Statistics
The following statistics relate to frontier massacres of 6 or more people only and are subject to change as more information becomes available. Other factors affect the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations such as disease, loss of land, abduction of children, control of movement, and combined flow on effects to the community.
All figures are conservative estimates. These statistics are indicative and are minimum estimates based only on the data collected as part of this project, and are not estimates of the full extent of frontier massacres. It is likely that more frontier massacres occurred than were reported and recorded and for which we can find evidence. Frontier massacres were often covered up and, while we only include massacres with some supporting evidence, the details of accounts can vary and be imprecise. Future research may reveal more information.
Colonies changed their borders over time such that the present day states, or parts of them, may have been in a different colony at the time of the massacre.
Colonial Frontier Massacre Totals
Total Massacres | 438 |
Massacres of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people | 424 |
Massacres of Colonists | 13 |
Massacres of Others | 1 |
Massacres of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people by Colonists | 417 |
Massacres of Colonists by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people | 13 |
Massacres of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people (These are included as being directly related to frontier conflict, while other Indigenous conflicts are not included.) | 5 |
Colonial Frontier Massacre Victims
Total victims of frontier massacres | 10657 |
Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders victims of massacres by Colonists | 10362 |
Colonist victims of massacres by Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders | 160 |
Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islander victims of frontier massacres by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders or Others
(These are included as being directly related to frontier conflict, while other Indigenous conflicts are not included.) | 129 |
Colonist victims of frontier massacres by Colonists or Other
(Other conflicts and crimes among colonists in well established settlements are not included as they are not directly related to the frontier.) | 0 |
Other victims of frontier massacres committed by Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders, or Colonists | 6 |
Other Statistics
Maximum victims in a single frontier massacre | 200
Slaughterhouse Creek, Gwydir River Hospital Creek, Brewarinna Arafura Station Note that these sites have a corroboration rating of two asterisks. The numbers are estimates and are less than claimed in some published sources. There is reason to think these sites would have had unusually high death tolls. |
Maximum colonists killed during a frontier massacre | 26 This is the 'Maria' massacre, Coorong. |
Frontier massacres before 1860 | 213 Massacres before 1860 were mostly in the southern part of Australia. |
Frontier massacres from 1860 on | 225 Massacres after 1860 were mostly in the northern part of Australia. |
Average victims of frontier massacres before 1860 | 21 Massacres before 1860 were mostly in the southern part of Australia. |
Average victims of frontier massacres from 1860 on | 27 Massacres after 1860 were mostly in the northern part of Australia. |
Groups of massacres | 23 Groups of massacres (such as where an expedition rides over an extended period of time committing massacres in different places) were intended to eradicate an entire group of people from an area. See the Introduction and Groups. |
Groups of massacres | 66 massacres were part of a group of massacres. See the Introduction and Groups. |
Average victims of groups of massacres | 39 See the Introduction and Groups. |
Frontier massacres involving agents of the state in the attack | 229 or 52%
'Agents of the state' includes: Border Police, Crowns Land Commissioner, Explorers, Field Police, Foot Soldiers, Government Officials, Military, Mounted Police, Native Police, Aboriginal Trackers, Police and Soldiers. |
Victims killed in frontier massacres involving agents of the state in the attack | 5298 or 50%
'Agents of the state' includes: Border Police, Crowns Land Commissioner, Explorers, Field Police, Foot Soldiers, Government Officials, Military, Mounted Police, Native Police, Aboriginal Trackers, Police and Soldiers. |
Frontier massacres involving civilian attackers | 296 or 68%
'Civilians' includes: Aboriginal, Hutkeeper(s), Manager(s), Overlander(s), Settler(s), Shepherd(s), Stockkeeper(s), Stockmen/Drover(s), Whaler/Sealer(s), Warrior(s), Sailor(s), Convict(s), Servant(s), Japanese Pearler(s), Chinese Miner(s), Indentured Labourer(s), Torrese Strait Islander(s), Makassan, Overseer(s), Aboriginal Assistant(s), Aboriginal Guide(s), Pastoralist(s), Miner(s) and Vigilante/Volunteer(s). |
Victims killed in frontier massacres involving civilian attackers | 7663 or 72%
'Civilians' includes: Aboriginal, Hutkeeper(s), Manager(s), Overlander(s), Settler(s), Shepherd(s), Stockkeeper(s), Stockmen/Drover(s), Whaler/Sealer(s), Warrior(s), Sailor(s), Convict(s), Servant(s), Japanese Pearler(s), Chinese Miner(s), Indentured Labourer(s), Torrese Strait Islander(s), Makassan, Overseer(s), Aboriginal Assistant(s), Aboriginal Guide(s), Pastoralist(s), Miner(s) and Vigilante/Volunteer(s). |
Frontier massacres where type of colonist is not specified | 34 or 8%. |
Victims killed in frontier massacres where type of colonist is not specified | 609 or 6%. |
Frontier massacres involving Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander attackers | 19 or 4%. |
Victims killed in frontier massacres involving Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander attackers | 283 or 3%. |
Graphs
The tables relating to these graphs are below.
