Paddy Island is a former island in the

Burnett River The Burnett River is a river located in the Wide Bay–Burnett and Central Queensland regions of Queensland, Australia. Course and features The Burnett River rises in the Burnett Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, close to Mount Gaeta a ...

, northeast of the city of Bundaberg in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia.

Etymology

On a survey plan of the

transmitted to the Queensland Surveyor General on Tuesday, September 29, 1868, the island was referenced as Coodes Island by the District Surveyor John Charlton Thompson (1827–1878).

Indigenous history

At Tirroan (later Gin Gin) Station on Monday, June 4, 1849, two young brothers, John and Peter Pegg, were out shepherding sheep when they were speared to death by local

Taribelang The Taribelang are an Aboriginal Australian people of central Queensland. Country The Taribelang lived on of territory around Bundaberg, and inland to near Walla, and north as far as Baffle Creek The Baffle Creek is a creek in Central Qu ...

clansmen.EARLY GIN GIN and THE BLAXLAND TRAGEDY
. library.uq.edu.au. (Read by ARTHUR LAURIE, a Vice-President of the Historical Society of Queensland at the meeting of the Society on 27 November 1952) Gregory Blaxland Jr, the seventh and youngest son of the pioneer, farmer and explorer

Gregory Blaxland Gregory Blaxland (17 June 1778 – 1 January 1853) was an English pioneer farmer and explorer in Australia, noted especially for initiating and co-leading the first successful crossing of the Blue Mountains by European settlers. Early life ...

(17 June 1778 – 1 January 1853), "''organized a punitive party to deal with the savages''", which culminated in a bloody skirmish at the site of Gibson and Howes’ sugar plantation at ‘the Cedars’, south of Bundaberg.

"''The blacks were shown no mercy, but'' (they) ''.. put up a mighty fight against the firearms of the whites, they of course having no better weapons than spears''."

Blaxland Jr was "''regarded'' (by the Taribelang clansmen) ''as their chief enemy as all actions against the blacks was directed by him''." When the opportunity for retaliation presented itself, Gregory Blaxland Jr. was ambushed, abducted, and violently clubbed to death at his pastoral station in early August 1850. A retaliatory party "''was organized among all'' (the) ''settlers and their employees, and they set out on their mission of revenge''." Guided by a ‘friendly gin’, the "''fugitive blacks were tracked down the Burnett River, where they had foregathered at a place now called'' (Waterview Station) ''Paddy's Island, not far from the mouth of the river''." Following these events, it is estimated that the death toll numbered in the hundreds. Many were slaughtered whilst trying to cross from the west bank of the Burnett River to Paddy Island. Today, the custodianship of Paddy's Island is a point of contention between neighbouring tribes and a number of

traditional owners Native title is the designation given to the common law doctrine of Aboriginal title in Australia, which is the recognition by Australian law that Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people) have right ...

References

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