| Site Name | Corella Creek, Bowgan This massacre is part of a group of massacres |
| Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name | |
| Language Group, Nation or People | Garawa, Yanuwa |
| Present State/Territory | NT |
| Colony/State/Territory at the time | SA |
| Police District | Anthony's Lagoon |
| Latitude | -17.985 |
| Longitude | 135.534 |
| Date | Between 1 Feb 1892 and 28 Feb 1892 |
| Attack Time | Day |
| Victims | Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People |
| Victim Descriptions | Aboriginal |
| Victims Killed | 30 |
| Victims Killed Notes | |
| Attackers | Colonists |
| Attacker Descriptions | Pastoralist(s) |
| Attackers Killed | 0 |
| Attackers Killed Notes | |
| Transport | Horse |
| Motive | Reprisal |
| Weapons Used | Firearm(s), Rifle(s), Tomahawk(s), Spear(s) |
| Narrative | See also Nicholson River massacre.
It was widely believed that station worker George William Clarke and the station cook Charles Deloitte were killed at Bowgan Station by Aboriginal workers 'Walter' and 'Monkeyboy'. Two reprisal massacres took place in pursuit of the alleged killers.
The first was at Corella Creek on Bowgan Station, and led by station owner, Tom Perry. According to Charles Gaunt, 'Walter' and 'Monkeyboy' sought refuge with a group of Aboriginal people who were not involved in the killings.
'The party on the way to Bowgun crossed Corella Creek, eighteen miles from Brunette and just at that particular time a big mob of blacks had come in from the Westward and was camped at the big hole about a mile and a half below the crossing. The party discovered the blacks and the. blood lust being strong in these men, thirsting for revenge, they rounded up these blacks, innocent of any crime at the time, and shot down bucks, lubras and piccaninnies. The terrified blacks jumping into the water hole were slaughtered in dozens. (This was told to me a short time afterwards at Eva Downs by three of the party, one being Tom Perry). The party then proceeded on the way leaving the camp a shambles and the waterhole a grave for those shot in it' (Gaunt, February 19, 1932, p 2), 'Walter' was killed in the reprisal massacre. Monkey Boy escaped and died of natural causes. Perry, who led the reprisal massacres was the part-owner and manager of Cresswell Downs Station (aka Bowgan Downs because of a creek on the station by that name). A Borroloola Police Station Letter Book entry of June 1893 records that GW Clarke (one of the murdered) was in possession of cattle, the property of F Bourke of Fitzroy River in WA. |
| Sources | Read and Read 1991, pp 26-28; GSNT Record 579; NTTG, March 4, 1892, p 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3320941; NTTG, March 5, 1897, p 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4165959; Gaunt, 'The Tragedy of Bowgun [sic]', Northern Standard (Darwin) 19 February 19, 1932 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49488610 p 3; NTRS 2710 – Borroloola Police Letter Books – entry, June 1893; Morrison https://www.australianfrontierconflicts.com.au; Ucko & Layton 1999; SA Legislative Council Select Committee Inquiry into the Aborigines Bill 1899. (Sources PDF) |
| Corroboration Rating | *** |
Colonial Frontier Massacres
in Australia, 1788-1930
