Wayne, a very valuable and comprehensive article. [11] Sydney Morning Herald 6 September 1843, p.2, [13] Port Phillip Patriot 23 December 1841, p. 3, [15] Fels, Marie Hansen (2010) I Succeeded Once: The Aboriginal Protectorate on the Mornington Peninsula 1839-1840 , ANU E-Press, pp 249-271, [16] See also: George Henry Haydon (1846) Five Years Experience in Australia Felix pp151-152 (on-line edition), [17] Port Phillip Gazette 30 April 1845 p.2, [18] Gardner, P D (2005) The Myth of Tribal Warfare On-line essay, [20] Geelong Advertiser 5 August 1843, p.2, [21] Sydney Morning Herald 6 September 1843, p.2. At a quiet bend on a beautiful creek they committed one of the worst acts of indiscriminate killing in the Australian colonies. endobj Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. It is cited in the Australian Dictionary of Biography entry for McMillan, which is in turn cited on the Victorian Parliament website. 0001064365 00000 n McMillan is mentioned once by Gippslander, where he is supposed to have caught Macalisters horse on the road to Sale (which did not exist then). %PDF-1.3 [46] Gardner admonished Hoddinott, stating, in this account he failed to implicate McMillan as he had done 15 years earlierbut neither version implicated McMillan.[47]. If a historical narrative is to be used as the basis for debate or action in the public sphere, it should be grounded in non-partisan, objective research and analysis. They returned in triumph with flesh from the Kurnai they had killed. NAIDOC Week 2019. 0000034127 00000 n 0000003041 00000 n If the problem persists contact Customer Support. endobj The Gippslander account mentions the Highland Brigade and a death toll of 100 to 150, but McMillans involvement, Scotsmen, the swearing to God and the Queen, and secrecy, are entirely Gardners creation. [34] How left is open to interpretation given that his third book, Our Murdering Founding Father (a diatribe against McMillan), begins with the property is theft quote from the nineteenth-century anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. Originally reported by Robinson as such, Gardner has interpreted an obscure comment by Robinson to argue that it was actually a massacre by settlers that Robinson was covering up. [42] Elsewhere he states that Hoddinotts desire to remain anonymous would seem to indicate that the telling of the story may have had undesirable repercussions. 2, pp.20-21, [9] Cox, Kenneth (1973) Angus McMillan: Pathfinder, Published by the author. The return did not include ex-convicts.[28]. Their territory extended along the coast from Cape Liptrap in the west to Point Hicks in the east, and inland to the Great Dividing Range in the north. Bookings free, but essential. He was afterwards adopted by one of the party and called Bing Eye. He also stated: There are many persons congregated in Alberton, without any visible means of earning a livelihood, a parcel of the most lawless rogues. Considering that Gardner has political motives and a disdain for objectivity, his work should perhaps be seen as a political campaign rather than as history. Second, Gardners narrative is based on the assertion that the massacre and Angus McMillan are synonymous, but he has produced no evidence whatsoever to implicate McMillan. Just before European settlement, the Kurnai raided as far as Brighton and Arthurs Seat on Port Phillip Baya distance of at least 120 kilometres as the crow fliesand they are believed to have wiped out about half of the Bunurong. To secure your seat go to. [11] The violent response from the Kurnai was the same as that meted out to their tribal enemies when defending their territory. Emotional articles in the Guardian in 2019 parroted the denunciation of McMillan, as did the Gippsland Times in June 2020. 4 0 obj Ranald Macalister was the nephew of Lachlan Macalister and the fifth European to be murdered by the Kurnai. <> % MAR ktp33#`r[vhJ hR,t%434qrZQ7z 0000024533 00000 n Messrs. Pearson and Cunninghame have been the latest sufferers by those cannibals; it is not only the stock they kill we feel the loss of, but running the remainder off their runs, and the expense the proprietors are put to in collecting their cattle, and procuring guns and ammunition for everyone engaged in their employment.[22]. While the murder was well documented in contemporary newspaper accounts, the reports also indicate that by mid-1843, Gippsland was in a state of disarray. His body was mutilated and stripped, and it was found the next day by an Aboriginal boy in his employment. [2] Some historians assert that the number of 60 is an exaggeration, despite the witness accounts. Third, Gardners narrative is constructed around a story written for schoolchildren in 1925, a story that could at best be considered as folk history. The blacks were found encamped near a waterhole at Gammon Creek, and those who were shot were thrown into it, to the number, it was said, of about sixty, men, women, and children; but this was probably an exaggeration.[57]. 27 May - 3 June. To those who came by jet plane yesterday. 0000034566 00000 n Gardners evidence for Angus McMillans involvement in the Warrigal Creek massacre consists of a story written for The Gap school magazine in 1925 by William Hoddinott under the pseudonym of Gippslander. %PDF-1.5 12/02/2019. This 50-minute documentary directed by Lisa Gye and Andrew Dodd examines a day in 1843 when 150 Indigenous men, women and children were slaughtered on the banks of what is now Warrigal Creek in Gippsland. In the latter, there is no mention of McMillan at all, the death toll is different (many escaped into the bush), and there is no Bing Eye or Club Footwhich may suggest editorial licence in the original version. 0000017382 00000 n 6az Q";cM;|?)/ Bg~VK7QVK_6 +K}\\&h"DmWK+^>Pnu"8H8@sF1jO-@g?XjGs=2]v'x9y[6p X &.-Yl;;]+/[r=w(\QwG SDB?#86mXpqrOzX\R++QkEfz75Br,=t'F4_]Ug@dNq{":Q7 &DvB )vBqKwbm%aM!._aiaekE)hc_9lujzR10IrR--6HWXSA[Wd{DS#~}wDvenr,rFU-}aOe(d}b Our history group (Morwell U3A) are having trouble trying to track this documentary down. They travelled with Edward Hobson, who was attempting to find an overland route to Gippsland. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a77bf3dc11d263ed9065ff8247406b97" );document.getElementById("bc64d4fe72").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Light refreshments will be available. Shepherds worked in pairs, armed, as if in an enemys country, to resist them; and it was 1843 that ended by wholesale destruction, the massacres at Warrigal Creek and Bundalaguah Swamp, where only one aboriginal was left to tell the story of how they died and the history of his race.[61]. Their prior absence from the discourse may indicate the level of research in this area. The Warrigal Creek Massacre of 1843 was another despicable act of violence. Thu This documentary captures a story from Victoria, however there were similar stories as the waves of colonisation swept across the country. There were simple economic facts that led to this. Establishing the factual basis of this will require in-depth research to uncover any written evidence before Bells account from 1874, as well as archaeological evidence at locations such as Bruthen Creek and Bundalaguah Swamp. Men, women and children are shot whenever they can be met with I have protested against it at every station I have been in Gippsland, in the strongest language, but these things are kept very secret as the penalty would certainly be hanging. The reference to Bundalaguah Swamp has previously escaped notice. Their submission was denied; McMillan was renamed the Monash electorate instead. 0000010708 00000 n It was well-acknowledged and put on the register of the national estate around the time., The house was built 20 years after the massacre and stands just 20 metres from the site. News; Warrigal Creek doco at the Memo. Many of the stock keepers were ticket-of-leave holders or assigned convict servants. The validity of the will remains a problem. To date, there is nothing to suggest that it will include Angus McMillan leading the Charge of the Highland Brigade. Presumably he had reasons for both, but he did not say why and he did not reveal the source of his information. << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R The Kurnai people were the indigenous inhabitants of Gippsland when the first Europeans arrived. I welcome you all to (insert place name). Purchase tickets, According to Gardner, the Warrigal Creek massacre was revenge for his murder. share events with your friends and make the most out of every experience. A Scottish colonist, called Angus McMillan, led a group of about 20 settlers who . Gardners cover-up conspiracy theory thus rests on an obvious misrepresentation of Hatchers account. <> The second piece of evidence from Thomas is the record of his conversation with the Gippsland squatter Henry Meyrick in January 1847. Could you help us please? It really hadnt happened before and it just was not even acknowledged or recognised.. As fast as they put their heads up for breath, they were shot.. 0000005571 00000 n Events.com Browse is curated for you to find and attend events you love. Once again, Gardner corrected historical material when it did not agree with his Warrigal Creek narrative. Searching for information on frontier conflict in old newspapers (film or hard copy) was the proverbial "needle in a haystack" task - time consuming and exhausting with few . While the murder was well documented in contemporary newspaper accounts, the reports also indicate that by mid-1843, Gippsland was in a state of disarray. It is free to attend this event, but bookings are essential. 