Site Name Panton River - East Kimberley
Aboriginal Place Name
Language Group Worla, Kitja
Colony WA
Present State/Territory 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
Victims Killed 10
Victims Killed Notes 10-20
Attackers Colonisers
Attackers Killed 0
Attackers Killed Notes
Transport Horse
Motive Opportunity
Weapons Used Rifles
Narrative Biddy Malingal 1888 [Related to the George Barnett Massacre] Massacres 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 mem’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 tress poor things
They shot them down like birds and they fell down by 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, 1989:9.]
Sources Ross and Bray, 1989: 9. (Sources PDF)
Corroboration Rating *