| Site Name | Stawell River, Cambridge Creek, North Queensland |
| Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Place Name | |
| Language Group, Nation or People | Mbara |
| Present State/Territory | QLD |
| Colony/State/Territory at the time | QLD |
| Police District | Port Curtis |
| Latitude | -20.078 |
| Longitude | 143.967 |
| Date | 30 Oct 1861 |
| Attack Time | Day |
| Victims | Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People |
| Victim Descriptions | Aboriginal |
| Victims Killed | 12 |
| Victims Killed Notes | Males |
| Attackers | Colonists |
| Attacker Descriptions | Explorer(s) |
| Attackers Killed | 0 |
| Attackers Killed Notes | |
| Transport | Horse |
| Motive | Opportunity |
| Weapons Used | Firearm(s), Breech Loading Rifle(s) |
| Narrative | Frederick Walker the leader of a mounted exploration party of about 10 men, including at least three Aboriginal men and 40 horses, in search of the explorers Burke and Wills, wrote in his diary for 30 October 1861: 'The mounted party met about thirty men, painted and loaded with arms, and they charged them at once. Now was shown the benefit of Terry's breech-loaders, for such a continued steady fire was kept up by this small party that the enemy never was able to throw one of their formidable spears. Twelve men were killed, and few, if any escaped unwounded' (Walker, 1863). An excerpt from Walker's diary was published in the Melbourne Argus, 15 April 1862, p 7. Walker's journal is available online. See below. |
| Sources | Walker, The Argus, 15 April 1862, p 7 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5713349; Bottoms, 2013, p 97; Walker, in 'Frederick Walker's Journal, October 1861', Burke and Wills Web http://www.burkeandwills.net.au/Journals/Walkers_Journal/Walker_October_1861_RGS.htm (Sources PDF) |
| Corroboration Rating | * |
