Site NameFernmount, Bellinger River
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name
Language Group, Nation or PeopleGumbaynggirr
Present State/TerritoryNSW
Colony/State/Territory at the timeNSW
Police DistrictKempsey
Latitude-30.47
Longitude152.956
Date7 Jun 1895
Attack TimeDay
VictimsAboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
Victim DescriptionsAboriginal
Victims Killed6
Victims Killed NotesPoisoning of Tommy Doyle and 5 others, by drinking poison instead of rum.
AttackersColonists
Attacker DescriptionsSettler(s)
Attackers Killed0
Attackers Killed Notes
TransportFoot
MotiveOpportunity
Weapons UsedPoison
NarrativeAccording to the National Advocate (Bathurst), 'the trial of John Frederick Kelly on a charge of having at Fernmount, [on the Bellinger River, north coast NSW] on June 7, [1895] slain Tommy Doyle by giving him poison, was concluded on Friday afternoon. The Jury, after a short retirement, found the accused not guilty and he was discharged. Tommy Doyle was one of the half-dozen aborigines who died from drinking poison supplied to them for rum.' (National Advocate, August 5, 1895, p 3) This is one of the first cases of poisoning Aboriginal people in NSW with poisoned alcohol.
SourcesNational Advocate, (Bathurst), August 5, 1895, p 3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/156693795. (Sources PDF)
Corroboration Rating*