| Site Name | Panton River - East Kimberley |
| Aboriginal Place Name | |
| Language Group | Worla, Kitja |
| Present State/Territory | WA |
| Colony/State/Territory at the time | WA |
| Police District | East Kimberley |
| Latitude | -17.885 |
| Longitude | 127.891 |
| Date | Between 1 Jan 1880 and 31 Dec 1899 |
| Attack Time | Day |
| Victims | Aboriginal People |
| Victim Descriptions | |
| Victims Killed | 10 |
| Victims Killed Notes | 10-20 |
| Attackers | Colonists |
| Attacker Descriptions | |
| Attackers Killed | 0 |
| Attackers Killed Notes | |
| Transport | Horse |
| Motive | Opportunity |
| Weapons Used | Rifle(s) |
| Narrative | Biddy Malingal 1888 [Related to the George Barnett Massacre] told Helen Ross of massacres occurring at Lightman Creek, Violet Valley and Panton Creek.
‘They came from the west A big mob of people came from Moola Bulla, from Halls Creek and from Turner. To the ceremony place at Lightman Creek That’s the biggest place for young men’s ceremonies. They all called out All the Lunka [also known as Kija] people from the west, then from the east. All the Jaru people Mirrawong people from the north They had a fight then ‘Then there’ all the kartiya coming!’ Kalpany, Klaykuny and Punjinygany three brothers ran away They chased them west. They kept chasing the right across the roses yard Half way the kartiya got tired and thirsty so they came back They went back and shot all the babies, kids and teenage girls And all the old ladies their mothers and grandmothers, and all the old men. They had all climbed up trees poor things They shot them down like birds and they fell down like birds. Finished They got all the wood and piled it up They pulled all the people and put them on top of the Wood put kerosene on it and lit the fire.' (Ross and Bray, 1989, p 9) |
| Sources | Biddy Malingal, cited in Ross and Bray, 1989 p 9. (Sources PDF) |
| Corroboration Rating | * |
Colonial Frontier Massacres
in Australia, 1788-1930