Change Over Time
TAS | NT | ||
VIC | QLD | ||
SA | WA | ||
NSW |
Total Frontier Massacres by Decade and by State
Total Victims of Frontier Massacres by Decade and by State
Average Victims by Decade and by State
Proportion of Victims
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People | |
Colonists |
Total Victims by Present Day State and Territory Borders
(Colony boundaries changed over time and do not correspond to present day borders.)
Total Victims by Colony at the Time of the Massacre
(Colony boundaries changed over time and do not correspond to present day borders.)
Tables
Frontier Massacres by Decade and by State
Decade | 1780s | 1790s | 1800s | 1810s | 1820s | 1830s | 1840s | 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s |
Australia | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 46 | 44 | 88 | 27 | 44 | 44 | 42 | 52 | 11 | 17 | 15 | 0 |
TAS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
VIC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NSW | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 18 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 20 | 25 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 0 |
QLD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 15 | 35 | 27 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
WA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
Victims of Frontier Massacres by Decade and by State
Decade | 1780s | 1790s | 1800s | 1810s | 1820s | 1830s | 1840s | 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s |
Australia | 0 | 14 | 46 | 37 | 644 | 1064 | 2125 | 593 | 796 | 1473 | 1638 | 1274 | 397 | 274 | 282 | 0 |
TAS | 0 | 0 | 30 | 17 | 413 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
VIC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 169 | 762 | 48 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 73 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NSW | 0 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 171 | 736 | 749 | 162 | 12 | 200 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 448 | 912 | 741 | 308 | 225 | 222 | 0 |
QLD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 534 | 353 | 643 | 825 | 504 | 20 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
WA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 98 | 7 | 15 | 125 | 0 | 222 | 387 | 75 | 38 | 60 | 0 |
Average Victims of Frontier Massacres by Decade and by State
Decade | 1780s | 1790s | 1800s | 1810s | 1820s | 1830s | 1840s | 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s |
Australia | 0 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 18 | 33 | 39 | 25 | 36 | 16 | 19 | 0 |
TAS | 0 | 0 | 30 | 17 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
VIC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NSW | 0 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 41 | 28 | 23 | 6 | 200 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 28 | 46 | 30 | 62 | 19 | 22 | 0 |
QLD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 30 | 24 | 18 | 31 | 32 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
WA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 25 | 0 | 37 | 19 | 19 | 10 | 12 | 0 |
Frontier Massacres Between 1780 and 1930 in Australia by Current State and Territory Borders
Australia | Tasmania | Victoria | South Australia | New South Wales | Northern Territory | Queensland | Western Australia | |
Est. Total Massacres | 438 | 34 | 50 | 12 | 77 | 91 | 119 | 55 |
Est. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims of massacres | 10491 | 478 | 977 | 188 | 2079 | 2886 | 2836 | 1047 |
Est. Colonist victims of massacres | 160 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 15 | 14 | 97 | 0 |
Est. Average Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims of massacres | 24.74 | 14.06 | 19.94 | 17.09 | 27.72 | 32.80 | 25.32 | 19.04 |
Est. Average colonist victims of massacres | 12.31 | 0 | 8.00 | 26.00 | 7.50 | 7.00 | 13.86 | 0 |
Frontier Massacres Between 1780 and 1930 in Australia by Colony at the Time of the Massacre
Australia | Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) | Port Phillip District (Victoria) | New South Wales | South Australia | Queensland | Northern Territory | Swan River Colony | Western Australia | Victoria | |
Est. Total Massacres | 438 | 34 | 45 | 115 | 85 | 84 | 16 | 3 | 52 | 4 |
Est. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims of massacres | 10491 | 478 | 898 | 3021 | 2703 | 1959 | 331 | 47 | 1000 | 54 |
Est. Colonist victims of massacres | 160 | 0 | 8 | 44 | 40 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Est. Average Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims of massacres | 24.74 | 14.06 | 20.41 | 27.46 | 33.37 | 24.49 | 20.69 | 15.67 | 19.23 | 13.50 |
Est. Average colonist victims of massacres | 12.31 | 0 | 8.00 | 8.80 | 13.33 | 17.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |