Site NameTexas Downs - East Kimberley
Aboriginal Place Name
Language GroupWorla, Kitja, Jaru
Present State/TerritoryWA
Colony/State/Territory at the timeWA
Police DistrictEast Kimberley
Latitude-17.784
Longitude127.685
DateBetween 1 Jan 1908 and 31 Dec 1908
Attack TimeDay
VictimsAboriginal People
Victim Descriptions
Victims Killed9
Victims Killed Notes9-15
AttackersColonists
Attacker Descriptions
Attackers Killed0
Attackers Killed Notes
TransportHorse
MotiveReprisal
Weapons UsedRevolver(s), Winchester(s)
NarrativeHector Chunda told Helen Ross of the Texas Downs massacre: 'Lot of people bin get killed longa Texas Downs. Right longa where that house is (present homestead). Right under there. He never bin have em house there then. They bin have em bamboo, what they make spear with, that kind of thing bion grow there. Shoot them and burn em up there. And next time they bin go over to Mirririji there, another creek. That’s the station Creek, another creek there. Just not to far away from house. Shootem there shoot em there, finish em up. Some young women they bin tie em up, bring em here (Turkey Creek). Young women, for working. Some kartiya bin married to him, black woman, young girl. They bin have em for wife or something like that. That’s the way plenty half-castes now' (Hector Chunda cited in Ross and Bray, 1989, p 20).
SourcesClement, 1989, pp 21-22; Shaw, 1986, p 98-101; Shaw, 1998, passim; Ross and Bray, 1989, p 20. (Sources PDF)
Corroboration Rating***