0000002903 00000 n There exists little to no official documentation of the Warrigal Creek Massacre. Gardner claims his work is partly political and partly moralistic; he disdains objectivity and describes his politics as left. 'Conspiracy of silence': how sabotaged inquiries fed massacre denials, Telling the truth about Australia's past will be painful but it will be liberating | Karen Mundine and Richard Weston, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. In July 1843, up to 150 Gunaikurnai people were killed near the banks of what is now known as Warrigal Creek. This essay appears in Decembers Quadrant. Bells account is matter-of-fact and he did not name McMillan or any other person. Some of the tale also bears a resemblance to accounts of the Hospital Creek massacre in New South Wales that emerged between 1911 and 1919, in which the survivor was a one-eyed Aborigine. Please call Drouin Library for more information 56 251564. I have seen somewhere that this version of the. 0001021671 00000 n The La Trobe Journal, 86, 23-36. 91 0 obj <> endobj McMillans employer, Captain Lachlan Macalister, described the squatters as legally authorised occupiers of Crown lands. This was written two years after the murder of Macalister; stating that the slaughter took place after the murder does not necessarily mean that it took place because of the murder. 0000012931 00000 n Buntines Bruthen Creek run was several miles and several squatting runs to the west of Warrigal Creek. External Lived Experience Employment Opportunities, Complete the VMIAC Conference 2023 Survey, CEO Update with Craig Wallace | 17.02.2023, New Consumer Register Opportunity: Access Policy & Triage Guidelines, CEO Update with Craig Wallace | 03.02.2023, CEO Update with Craig Wallace | 20.01.2023. The aim of this article is to examine Gardners interpretation of the Warrigal Creek massacre story and his accusations against McMillan. <<6C2049F009130640B9B98E7F057F832E>]/Prev 1164416/XRefStm 1766>> This 50-minute documentary directed by Lisa Gye and Andrew Dodd examines a day in 1843 when 150 Indigenous men, women and children were slaughtered on the banks of what is now Warrigal Creek in Gippsland. The themes in this page may cause distress. The Commissariat let annual tenders for the supply of fresh meat and other staples. Thats not to say they dont exist, but if you have knowledge of such I would be grateful to know it. Click here to subscribe. The creek is on a farm 40 kilometres south of Sale, and 200 kilometres east of Melbourne, in the South Gippsland area of Victoria, Australia. An unexpected error occurred. << /Length 17 0 R /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 293 /Height 146 /Interpolate Balderstones daughter Alice Irving calls the site a powerful place. 0000002733 00000 n startxref The story was written anonymously for a magazine for primary school children eighty-two years after the incident described, without attribution, and by someone who was not there. Howitt noted that the Kurnai killed by the Europeans were mostly, though not all, fighting men of the tribe. Production and research by Danielle Bowen, Jonathan Boadle, Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don Sheil and Ben Winnell. Produced and directed by Andrew Dodd and Lisa Gye. [40] Otherwise, he has no involvement in the story. [41] The conspiracy of secrecy is used to explain why Hoddinott probably with good reason, chose to remain anonymous, as the account implicated Angus McMillan as the leader of this murderous retaliation. Required fields are marked *. It beggars belief that it was accepted as a completely reliable historical source. This was the cause of great enmity among the surviving Bunurong. [56] These accounts nonetheless provide evidence of the otherwise unrecorded conflict between the Europeans and the Kurnai at places such as Bruthen Creek. [15]. One was a boy at the time about 12 or 14 years old. [12] The first reported attack on the squatters came in 1841 when, it was said, 600 Kurnai attacked Macalisters run. 0000000016 00000 n I think the first thing for Gippsland is to acknowledge that it does have that history, like other places where bad things have happened, where massacres have occurred, where theres some acknowledgement of whats occurred instead of masking it, a Gurnaikurnai elder, Doris Paton, told the film-makers Andrew Dodd and Lisa Gye. [citation needed], A witness, Willy Hoddinott, wrote the following in 1925:[3], "The brigade coming up to the blacks camped around the Waterhole at Warrigal Creek surrounded them and fired into them, killing a great number, some escaped into the scrub, others jumped into the waterhole, and, as fast as they put their heads up for breath, they were shot until the water was red with blood. 