Site Name | Fernmount, Bellinger River |
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name | |
Language Group, Nation or People | Gumbaynggirr |
Present State/Territory | NSW |
Colony/State/Territory at the time | NSW |
Police District | Kempsey |
Latitude | -30.47 |
Longitude | 152.956 |
Date | 7 Jun 1895 |
Attack Time | Day |
Victims | Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People |
Victim Descriptions | Aboriginal |
Victims Killed | 6 |
Victims Killed Notes | Poisoning of Tommy Doyle and 5 others, by drinking poison instead of rum. |
Attackers | Colonists |
Attacker Descriptions | Settler(s) |
Attackers Killed | 0 |
Attackers Killed Notes | |
Transport | Foot |
Motive | Opportunity |
Weapons Used | Poison |
Narrative | According 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. |
Sources | National Advocate, (Bathurst), August 5, 1895, p 3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/156693795. (Sources PDF) |
Corroboration Rating | * |