacker Descriptions | Manager(s), Stockmen/Drover(s) |
| Attackers Killed | 0 |
| Attackers Killed Notes | |
| Transport | Horse |
| Motive | Opportunity |
| Weapons Used | Firearm(s), Musket(s), Pistol(s) |
| Narrative | Following the Myall Creek massacres Commissioner for Crown Lands, Edward Mayne, was sent to the Gwydir River to investigate the status of the region and specifically the earlier killing of shepherds and sheep at Bowman's station, and at Cox's station. While he was there, in August 1838, Charles Eyles, manager at Crawford's station on the Gwydir River and two stockmen, James Dunn and William Allen, shot and killed nine Gomeroi people on Ardgowan Island on the Gwydir River, and burnt and buried the bodies in a shallow grave (Millis, 1992, p 580). The remains were discovered in February 1839 by a trooper under Edward Mayne's command and a drover (Mayne to Colonial Secretary, 23-28 Feb 1839, cited in Milliss 1992, p 580-2). Eyles disappeared along with Dunn while Allen was sent by Mayne to Muswellbrook for interview by magistrate Edward Denny Day who charged him with murder. According to Milliss, Allen was never brought to trial (Milliss 1992, p 678). |
| Sources | Milliss 1992, pp 580-2, 678. (Sources PDF) |
| Corroboration Rating | ** |
