| Site Name | Tennant Creek |
| Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name | Kargaru |
| Language Group, Nation or People | Warlpiri, Warumungu |
| Present State/Territory | NT |
| Colony/State/Territory at the time | NT |
| Police District | Alice Springs |
| Latitude | -19.648 |
| Longitude | 134.19 |
| Date | Between 1 Jan 1917 and 31 Dec 1917 |
| Attack Time | Night |
| Victims | Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People |
| Victim Descriptions | Warrior(s) |
| Victims Killed | 50 |
| Victims Killed Notes | |
| Attackers | Colonists |
| Attacker Descriptions | Stockmen/Drover(s), Police |
| Attackers Killed | 0 |
| Attackers Killed Notes | |
| Transport | Horse |
| Motive | Opportunity |
| Weapons Used | Firearm(s), Rifle(s), Fire |
| Narrative | Read 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.'" |
| Sources | Read and Read, 1991, pp 5-7; Headon, 1988, pp 35-36. (Sources PDF) |
| Corroboration Rating | ** |
