Site NameBattle Mountain, Cloncurry
Aboriginal Place Name
Language GroupKalkadoons
Present State/TerritoryQLD
Colony/State/Territory at the timeQLD
Police DistrictCloncurry
Latitude-19.502
Longitude140.435
DateBetween 1 Sep 1884 and 30 Sep 1884
Attack TimeDay
VictimsAboriginal People
Victim DescriptionsAboriginal
Victims Killed30
Victims Killed NotesAt least 20 and probably closer to 40
AttackersColonists
Attacker DescriptionsNative Police, Settler(s)
Attackers Killed0
Attackers Killed Notes
TransportHorse
MotiveReprisal
Weapons UsedFirearm(s), Snider(s)
NarrativeA detachment of six Native police led by Sub Inspector Frederick Urquhart and assisted by settler Alexander Kennedy avenged the killing of 'a Chinese shepherd on Granada station 70kms north of Cloncurry.' They encountered 150 Kalkadoon warriors on a hill and called on them to surrender. There was an affray in which 'an unknown number of men, women and children were killed.' None of the attacking party was wounded (Richards, cited in Bottoms, 2013, p 166).
SourcesBottoms 2013, pp164-166; Richards, 2010. (Sources PDF)
Corroboration Rating**