In April 1840 the Fighting Waterholes massacre of up to 60
Jardwadjali
The Jardwadjali (Yartwatjali), also known as the Jaadwa, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Victoria, whose traditional lands occupy the lands in the upper Wimmera River watershed east to Gariwerd ( Grampians) and west to Lake B ...
Aboriginal people of the Konongwootong Gundidj clan occurred near the current day Konongwootong reservoir (then known as Den Hills creek), near present-day
Coleraine, Victoria
Coleraine is a town in Victoria, Australia on the Glenelg Highway, west of the state capital, Melbourne and north-west of Hamilton in the Shire of Southern Grampians local government area. It was named after the town in County Londonderry, No ...
, Australia.
Background
On 1 March 1840, the Whyte brothers (William, George, Pringle and
James Whyte James Whyte may refer to:
*James Whyte (Australian politician) (1820–1882), Scottish-born Australian politician
* James Whyte (bishop) (1868–1957), Roman Catholic bishop of Dunedin, 1920–1957
* James A. Whyte (1920–2005), Scottish theologian ...
) of the Konongwootong sheep run, along with their servants, were involved in the
Fighting Hills massacre. Aboriginal protector
Charles Sievwright
Charles Wightman Sievwright (31 March 1800 – 10 September 1855) was a British army officer before being appointed Assistant Protector of Aborigines in part of the Port Phillip District of the colony of New South Wales, now Victoria, Australia. ...
investigated the incident but was unable to secure evidence from any third party witnesses, despite depositions from the participants admitting to the killing.
Massacre
On 1 April, after the Konongwootong Gundidj stole sheep, the Whyte brothers and station hands Henry Skilton and William Fox rode off looking for the offenders. Having not found the sheep or Aboriginal people, the Whyte brothers rode off to the nearest station while the remaining station hands rode on to the home station. It was on the way there that station hands came upon "numerous old men, women and children" camping near waterholes. The station hands killed all the members of the camp.
There was varying reports of the numbers of the slain, from "numerous" to 40 and 60.
Aftermath
After news of the massacre spread, the Whyte brothers dismissed the station hands.
Eventually the remnants of the Konongwootong Gundidj clan moved on to Murndal station, where they joined the Wanedeet Gundidj clan.
Later, news stories attributed the massacre to retaliation organised by the Whyte brothers to avenge the killing of a white shepherd in the area of Merino Downs.
In 1946 heavy flood uncovered skulls and bones, which were discovered by T. J. Fitzgerald.
The remains were later reburied.
Memorial
A commemorative site at the Konong Wootong reservoir, named the Konongwootong Quiet Place, was created in 2014 to acknowledge the event.
Further reading
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References
{{coord missing, Victoria (Australia)
1840 in Australia
April 1840 events
Massacres in 1840
Massacres of Indigenous Australians
History of Victoria (Australia)
Western District (Victoria)