| Notes |
- Quoting in part from pages 32 and 33 of Lyall L Gillespie's book
titled "Aborigines of the Canberra Region" which was published in 1984
with an ISBN 0 9590255 0 2
The period of contact between the white settlers and the Aborigines of
Canberra and the surrounding districts lasted little more than 50
years as within that time, the Aboriginal tribes of the area had been
decimated. Even the first decade of settlement had a marked effect on
the Aborigines and after half a century of European occupation only
one member each of the Ngunawal and Ngarigo tribes and a few of the
Walgalu tribe remained. Nevertheless, the settlers and the natives had
lived in peaceful co-existence except for a few incidents which caused
alarm.
Any acts of violence on the part of the Aborigines were usually in
retaliation for the misdeeds of white man. Interference with their
women naturally gave rise to a belligerent response and as far as can
be ascertained the only serious clashes between the European
population and the natives of the Canberra region resulted from such
causes.
Charles Throsby, who resided at Glenfield, wrote on 7 September 1824
to the Colonial Secretary reporting incidents which had occurred in
the vicinity of Lake George in the following terms:
"I regret very much to be obliged to report that the hitherto peacable
and very friendly disposition of the natives in Argyleshire, is likely
to be provoked into hostility by the infamous conduct of some of the
stockmen at the out-stations, more especially some of those in the
employ of Richard Brooks Esquire. It came to my knowledge about
fourteen or fifteen days since, that a native girl about sixteen years
of age, had been taken away from her friends in the neighbourhood of
Lake George, and brought up with a cart, to the farm of that
gentleman, near this place ... it was discovered that another of the
servants (a free man) had also forcibly taken a younger sister of the
native girl".
Throsby went on to say that he felt confident that prompt and decided
measures and punishment as far as admissible would have the best
possible effect and could be the means of preventing some cruel
murders. He mentioned that several natives, relatives of the two
girls, had left the neighbourhood of Dr Reid's farm at Inverary, each
armed with an unusual number of spears and had gone in the direction
of Lake George.
[Above ref: Colonial Secretary's Papers SRNSW 9/27/43-4 Reel 2647]
Throsby's fears were certainly soundly based as, in 1826, two murders
were perpetrated. A stockkeeper for Mr Sherwin at Lake Bathurst,
Thomas Taylor, was killed when he attempted to carry off two
Aboriginal girls and another named Lynch was killed instantly with a
spear after he had tried to take away the wife of a native by force.
The Aborigines were greatly incensed by these happenings and gathered
in large numbers near Magistrate David Reid's residence at Inverary
Park and at Lake George with the obvious intention of avenging the
interference with their women.
[Above ref: Sydney Gazette 6 May 1826]
The settlers became alarmed at the large gathering of Aborigines which
had assembled, stated to be more than 1000, and Magistrate Reid lost
no time in reporting the matter to the Colonial Secretary. The latter
informed Governor Darling who, although he thought the estimate of the
number of Aborigines assembled was probably greatly exaggerated,
decided to send a party of 30 men to Inverary Park. The Colonial
Secretary conveyed advice of this to Reid in the following terms:
"I am directed by His Excellency to inform you that a party of thirty
men is proceeding in two detachments to Inverary Park for the purpose
of suppressing the natives. The detachment will take a supply of arms
and ammunition in order that such of the inhabitants may be armed as
may appear to be necessary ..."
The letter was delivered by express courier, William Berry, whom Reid
was directed to detain until the troops arrived unless he had
something of importance to communicate in the meantime.
[Above ref: Letters from Government Officers, Colonial Secretary to
David Reid Esq 2 May 1826, Mitchell Library 664]
The Governor reported the matter to the Earl of Bathurst in England,
forwarding a copy of a Government Notice he had issued on 5 May 1826
and which appeared in the Sydney Gazette of 6 May 1826. The notice
requested that the magistrates and settlers in general in the more
remote districts "communicate with the chiefs and tribes in their
neighbourhood and that they will assure them of the desire of the
Government to protect them from the outrages of all evil disposed
persons. It also requested that the natives be encouraged by the
promise of reward to secure and deliver up any men who ill-treated
them in order that they may be punished.