0000030698 00000 n Gardner cites other versions of the death of Macalister and the massacre to build his narrative, all based on Gippslander or otherwise post-Dunderdale. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> It is about the importance of truth- telling. 0000117691 00000 n In Chapter 4, he gives another rendition of the Gippslander story, stating the massacre was lead [sic] by McMillan. /TT4 13 0 R /TT6 15 0 R /TT1 10 0 R >> /XObject << /Im2 16 0 R /Im3 18 0 R One thing is clear from his work: the Kurnai men were warriors. 0000015443 00000 n Gardner prefaced the following quote from Gippslander stating that after the murder of Macalister, An avenging party set out under the leadership of Angus McMillan , The brigade coming up to the blacks camped around the waterhole at Warrigal Creek surrounded them and fired into them, killing a great number, some escaped into the scrub, others jumped into the waterhole, and, as fast as they put their heads up for a breath, they were shot until the water was red with blood. His alleged role in the massacre is a construct entirely of Gardners own making, where he attached McMillans name to the Gippslander story without revealing this to his readers. hbbbd`b`` K Elizabeth Balderstone leads a lifestyle that many city dwellers fantasise about, on a farm in Victorias Gippsland, surrounded by friendly sheep, with a humble little creek just 60 metres from her house. Lachlan Macalisters demand of Gipps to provide protection for the settlers gives the impression that the settlers were on the defensive against both the Kurnai and the convicts. 0000029696 00000 n [10] Caldow (2012) p.25; Caldow W (2010) The early livestock trade between Gippsland and Van Diemens Land: insights from Patrick Coady Buckleys journal of 1844. endstream The murder of his nephew gave him both a professional and a family interest in chastising the criminals, and he soon organised a party to look for them. bHn=Y,8M*[+GwXfi1^yn}vSuvA@pN. endstream endobj 92 0 obj <>/Metadata 5 0 R/PageLabels 2 0 R/Pages 4 0 R/StructTreeRoot 7 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 93 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC/ImageI]/Properties<>>>/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 595.276 841.89]/Type/Page>> endobj 94 0 obj [95 0 R 96 0 R] endobj 95 0 obj <>/Border[0 0 0]/H/O/Rect[243.918 110.871 393.795 129.239]/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> endobj 96 0 obj <>/Border[0 0 0]/H/O/Rect[262.285 160.096 431.264 175.524]/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> endobj 97 0 obj <> endobj 98 0 obj [/Indexed/DeviceCMYK 244 110 0 R] endobj 99 0 obj [/ICCBased 111 0 R] endobj 100 0 obj <>stream 0000014051 00000 n Truth-telling about the wrongs of the past is necessary for reconciliation. When Angus McMillian and the Highland Brigade rode through Gippsland in 1843, they aimed to murder as many Gunai Kurnai children, women and men as they could. stream searching events in no time. Film Screening The Warrigal Creek Massacre This country has a hidden history that is not widely acknowledged. The Warrigal Creek Massacre event will include: Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country Refreshments Filmscreening Panel-led discussion Date: Thursday 11 July 2019 Time: 6.30pm . Some themes may be unpalatable, including tribal warfare, the murderous role of the Native Police, and the role of convicts as both slave labour and perpetratorsthey are part of the historical record but not always part of the written history. 0001003043 00000 n Word of the murder was sent to Lachlan Macalister. ]V)cxN:*e%{ZXi8C -[Y1d-ZZ. 0000016727 00000 n e8 m-T>6R'WrqPWUVe)0'Yn1UF]2|SOWS)^h|6xy. They were feared by their tribal enemies for their ability to attack at nighta skill the Europeans were to encounter.