| Site Name | Barron River, Cairns |
| Aboriginal Place Name | |
| Language Group | |
| Present State/Territory | QLD |
| Colony/State/Territory at the time | QLD |
| Police District | Cairns |
| Latitude | -16.852 |
| Longitude | 145.646 |
| Date | Between 1 Jun 1890 and 30 Jun 1890 |
| Attack Time | Dawn |
| Victims | Aboriginal People |
| Victim Descriptions | Aboriginal |
| Victims Killed | 8 |
| Victims Killed Notes | MWC |
| Attackers | Colonists |
| Attacker Descriptions | Native Police |
| Attackers Killed | 0 |
| Attackers Killed Notes | |
| Transport | Horse |
| Motive | Reprisal |
| Weapons Used | Martini-Henry Rifle(s) |
| Narrative | In June 1890, following the murder of Mr Hobson on his station by one of his Aboriginal workers, known as Bismarck, a detachment of native police surrounded the camp of the 'Barron tribe' 'towards which "Bismarck's" steps were tracked and surrounded; and, without warning, the cordon of rifles fired into the camp, and left eight Aboriginals dead' (Queenslander, Sept 19, 1891, pp 572-573). However Bismarck and his accomplice, Darkie, were not among the victims and were later arrested. Their fate is not known. |
| Sources | Capricornian, September 6, 1890, p 6 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67951133; Queenslander, September 19, 1891, pp 572-573 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20296175/2350625. (Sources PDF) |
| Corroboration Rating | * |
Colonial Frontier Massacres
in Australia, 1788-1930
