View of King George Sound, Albany, site of the first European settlement in Western Australia, 1826

Eric Hayward BJuris LLB Grad Dip Ed.

Justice on Noongar Boodjar

Truth Telling about Western Australia’s Black Colonial History

Truth Telling

Click on panels for more information

Noongar Massacre sites 1829 to 1880,
South West of Western Australia.

Ravensthorpe Kukenarup 1880-10-01 to 1880-11-30
30-50 Wudjari Noongars killed.

After John Dunn's spearing, a Dunn descendant said “the members on the station were granted by police the licence to shoot the natives for a period of one month, during which time the fullest advantage was taken. Natives were shot from the station through Lime Kiln Flat, Manjitup and down to where Ravensthorpe is now situated.”.

Bridgetown Geegelup (8 Mile Well) 1860-01-01 to 1860-12-31
20-30 Kaneang Noongars killed.

The Heritage Council (HC) and others suggest a massacre took place in Bridgetown conducted by a group of colonists. Conflict between settlers and Noongars was over access to the waterhole. The HC write 'The survivors of the attack were reported to have relocated to Three Acre Pool on the Blackwood River above Bridgetown.’

Pinjarra 1834-10-28
15 Binjarab Noongars killed.

Governor Stirling and twenty-four soldiers and civilians cornered the Murray Tribe's at least eighty men, women, and children in what has become one of the most infamous punitive expeditions in Western Australian history. In his report to the Colonial Office, Stirling declared he had set out to punish the whole tribe and that his intention was to instil fear and break their resistance.

Cattle Chosen, Busselton (1) 1837-01-10 to 1837-07-28,
9 Wardandi Noongars killed.

Allegedly Wardandi noongars Gaywal and Kenny had speared a missing calf. In retaliation Henry Chapman and his brother, Alfred Bussell, an unnamed Corporal, a man named Moloney and Elijah Dawson went to Yulijoogarup and shot at least nine Wardandi Noongars. (Shann, 1978) 'In a letter to John Bussell in England, his brother Charles wrote that 'the war with the natives had been properly conducted'.

Cattle Chosen, Busselton (2) 1837 07-30,
7 Wardandi Noongars killed.

Wardandi Noongar people were heard shouting nearby. 'Everyone immediately
armed themselves, and in a little while we heard the firing of guns. After two hours'
absence, they returned amidst crowds of natives. I fear more women were slain than men. Three women, one man, one boy are known to be dead, but more are supposed. to be dying.' (Bessie Bussell diarised in Cattle Chosen by E. Shann, 1932)

Wonnerup 'Minninup' 1841-02-27 - 1841-03-10
7 Wardandi Noongars killed
(B. Bussell, Cattle Chosen 1932 or ‘Dozens’, Weelah cited by Kimberley in History of Western Australia 1897)
In response to the spearing of settler George Layman, on 6 February 1841, Magistrate John Molloy and JP John Bussell raised a punitive party of settlers, workers, and troopers, which pursued and surrounded one group of Noongars, killing seven. Then they pursued a larger group of men, women, and children north towards Bunbury where many more were killed around 'Lake Minninup' (Perth Gazette, March 13 , 1841, p 3).

York (1) 1832-07-01 to 1832-11-26
6 Nyungars killed

The settlers and soldiers at York have committed a horrible action. They went at night to an encampment of the natives eating and sitting round their fires and poured the shot among them, men, women, and children. Their cries were dreadful. (Lyon, 1832, p151).

York (2) 1837-06-01 to 1837-11-16,
18 Ballardong Noongars killed.

From 1836 through 1837, tensions escalated with reprisal killings between Ballardong Noongars and colonists. Lieut. Bunbury wrote on 10 July 1836 'I was ordered to York with a detachment to make war upon the Natives, who have been very troublesome lately, robbing farms and committing other depredations…the Natives seem inclined to be quiet since I shot a few of them one night.

Swan Valley 1829-01-01 to 1829-12-31
20 Whadjuk Noongars killed.

A party of natives drove off Mr Browne's sheep and they were followed. The soldiers and settlers fell in with them about midnight and they all fired into the midst of the thickest groups, killing and wounding many.
Jane Dodds letter extracted in The Morning Herald (London), 4 September 1832.

Swan River Colony 1830-01-01 to 1830-12-31
7 Whadjuk Noongars killed.

A battle royale at the Swan River Colony. The Aborigines made a great show of courage, and they dared the settlers to fight. After knocking down a corporal with a waddie, they climbed trees and harangued the settlers. They feared not the thunder and lightning of the Europeans, and seven were killed. London Literary Gazette 1830 (p 805).

Perth 1833-04-01 to 1833-09-01,
16 to 25 Whadjuk Noongars killed.

Noongar leaders Migo and Munday met with Missionary Francis Armstrong and gave the names of the men of his tribe who had been killed with a description of the places where they were shot and who shot them. The number amounted to sixteen, killed, and nearly twice as many wounded (The Perth Gazette September 7, 1833, p 142).

Lake Monger Galup 1830-05-03 to 1830-05-05
20 Whadjuk Noongars killed.

Two groups of colonists, one led by Ensign Dale and the other by the commander of 63rd regiment Frederick Irwin, tracked a group of Noongar people to a Lagoon.
Irwin wrote to Lieut. Governor Stirling: 'This daring and hostile Conduct of the Natives induced me to seize the Opportunity to make them sensible of our Superiority, by shewing how severely we could retaliate their Aggression… (Irwin to Stirling, CO 18/7 p 119).