[5]. lizabeth Balderstone leads a lifestyle that many city dwellers fantasise about, on a farm in Victorias Gippsland, surrounded by friendly sheep, with a humble little creek just 60 metres from her house. [51] The latters wife, Lavinia, published a well-known account of their journey. qgAHrgAX8]eAVi a"0Uc|sQ d$uIOrE&n2"c,%$qHFWpTWn>!bB):I\PhE17 Convicts under the control of the penal system in the Port Phillip District and elsewhere were notorious for their crimes against the Aborigines. Probably even as a child I just sensed something its a really spiritual place, she says. Bell stated: The historic pen of Victorian settlement would paint with truth the horrors of many a scene of Gipps Land life; it was in 1843 that the aggressions of the blacks were so frequent. The Australian reported in August: The Prince George touched at Port Albert on the 25th ultimo, and reports that the Agenoria is taking in cattle there, the captain of which reported the blacks to be in a very riotous state. Can only find the trailer. [2] His work has indeed permeated academic and public discourse, but it contains many unproven assertions that undermine his main premise, that McMillan was responsible for the massacre. %PDF-1.4 % Runaways from the settlers, and others have located themselves in some vacated huts on the Tara River, rendering it dangerous for passengers to approach this neighbourhood Your Excellency cannot for the sake of humanity, good government, well-being, and the safety of this district, much longer withhold from us the protection of those laws which we have a right to demand at your Excellencys hands [21]. Viki Sinclair, another member of the group who is descended from a member of McMillans Highland Brigade, says: Its the first time around here that the Aboriginal groups came across with groups like ours to work on something like this and it was something important to tackle and do together. Peter Gardner has written three books in which he asserts that Angus McMillan, The Butcher of Gippsland, was responsible for several massacres of Kurnai people. Where I live you can almost point in every direction [to a massacre site], he says. Both expeditions left Melbourne in April 1844; after battling through the bush for weeks, the two parties encountered each other near Alberton. 0000011274 00000 n The mainland squatters wanted a share of this market and the Van Diemens Land butchers with Commissariat contracts needed to obtain livestock at the lowest price possible. [4] Howitts pioneering anthropological work is compelling reading and provides a suitable counter to many modern narratives. 0000030150 00000 n Before declaring Hoddinotts tale to be completely reliable, it would have been prudent to analyse its contents. Gardner himself refers to Nuntin as the station established by McMillan for Macalister on western side of the Avon River in October 1840. Power your marketing strategy with perfectly branded videos to drive better ROI. The culture of secrecy surrounding the massacres was evident in Willy Hoddinotts account (as an anonymous Gippslander) published in the Gap magazine more than 80 years later: .css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The brigade coming up to the blacks camped around the waterhole at Warrigal Creek surrounded them and fired into them, killing a great number, some escaped into the scrub, others jumped into the waterhole, and, as fast as they put their heads up for breath, they were shot until the water was red with blood. [37] Again, no proof is offered. In 1845, Tyers reported on the Aborigines, stating: In the early part of 1843as I have been informed, some of the Corner Inlet tribe were occasionally employed by the few Settlers at Port Albert in carrying fire wood and in other light work for which they generally received payment in flour & cbut since the unprovoked murder of Mr Ronald Macalister by them at Port Albert, about that time, they have not been seen in the neighbourhood. Peter Gardner[1]. Gardner claimed in June 2020 that Meyrick gave a death toll of about 150 for Warrigal Creek, which he did not. Balderstone and Irving hope that one day Australia fully recognises the extent of the massacres through a truth and reconciliation commission. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work. Gardner cites this version to confirm that Gippslander was in fact Hoddinott but he does not mention that the two versions contain a number of significant differences. Convicts were present in the early years of settlement in Gippsland in two very different ways: first, as the slave labour of the squatters, and second, as escapees congregated around Alberton. [1] Gardner, P. D. (1993) Gippsland Massacres (third edition) Ngarak Press, Ensay, Victoria, p. 66, [3] Howitt, A W (1880) The Kurnai: Their Customs in Peace and War in Fison, L. and Howitt, A W Kamilaroi and Kurnai Anthropological Publications, Oosterhout, facsimile edition, pp 227-29, [6] Morris, H. B. But we strive to be one people, equality of opportunity for all, no privilege by birth, truly one nation. Bells account and the report of the massacre involving the Native Police in April 1845 can be found by simple searches on Trove. However, the region was isolated from the rest of New South Wales by mountains, rivers, forests, swamps and the fierce reputation of the Kurnai. Launch date: Wednesday 4 AprilStratford