Site Name | Mirki |
Aboriginal Place Name | Mirki |
Language Group | Iwaidja |
Present State/Territory | NT |
Colony/State/Territory at the time | SA |
Police District | Port Darwin |
Latitude | -12.104 |
Longitude | 134.911 |
Date | Between 1 Jan 1889 and 31 Dec 1896 |
Attack Time | Day |
Victims | Aboriginal People |
Victim Descriptions | |
Victims Killed | 40 |
Victims Killed Notes | Certainly dozens of Aboriginal people from a camp named Mirki. |
Attackers | Colonisers |
Attacker Descriptions | Pastoralist(s) |
Attackers Killed | 0 |
Attackers Killed Notes | |
Transport | Horse |
Motive | Reprisal |
Weapons Used | Firearm(s) |
Narrative | Read and Read (1991, p 24) relate this story from an anonymous person at Milingimbi: “Aboriginal people from a camp at Mirki were killing cattle on Florida Station, near Milingimbi. After confessing to cattle killing, an Aboriginal person was murdered. In a surprise night attack, the adults at the camp were murdered and the surviving children were murdered the following day. The Aboriginal people at the camp hid in trees at the night and the ‘Balanda’ shot up at them - ‘And they all just went falling down onto the ground. Every one of them, just lying there, and not only a few, lots of them’. |
Sources | Read and Read 1991; Gaunt 1934, ‘Old Time Memories, The Lepers of Arnheim [sic] Land and Sketches’ Northern Standard July 10, 1834, p 6 . (Sources PDF) |
Corroboration Rating | ** |