(4) War

 Gudyarra (war) and the Bicentennial of Martial Law 2024 (4) - War

During May Wiradjuri attacks intensify throughout the region. 

Windradyne begins what is suspected as being a payback mission for the murder of members of his family and community.  There are co-ordinated attacks of large forces of warriors who rob huts, burn them down and attack workers, injuring some and killing others.  The attacks are targeted and destructive.  Station workers are terrified.  The large numbers of warriors involved and frequency of attacks suggest that a number of different warbands are involved.

Three landholdings between Bathurst and Mudgee are particularly targeted on or about 25 May – huts robbed and burned down, workers killed and stock eaten.  Two of the workers killed are known to have been involved in crimes against the local Wiradjuri the year before. The holdings targeted are on sites significant to the Wiradjuri:  one on a ceremonial site and where poisoned bread had been previously left out (the ‘Murdering Hut’), as well as shepherds huts, sheep yards and stock yards erected near springs and a camping site traditionally used by the Wiradjuri. 

A few days later similar attacks are carried out south of Bathurst.

A reprisal expedition is organised by overseer Willian Lane accompanied by armed convicts.  When the party is unable to find the warriors and stumble upon three Wiradjuri women ‘in the vicinity of Mudgee’, they kill them instead – one old woman and two younger.  Five men are arrested to stand trial for the murders.  (Eight Mile Swamp Massacre) 

Mid year.  All contact between the Wiradjuri and the colonists ceases and there is a general acknowledgement, including by William Cox and William Lawson Junior, that they are at war.

The 40^th Regiment, which arrived in detachments from England during 1823 and with whom Commandant Morisset served, is distributed across NSW, including at Bathurst, Wellington, Mudgee and Cox’s River.  They are well experienced in this mode of warfare, having fought against Native Americans in Canada and North America.

Early June.  At least one party of soldiers and others are reported as being ‘in pursuit of the natives’. 

A stockholders meeting is held in Sydney chaired by William Cox.  Also in attendance are Samuel Marsden, George Ranken and George Innes.  On the agenda are the ‘Calamitous events at Bathurst’, the murder of seven of their workers, a demand that Governor Brisbane takes action and a call for the establishment of a mounted police force.

Mid June.  William Lawson Junior writes that they have only been able to visit Bathurst once since November the previous year, that the conflict is restricting them moving stock further afield and he is ‘afraid we shall never exterminate them’.

Commandant Morisset sends out and rotates strong detachments on the march to the north and northwest, with warrants for the arrest of the accused ‘Black Natives’ and reinforces remote outposts. One detachment is directed to likely locations by a guide (as all Wiradjuri have disappeared from around Bathurst and the guide is not named it is not Aaron/Ering).  The detachments report back on 24 June empty-handed.

Morisset also sends out detachments to generally scour the area.  The detachments report back empty-handed.

18 June.  Governor Brisbane writes to the Earl of Bathurst in England with a detailed description of a ‘Troop of Colonial Calvary’ ‘with the view of keeping the Aborigines in check’ around Bathurst as the ‘Infantry have no chance of success’ against the Aboriginal warriors, and ‘also for the General Police of the Country’.[1]

25 June   Responding to complaints from Theophilus Chamberlain, the Coxes’ overseer, a detachment of twelve men, an overseer and a Constable is dispatched on the march to Mudgee.  They report back empty-handed.

Commandant Morisset requisitions six horses from Colonial Secretary Goulburn.  The request is denied.

July.  Attacks by combined forces of Wiradjuri and other nations (eg. Gundungurra) continue from Bathurst, to Oberon, to Mudgee, to Rylstone, to Orange and beyond Blayney.

William Cox is replacing his dead workers from the Government pool.

Commandant Morisset requisitions six packhorses from Colonial Secretary Goulburn.  The request is denied. 

It is widely known that overseers and armed convicts are carrying out their own form of ‘summary justice’ or ‘sport’ on Wiradjuri men, women and children and boast about it.  

Sergeant Tom Miller, who in 1824 is farming at White Rocks near Bathurst, later records his killing of Wiradjuri who are stealing his sheep.  Although reported he is never tried.  Instead he ‘receives orders to hunt down the blacks…about twenty went out and shot and killed any they came across little and big young and old shared the same fate.’[2]

Reverend Lancelot Threlkeld, writing much later on information obtained from an unnamed Magistrate, notes that around this time ‘it was recommended…that the women and children should especially be shot as the most certain method of getting rid of the race’.

Attorney-General Saxe Bannister suggests that the creation of a temporary police force of settlers with powers of policing and militia, established under the direction of Magistrates, would be more controllable. 

16 July – the ‘principal Bathurst stock and land holders’ and concerned Magistrates petition Governor Brisbane for ‘a large military force’ to bring the ‘natives’ into ‘Subjection’.  William Cox, Mr Marsden, Judge Advocate Palmer, Mr Lawson, Mr Low and some ‘Bathurst settlers’, including Sergeant Miller, are subsequently summoned to Governor Brisbane in Parramatta to report on and discuss the situation.

On or before 21 July.[3]  After two hours of argument at the meeting with Governor Brisbane and demands for ‘a very large military force’ to ‘act as one extended line’ ‘to sweep and destroy the natives’, a more moderate response is agreed upon in order to ‘excite’ ‘terror’ ‘in the natives’ with the aim being ‘the Effect of Martial Law without Resorting to it’.  Governor Brisbane also requests details about Ering (Aaron’s) and the others deaths as well as the battles with ‘Saturday’ (Windradyne) and his people.  A reward is offered for ‘Saturday’ (Windradyne) and ‘indemnity is for others’.  The numbers of Magistrates and military are increased.

Mr. Lawson is deployed with 10 men to report on the situation and to investigate Ering/Aaron’s death.

 

© A. Maie, 2024 

Further Reading

NOTE. This timeline is primarily based on the research and writing of Stephen Gapps in Gudyarra – recommended reading for a more detailed account of events and people involved.

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[1] This is the only official reference I have found in the Historical Records to any conflict during this period.

[2] Miller is extremely unpopular with the Wiradjuri, who at one stage congregate ‘on the hills, lit fires and danced and yelled’ as he heads to Sydney.

[3] William Cox writes about the meeting in a letter to Magistrate George Ranken dated 21 July 1824.

For other posts in this series visit Introduction