Site NameWilleroo (2)
This massacre is part of a group of massacres
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name
Language Group, Nation or PeopleBulinara / Wardaman / Karrangpurru
Present State/TerritoryNT
Colony/State/Territory at the timeSA
Police DistrictGordon Creek
Latitude-15.562
Longitude131.58
DateBetween 1 Nov 1892 and 21 Nov 1892
Attack TimeDay
VictimsAboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
Victim DescriptionsAboriginal
Victims Killed30
Victims Killed NotesTwo mounted parties went in pursuit.
AttackersColonists
Attacker DescriptionsMounted Police, Stockmen/Drover(s)
Attackers Killed0
Attackers Killed Notes
TransportHorse
MotiveReprisal
Weapons UsedFirearm(s)
NarrativeThis massacre is the second of two reprisal massacres following the killing of GS Scott, manager of Willeroo station in October 1892. This group was led by Mounted Constable Browne. Lewis (2004, p 243-244) noted: 'Writing in 1895, Mounted Constable Willshire stated that, "They were tracked up by an avenging party, and sic transit gloria mundi!" ('Thus passes the glory of the world')'. (The first was perpetrated by Lindsay Crawford, a well-known station manager in the VRD region, on 20 October 1892, see Willeroo #1). According to Kulumput, as recorded by W. Arndt (1965, p 245), Paddy Cahill was involved in these Willeroo massacres and one occurred in a cave. He also stated it was Bulinara people who were massacred, and Wardaman people later moved into the country as a result of the 'decimation'. 'The Bulinara tribe murdered Syd. Scott, the overseer at Old Willeroo, some time between 1886 and 1892. According to Kulumput the Bulinara tribe was then "yarded up in a cave" by the famous Paddy Cahill, who then "shot the whole blooming lot." Kulumput's family were "visiting" near the V.R.D. homestead at the time of the reprisal, if not at the time of the murder.'(Arndt, 1965, p245) According to Arndt, Kulumput 'was of Yungman-Bulinara extraction, born in Mudbura territory, and an elder in a Wardaman migrant group in Bulinara country.' and respected by Wardaman people because of his birthright to the former Bulinara country of this region (Arndt, 1965, p245). Kulumput's statement that Paddy was involved in a massacre in a cave accords with the newspaper report that the reprisal parties were headed into rough ranges, 'In addition to the party in charge of Mr. Crawford, there left Springvale on Saturday Messrs M. C. Browne, A. J. Giles, Clarke, Frayne, Palmer, Ah Sing, Joe Wah, five blackboys and some thirty horses, so that the country will get a good turning out, and the culprits will have to show a considerable amount of agility if they wish to keep out of the road. The country about the McClure Creek has always had a bad name on account or the "cheekiness" of the natives. There have already been three or four outrages about that district, resulting (I think) in the death of three Europeans. The ranges in the neighbourhood are very high and rough.' (NTTG October 21, 1892, p 3) Since the other recorded incident was at a campsite near the homestead, it would either be this massacre led by Mounted Constable Browne that Paddy Cahill participated in, occurring in a cave, or a third massacre. These incidents occured at 'Old Willeroo', which is to the south of the later Willeroo Station, about half way to Delamere Station, between tributaries of Victoria River and Aroona River. Davidson, in Archaeological Problems of North Austalia (Davidson, 1935) notes that caves at Willeroo and at Delamere have been inhabited for a long time, and that they are inhabited during the wet season, which is when these massacres occurred). Lewis suggests there may be some confusion in Arndt's reporting of Kulumput's account, because Willeroo is Wardaman country and Bilinara country is further south around Victoria River. The Delamere caves are as close to Old Willeroo as the Willeroo caves, and they are to the south, near the Victoria River tributaries such as Gregory Creek. The Delamere caves are the most likely location then. They are close to Old Willeroo, and where Wardaman and Billinara country meet. This agrees with Kulumput's account that this region was once Billinara country but was populated by Wardaman following the 'decimation' of Billinara people in the massacres. This region between Wardandi and Billinara is also known as Karangpurru (aka Karanga) country. According to Meakins and Nordinger 'The Karrangpurru, who lived to the north of Bilinarra, were virtually wiped out by disease and massacres. Now only a handful of people from one family claim some Karrangpurru heritage.' (Meakins and Nordinger, 2014, p17) In 1900 Paddy Cahill wrote that '... I had lived on Cullin-la-ringo, a station in Queensland where the whole tribe of blacks were outlawed and shot down by the black police like crows. The reason of their being outlawed was on account of a massacre by them on the station...' He notes that his brother M. Cahill had been speared near where Scott was killed, and some Aboriginal people were shot, that Mr J Bradshaw was attacked on the same route and that he himself had killed Aboriginal people when attacked in this area. 'I could do nothing but shoot as quickly as possible, and I can shoot fairly quickly. I don't know how many niggers I shot - I didn't stop to count them.' (SA Register, 4 Sep 1900, p 6) He also mentions the killing of Scott, 'One glaring case was that of the late W S Scott, of Willeroo Station, one of the kindest men it was possible to find to the natives; yet he was killed by them not far away from his station. The natives, after murdering him, went to the station and tried to kill the cook, but he got away. The black demons then looted the station, and not one of them was punished for his foul work.' (SA Register, 4 Sep 1900, p 6) This prompted a response from W.A. Millikan, 'Concerning the murder of the late Mr. Scott, of Willeroo Station, whom we all respected, it is absurd for Mr. Cahill to say that "not one of the blacks was punished for the foul work." He surely knows that at the time two parties of men stirred to anger and well armed started out professedly to avenge the murder, and were gone some weeks; and was it not an open secret that they made the locality particularly "unhealthy" for the "poor blacks."' (SA Register, 10 Sep 1900, p5) In Paddy's reply to Millikan he asked if there were any proof of this and clarified that he meant that no-one had been brought to justice by the police: 'Again, regarding Scott's murder at Williroo, has Mr. Millikan an proof that blacks were shot by the parties that went out to avenge that outrage? I said in my letter that no blacks were brought to justice by the police, except in one or two cases.' (SA Register, 29 Jan 1901, p 5) In arguing for increased police presence in the region to bring 'evildoers' to justice, he warned that, 'Unless something like this is done a wholesale murder will take place at some of the stations in the Victoria River district.' (South Australian Register, 4 Sep 1900)
SourcesLewis, 2004, pp 243-244; NTTG October 21, 1892 p 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3322638; November 4, 1892 p 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3322752; November 11, 1892 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3322818; Willshire, 1895, p 8; Morrison, https://www.australianfrontierconflicts.com.au; SA Register, 4 Sep 1900 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/54534974; SA Register, 29 Jan 1901 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/54557111; Arndt, 1965 https://www.jstor.org/stable/40329542; Davidson, 1935; Meakins & Nordlinger, 2013 (Sources PDF)
Corroboration Rating**