| Site Name | Sweers Island, Gulf of Carpentaria |
| Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name | |
| Language Group, Nation or People | Kayardild |
| Present State/Territory | QLD |
| Colony/State/Territory at the time | QLD |
| Police District | Normanton |
| Latitude | -17.131 |
| Longitude | 139.614 |
| Date | Between 1 Jan 1872 and 31 Dec 1872 |
| Attack Time | Day |
| Victims | Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People |
| Victim Descriptions | Aboriginal |
| Victims Killed | 6 |
| Victims Killed Notes | 'a number' |
| Attackers | Colonists |
| Attacker Descriptions | Government Official(s) |
| Attackers Killed | 0 |
| Attackers Killed Notes | |
| Transport | Boat |
| Motive | Opportunity |
| Weapons Used | Firearm(s) |
| Narrative | In 1872, a small party of colonists, including employees at the Normanton Customs Station, landed on Sweers Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria 'and a number of Blacks were shot' (Richards, 2008, p 57). According to Timothy Bottoms, 'a magisterial inquiry' held early the following year', revealed that the incident was purely opportunistic but no one was arrested for their involvement (Bottoms, 2013, p 169). |
| Sources | Richards, 2008, p 57; Bottoms, 2013, p 169. (Sources PDF) |
| Corroboration Rating | ** |
