| Narrative | On 6 December, 1861, John O'Connell Bligh, Commandant of the Native Police, reported from the Headquarters at Rockhampton to the Colonial Secretary that during his inspection of the 3rd Division on the Bungil Creek, Lieutenant Carr and 2nd Lieutenant Moorehead returned from patrol and 'reported a collision between the Detachment under the command of 2nd Lieutenant Marlow and the Aborigines on the head of the Maranoa where a new Police Station is now being founded' (Bligh to the Colonial Secretary, 6 December 1861 in Inwards Correspondence, p 164).
Lieutenant Carr's report of 30th October, 1861 stated that there had been an '... affray with Blacks, which took place at the Native Police Camp on the Maranoa River' and that '... the Blacks dispersed and went towards the head of the river, nothing has been heard of them since, I have however instructed Mr Marlow to make a patrol in that direction to ascertain something of their movements' (Carr to Commandant of the Native M. Police, Rockhampton in QSA COL/A23/61/3266, (DR 57342.pdf) ITM846753, p 169).
Second Lieutenant Marlow's report of 22 October, 1861 stated that on the 19th of October 6 unarmed Aboriginal people approached the police camp. With one of the native police interpreting, he explained to them that they should not come near the police camp and they left immediately. 'I believing that these six men were merely spies from the main body came up according to the usual customs of the wilder tribes, I prepared for the result should they return armed in force. I did not saddle up as I wished to show them that the camp was safe without the horses, and as I had no charge against them I would have let them go in peace if they would let me.
Shortly after the first lot thirty apparently picked men came up, fully armed, they gave me no opportunity of speaking to them but at once commenced an attack upon us. I accordingly led my men to close quarters and after a sharp struggle dispersed them with a loss of ten men on their side. I was insensible for a short period during the engagement from a wound on the head, one of the men also got struck but not severely' (Marlow to Carr, 22 Oct, 1861 in QSA COL/A23/61/3266, (DR 57342.pdf) ITM846753, pp 170-171). |