[Above ref: Governor's Dispatches. Vol 7, January to August 1826. ML
A1196]
Governor Darling showed good sense in dealing with this matter and he
was able to inform the Earl of Bathurst in a dispatch dated 23 May
1826 that: "the natives who had assembled in the County of Argyle have
dispersed without committing any depredation or act of violence. It is
supposed that the prompt and unexpected appearance of the troops in
that distant part of the country had some effect in producing the
desirable end."
He went on to say that there could be no doubt of the friendly
disposition of the natives when unmolested "and though it may be
politic to prove our superiority, it would be painful to punish an act
of retaliation, with the severity necessary to prevent a recurrence of
such proceedings on their part."
The Governor's firm action and the gaoling of Thomas Taylor's murderer
did not solve the problem completely as is indicated by the following
report from a Sydney newspaper:
[Above ref: Governor's Dispatches. Vol 7, January to August 1826. ML
A1196]
"The Blacks in Argyle say that the great Gentleman (meaning the
Governor) is only gammoning with regard to the man imprisoned these
six months for murdering Thomas Taylor, the stockkeeper; and that they
will shortly proceed in consequence to take the lives of three others,
long since obnoxious to and denounced by them namely Blake, Jem Palmer
and Dorothy Palmer, his wife."
[Above ref: Monitor, 1 December 1826]
Many of the employees of the early settlers were convicts and. as
white women did not come into the area immediately, it is not
surprising that some of the Europeans fraternised with Aboriginal
women. The men resented this and early records indicate that in some
cases they killed the half-caste children.
[Above ref: George Mackaness (ed), 'George Augustus Robinson's Journey
into South-eastern Australia' - 1844, Sydney. D S Ford, 1941, p25]
Quoting again from page 52 of Gillespie's book in part ...
Tribal Battles
According to Bluett, [District pioneer] the local natives had no
memory of ever having been defeated in battle for supremacy. He said
they recalled spasmodic raids which had been attempted by "the
numerically stronger Lake George tribe" and by a neighbouring tribe
near Yass. The one serious attack occurred not long before Europeans
arrived. This was a combined attack made on the north and east by
these two tribes resulting in much slaughter on both sides, but after
a three day battle the raiders were repulsed.
This statement by Bluett, if correct, leaves open to doubt the
distribution of the tribes as determined by Tindale as the latter
regarded Lake George as part of Ngunawal territory .
[Above ref: Ref: W P Bluett, "The Aboriginals of the Canberra
District at the Arrival of the White Man", Paper read to the Canberra
& District Historical Society, 29 May 1954 and 'Canberra Blacks in
Early Settlement Days', SMH 21 May 1927.]
Looking forward to your enlightenment on this subject,
Peter Mayberry
Tuggeranong ACT
[Note: Tuggranong is an aboriginal name which means Cold plains]
____________________________________________________
Charles Throsby was born in Glenfield, near Leicester and arrived in the colony of New South Wales, Australia in 1802. He had joined the navy as a surgeon and served in the armed transports Coromandel and Calcutta from1797 until peace was declared and then set out for the colony of New South Wales as surgeon on the convict ship Coromandel. He was congratulated by Governor King on the good health of the convicts and settlers in his charge. As two other ships the Hercules and Atlas had severe health problems, the Hercules had lost 127 of her 320 convicts,King was particularly impressed with the healthy condition of the passengers of the Coromandel.While in Port Jackson, Throsby was employed to replace James Thomson while he took a year's leave. In October he was appointed medical officer and magistrate at Castle Hill and in January1804 was transferred to Sydney... Continued. Please click on the name above and visit the Liverpool City (NSW) website for the rest of the story. The idea for this entry came from Brad Parker of Bundanoon(Southern Highlands) near Sydney NSW. Brad attended Alderman Richard Hallam school until 1953 when his family emigrated to Oz.
http://www.leicesteroverseas.com/Whos_Who1.html
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1874 - 1953 (79 years)