Site Name | Barron River, Cairns |
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name | |
Language Group, Nation or People | |
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 or Torres Strait Islander People |
Victim Descriptions | Aboriginal |
Victims Killed | 8 |
Victims Killed Notes | Men, women and children. |
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 | * |