| Site Name | 'Maria' massacre, Mission Beach |
| Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name | |
| Language Group, Nation or People | Djiru |
| Present State/Territory | QLD |
| Colony/State/Territory at the time | QLD |
| Police District | Cardwell |
| Latitude | -17.924 |
| Longitude | 146.097 |
| Date | Between 1 Mar 1872 and 10 Mar 1872 |
| Attack Time | Day |
| Victims | Colonists |
| Victim Descriptions | Sailor(s) |
| Victims Killed | 14 |
| Victims Killed Notes | Captain and thirteen crew members of the 'Maria'. |
| Attackers | Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People |
| Attacker Descriptions | Aboriginal |
| Attackers Killed | 0 |
| Attackers Killed Notes | |
| Transport | Foot |
| Motive | Opportunity |
| Weapons Used | Spear(s), Club(s) |
| Narrative | On 26 February 1872, the brig Maria carrying 75 passengers on a gold prospecting expedition to New Guinea, was wrecked on Bramble Reef. The survivors escaped the sinking ship on three boats and two rafts. Two of the boats made it to safety at the British settlement at Cardwell, but the other three craft washed up on the shoreline further north at present day Mission Beach where 14 of the crew, including the captain were killed by the Djuru people (The Queenslander April 13, 1872). |
| Sources | Queenslander, The April 6, 1872 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27270473 and April 13,1872 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27270598; Burrowa News, (NSW), January 31, 1879, p 3; Forster, 1872, pp 13-14 https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-401685207/view?partId=nla.obj-401687311#page/n4/mode/1up; NSW V&P 1872; Brisbane Courier, April 4, 1872, p 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1299507 (Sources PDF) |
| Corroboration Rating | *** |
