Site NameHospital Creek, Brewarinna
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name
Language Group, Nation or PeopleMurrawarri and possibly Ngemba, Ngaampaa, Paakandji, Morawari, Budjiti, Barranbinya, Muruwari, Kooma, Kamilaroi or Wailwan people.
Present State/TerritoryNSW
Colony/State/Territory at the timeNSW
Police DistrictWalgett
Latitude-29.846
Longitude146.942
DateBetween 1 Jan 1870 and 31 Dec 1870
Attack TimeDay
VictimsAboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
Victim Descriptions
Victims Killed200
Victims Killed NotesMen, women and children.
AttackersColonists
Attacker DescriptionsStockmen/Drover(s)
Attackers Killed0
Attackers Killed Notes
TransportHorse
MotiveOpportunity
Weapons UsedUnknown
NarrativeAfter Aboriginal people speared cattle at Quantambone Station, Con Bride requested help from a neighbouring station (Sydney Mail, 12 Sep 1928, p 55). Con Bride with a group of about 20 heavily armed men including Mr J. McKenzie and Aboriginal assistants, Pelica Jemmy and Brewarinna Jemmy, attacked a camp of Aboriginal people at dawn, at a creek just north of Baiame's Ngunnhu (Brewarrina fish traps). Survivors fled in the direction of Culgoa River. Later sources say that around 300 people were killed and only a few escaped, including Peter Flood who died in 1911 (The Farmer and Settler, 24 October 1911, p 5). The creek was named 'Hospital Creek' after an Aboriginal woman was seen trying to care for wounded at this site (The Kiama Independent and Shoalhaven Advertiser, 1 April, 1869, p 4).
The fish traps attracted visitors from far afield and the massacre may have involved Ngemba, Ngaampaa, Paakandji, Morawari, Budjiti, Barranbinya, Muruwari, Kooma, Kamilaroi or Wailwan people in this area. Colonists believed they had killed people of the 'Culgoa Tribe'. The Culgoa area is the lands and waters of Murrawarri people. In 1871, the population of the area was reported to have declined rapidly from thousands to 'only a few' over 20 years, 'Hence the name of "Fishery" at one time, about twenty years ago, this was the chief encampment for the blacks in the Western districts, for hundreds of miles around, and hence they were then to be found in thousands, but latterly there are only a few degenerate ones to be seen, the servile drudges of the (often) tyrannical white masters' (Freeman's Journal, 24 June 1871, p 11). In 1914 the Hospital Creek massacre was described as 'Among the worst massacres in New South Wales' adding that 'a party was got together, who surrounded about 300 aborigines at the creek, and shot down most of them, including women and piccaninnies' (The Richmond River Express and Casino Kyogle Advertiser, 31 July, 1914, p 8).
In 1928 an 'Old-timer' of the region, G.M. Smith, published an account of the massacre that he had heard when he was younger, from one of its leaders. According to Con Bride, Aboriginal people had been spearing cattle. 'I tried to get the blacks to shift camp, but they didn't understand me, or pretended not to which was very likely, as I could speak the native lingo pretty well. So I rode to the station as quickly as possible and brought one of my black boys to talk to them in their own lingo. When he explained what I wanted them to do they said "Baal," which in their language means "No." They evidently didn't want to shift, as they were doing too well where they were; but I went back home and started one of my white stockmen up to the next station with a few lines to the manager to send me all the assistance he could spare in men, arms, and ammunition. The demand was only reasonable in those days, as the white settlers had to keep plenty of arms and ammunition for self-protection and to assist each other in cases of need. Next day I was pleased to see two white stockmen and half-a-dozen black boys, all well armed, ride up. You may be sure I lost no time in getting all my own force under arms, and we rode out to the blacks' camp nearly twenty strong. When we got within two hundred yards of the camp I halted my small force. Then I took one of the boys and rode up to their camp. When the boy told them I wanted them to shift the old darkies got very angry, and said "Baal," as before. I took the boy back to the others, and said: "Now, boys, we will fire a few shots over their camp. They might take fright and clear out." That volley caused a great commotion in the camp. They all ran up in a bunch, like a lot of wild ducks; but there was no stampede such as we were expecting. I noticed that they were all arming with spears and womeras, and when they made a move forward I feared a rush on our small force by their hundreds: so we fired a volley into them, and a dozen or more fell. This caused a halt. Then they gathered round the wounded ones. Apparently they could not understand what had happened, and we took advantage of the confusion to send another volley whistling over their heads. That settled the matter. A general stampede took place across the plain towards the Culgoa, whence, I suppose, they had come' (Sydney Mail, 12 Sep 1928, p 55).
