Site NameJail House Creek - East Kimberley
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name
Language Group, Nation or PeopleWorla, Kitja
Present State/TerritoryWA
Colony/State/Territory at the timeWA
Police DistrictEast Kimberley
Latitude-16.461
Longitude128.215
DateBetween 1 Jan 1900 and 31 Dec 1900
Attack TimeDay
VictimsAboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
Victim Descriptions
Victims Killed50
Victims Killed Notes50-100
AttackersColonists
Attacker Descriptions
Attackers Killed0
Attackers Killed Notes
Transport
MotiveOpportunity
Weapons UsedRifle(s), Stone(s), Incineration
NarrativeHector Chunda told Helen Ross: 'Some Kartiya [White People] bin round em up the blackfellas long bush, put em chains around their necks. They used to bring em, camp along the road, footwork, drive em like a mob of cattle. They took em to the right place, Jail Creek.
'They went up to the rock hole there, having the camp dinner. Then they were carting wood, take em back to the place where they were camping, then tie them up, like a dog.
'Right all the kartiya get em their guns, line em up every girl and boy and shoot em down got a rifle. Whang all the children on the rocks [smash their skulls on the rocks]. Chuck em kerosene, put em on the firewood and chuck all em them dead bodies in the firewood place, put em kerosene and chuck em matches.
'Burn em up them, finished, they all there. That's the way (that's why) thy bin call em Jail creek.
'Boy and girls and children, all bin burn em up, shoot em down, get em all the kids like this one, hang em long tree. That's the way not much Kija people and Mirriwoong longa this country. They bin finish em up. Kartiya bin finish em up, killed the lot' (Hector Chunda cited in Ross and Bray, 1989, p18).
SourcesHector Chunda in Ross and Bray, 1989, p 18. (Sources PDF)
Corroboration Rating**