Courthouse TheatreFree entry but bookings essentialRegister via Eventbrite http://bit.ly/2sTmWsCAbout the filmWhen Angus McMillian and the Highland Brigade rode through Gippsland in 1843, they aimed to murder as many Gunai Kurnai children, women and men as they could.At a quiet bend on a beautiful creek they committed one of the worst acts of indiscriminate killing in the Australian colonies.Drawing on official archives and oral histories that have never died, this is the story of The Warrigal Creek Massacre.Because to move forward we must acknowledge our past.Produced and directed by Andrew Dodd and Lisa Gye.Production and research by Danielle Bowen, Jonathan Boadle, Jakeb Fair, Alex Owsianka, Don Sheil and Ben Winnell.Supported by Swinburne University. Warrigal Creek Massacre: A Truth-telling Documentary. Gardner claimsincorrectlythat Thomas was aware of the circumstances of the Warrigal Creek massacre, as he had recorded the details of it on two separate occasions. [6] It's an atrocity which historians found fitting the criteria of 'genocidal massacre.' [3] Voice.Treaty.Truth. trailer [45] Hoddinotts tale thus appears to contain generic elements from the period. /Im4 20 0 R /Im1 8 0 R >> >> This documentary tells the story of the Warrigal Creek massacre of 1843 in Gippsland, Victoria, where as many as 150 Gunai Kurnai children, women and . Frustrated with the hidden history of the massacre, the makers of this 50-minute documentary sought oral histories and combed through archival works to capture and relay the truth of Australias violent past. ~]}.>xxs6s;^^`MjEa 5oA/P;uv!MU~86>>iBTju?#Ghnudlnr\;u?pIyo%# if+;J6fLA,4lMMhn]Zrg b_tr>b$3]wG4?mdw # 7Lw/_Mx+47nY;N9Uvs1;. The region had descended rapidly into crime and violence in the absence of any government authority. Robinson was also attempting to do the same, although by a different route. My late husbands family had owned the property since the late 1880s and my father-in-law was a very passionate historian, she says. Gardner regards tribal warfare as a myth.[18]. Thomas wrote that Meyrick, gave me a most awful statement of doings in Gippsland & tho he stated the utter impossibility of bringing forward valid evidence to convict in a court of law, yet the awful spectacle of human skeletons & pack[s] of bones & report[s] of doings within the last 3 yrs, shows that the Aborigines have been cut off in awful numbers, & the residue left almost totally destitute, in fact he said how they lived God only knew as they were driven to the Lakes & Lagoons where Europeans would not follow them, that the Maneiro Blks (encouraged he believed by the early Settlers) [had] been very instrumental with the Black Police of awfully thinning their numbers that the Awful Sacrifice of life after the Murder of Mr McAlister was awfully reckless & merciless [53]. This account is much closer in time to what may have happened at Warrigal Creek but Bell did not reveal how he knew of the massacres. In the spirit of this year's NAIDOC theme Voice.Treaty.Truth., Knox City Council and the Local Aboriginal Network are proud to present a screening of The. Second, Hatcher arrived in Gippsland several months after Tyers, so it was just a tad late to be a cover-up. I asked him if he was not afraid of meeting the Blacks, his reply was, Blks Sir no fear of them now they would run away as soon as they see a white man but there are not many left, he said he had a Brother who had been in Gippsland from the first his name was Bunton & kept a Public house in Gippsland by the Dirty Water Holes & a cattle station joining to Mr. McAllister who was killed, that after Mr. McAllisters murder great slaughter of the blacks took place and that on his brothers station a cart load of Blks bones might be gath.rd up [49]. He stated: Mr. Ranold McAlister, nephew of the allegorical author, was dragged off his horse, and cruelly murdered, on the township of Alberton, his head being so totally disfigured that his countenance could not be recognised among even his most intimate friends, by these harmless, innocent denizens of the wild of Gipps Land . [10], When the squatters began occupying Kurnai territory with their herds of sheep and cattle, conflict soon followed. He was hit in the eye by a slug, captured by the whites, and made to lead the Brigade from one camp to another. Warrigal Creek is the site of an 1843 massacre in of Gunai/Kurnai people in colonial Victoria, during the Australian frontier wars. 0000116911 00000 n [9], With an overland route opened by McMillan and a rudimentary settlement and port established on the Albert River at Port Albert, squatters began occupying the plains; by the end of 1844, the entire Gippsland squatting district had been occupied.