Perhaps the earliest account of the massacre is an article in 1869 republished from the Dubbo Dispatch, which reported, 'The blacks could be found in thousands on the Bogan River not twenty-five years ago; but where are they now? Can you find them in hundreds? No, nor in tens; and what you will ask, has become of them? Some have gone back into the Mulgar, and disease has done its work with them; but what has done the most deadly, work has been the rifle, not in every instance in the hands of the white man, but in the hands of their own fellow countrymen. There were at Brewarina and a station close by three blackfellows, natives of Liverpool Plains, that had been taught the use of firearms to perfection, and ditto the use of horses. These fellows for many years shot down everything black in human shape indiscriminately, wherever they met them. One of these demons, Pelica Jemmy, told me some revolting stories. He said he had shot and poisoned in his time 170, and that Brewarina Jemmy, had killed far more than he. He related an affray that took place in a back creek, not more than five miles from Brewarina; and in proof of his assertion showed me some hundreds of bones (I should say, the remains of forty). He, it appeared from his story, had been out on the run, and had tracked a lot of cattle away from the camp.; he further discovered that these cattle had been disturbed by the arrival of a lot of blacks to fish at this camp. He did not allow himself to be seen, but rode home, from whence an express messenger was despatched to Merriman, and some half-dozen other stations up the river, for all hands to come down to a blackfellows' hunt. All hands, were ready - whites and their Namoi demons - and started at night, arriving close to the camp of blacks before day, when they waited till daylight, then taking up positions so as to command the entire camp, they sent in a deadly volley, and in a short time there was not a black left. Some two days after four of the same party of murderers were riding by this said spot, when they found three blackfellows that had not died, and an old gin less wounded attending to their wants. "Eloh?" said one of the party, "here's a hospital." They got down and despatched the whole lot with a tomahawk, not caring to waste powder and shot on them; from that day till this this camp is called "the Hospital"' (The Kiama Independent and Shoalhaven Advertiser, 1 April, 1869, p 4).
An 1876 article presents an extract from a document beginning, 'We are speaking (says the writer) of the year 1859.' and described some atrocities committed in the area adding, 'When, however, these monsters "had their cattle together" they would collect themselves for the purpose of "a bit of sport" which meant going on the trail of the aboriginals. "Hospital Creek," opposite Breewarrina, "The Point," between Yambegoona and the same place, and Warraweena Billywung might, if they could speak, tell of deeds unparalleled even in the Book of Books' (Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser, 9 May 1876, p 4).
In 1911 the death of Peter Flood, an Aboriginal man who had survived the massacre was reported with additional details of the massacre, 'The blackfellow, Peter Flood, who died at Brewarrina, N.S.W., recently from pneumonia, was a full-blooded aboriginal, and was eighty-two years, of age. He was one of the survivors of the famous Hospital Creek massacre, which occurred fifty-two years ago. The blacks had been very troublesome and annoyed the station people to such a degree that it was decided to teach them a lesson. The white settlers, led by Mr. J. McKenzie, assembled, and proceeded in search of the aboriginals, whom they found to the number of about 300 encamped on the banks of Hospital Creek, which is situated about eleven miles from Brewarrina. An engagement took place, and only one or two aboriginals escaped. This particular tribe was known as the Culgoa tribe, and for many years had been a menace to settlers along the Culgoa River, spearing cattle and sheep, and stealing on every possible occasion. Peter Flood was one of the tribe' (The Farmer and Settler, 24 October 1911, p 5).
The reports consistently say that 300 people were killed at Hospital Creek, if a number is stated. Large amounts of people would have been congregated to feast at the fish traps. All accounts of the massacre involve a large force of heavily armed and mounted colonists gathered for the purpose of attacking Aboriginal people. The location is a vast treeless plain with no places of concealment. It is likely an unusually large number of people were killed.
SourcesDargin 1976, p 59; The Farmer and Settler, 24 October 1911, p 5 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118010220; Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser, 9 May 1876, p 4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/148509158; The Kiama Independent and Shoalhaven Advertiser, 1 April, 1869, p 4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113830392; Sydney Mail, 12 Sep 1928, p 55 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/158404490/16864759; The Richmond River Express and Casino Kyogle Advertiser, 31 July, 1914, p 8 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124719523; Freeman's Journal, 24 June 1871, p 11 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120727890 (Sources PDF)
Corroboration Rating***