Site NameTennant Creek
Aboriginal Place NameKargaru
Language GroupWarlpiri, Warumungu
Present State/TerritoryNT
Colony/State/Territory at the timeNT
Police DistrictAlice Springs
Latitude-19.648
Longitude134.19
DateBetween 1 Jan 1917 and 31 Dec 1917
Attack TimeNight
VictimsAboriginal People
Victim DescriptionsWarrior(s)
Victims Killed50
Victims Killed NotesPrincipally men.
AttackersColonists
Attacker DescriptionsStockmen/Drover(s)
Attackers Killed0
Attackers Killed Notes
TransportHorse
MotiveOpportunity
Weapons UsedFirearm(s), Rifle(s), Fire
NarrativeRead and Read (1991, pp 5-7) relate the story of Fred Booth Minmienadji who was in a droving party that arbitrarily shot "wild blackfeller" at night. Speaking about how many he'd personally shot, he said "half a hundred". An unnamed policeman ordered a "big fire". About 15 bodies were destroyed "in the fire". This event is recorded as occurring "south of Tennant Creek" in about 1917 when many white men were away during World War I. Headon (1988, p 35-36) noted Minmienadji saying: “The wild blackfeller. Oh, shot him, half a hundred. Just about night-time, one bastard run away. I shot him on the leg, fall arse over head. ‘Where’s some blackfeller?’ old sergeant said. ‘I shot one feller over here, crawl about on his knee. I must have broken his knee.’ ‘Oh, good. Where’s ‘nother fellers?’ ‘I shot him in the bloody head. Oh, he’s in the creek, I think.’”
SourcesRead and Read, 1991, pp 5-7; Headon, 1988, pp 35-36. (Sources PDF)
Corroboration Rating**