THE "RUFUS RIVER MASSACRE"
The reference
material for this abridged account is:
" THE RUFUS RIVER MASSACRE - (or was it?) "
by Pat and Brian GLENIE - (Recommended reading for anyone
interested in this historic era)
Written for the Renmark/Paringa/Cal Lal Historical and
Preservation Society Inc., & available online at River
Murray Shop:
February 1840; -The Commissioner of Police SA, seeks to have Police Stations established at Morphett's Ferry (Wellington) and at North-West Bend (Morgan), for the intervention and prevention of clashes between Overlanders and Aborigines; -Bureaucracy, however, moves at a snail's pace:
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Throughout 1840 and into 1841 troublesome skirmishes persist; -then, in April 1841, the Europeans suffer their first serious losses: -
April 16, 1841; When in "The Islands Country", that region adjacent The Murray in the NSW/SA border section wherein a labyrinth of creeks & anabranches create a multiplicity of islands, the party of Mr Inman & Mr Henry Field, with around 4-5,000 sheep, is set upon by 300 to 400 marauding blacks, who plunder the sheep and drays. The Europeans report at least one Aborigine was slain and several Europeans wounded, with some reports claiming that one European was killed. The remaining Europeans are lucky to escape to Adelaide with their lives.
On Governor Gawler's orders. Major O'Halloran leads a Police
troupe from Adelaide numbering 23 mounted men, plus drays and
drivers, to recover the plundered sheep and drays. - On April
30th, however, when the troupe is still 50-miles short of the
attack site, they are recalled by dispatch rider. O'Halloran is
perplexed by the recall as his journal entry indicates; viz- "I
have no alternative, as an old soldier, than to obey His
Excellency's orders, who, of course, has his own just reasons for
ordering me back, and which it is my duty not to question, but to
obey."
On his return to Adelaide, however, "the reasons" become apparent.
Governor Gawler's term of office has lately expired and one Captain George Grey, is now
the new Governor of
SA.
On hearing of the recall, the brother of Henry Field, Lieutenant W. G. Field, heads-up a party of 10 mounted volunteers in an attempt to recovery the plundered property. They departed Adelaide on 7th May and, perchance, increase their numbers en-route. For it is elsewhere recorded that on May 13th, as "the small group of fourteen Europeans" neared the attack site, they are confronted by 300 Aborigines. The Europeans form a line and ride at the Aborigines who hold their ground and begin throwing spears. The Europeans are forced to retreat and the Aborigines pursue them for some distance.
In a report he later submitted to Governor Grey. - Lieutenant Field states, -"The first man to throw a spear, I shot through the head and gave the order to fire, hoping that when they saw two or three fall they would have retreated. But they did not appear in the slightest degree intimidated, but still advanced in the form of a crescent, in a body of at least 200, while many more were partially seen in the thick part of the scrub. The affray had now lasted more than half an hour, and I directed the party to retreat in order. - There were few shots fired without effect, and the last man shot was one of their chiefs. I feel convinced that the sheep remaining are not far distant, and the natives had assembled for the purpose of defending them."
A statement was also given by volunteer John Allen, to the
Commissioner of Police SA; it read in part, -"To the best of
my belief, 8 natives were killed and several wounded during the
contest, which lasted upward of half an hour. On the side of the
volunteers, one horse was killed and two wounded, likewise Lt
Field. It was apparent to all the party that the natives had no
fear of the firearms, they were determined to obstruct our
passage at whatever loss to themselves. Therefore, and finding it
impossible to proceed, it was determined to retreat; the natives
continued to follow the party for some distance."
The volunteers defeat causes a bit of a furore in Adelaide. Meetings were held and resolutions to petition the Governor, "For police to safeguard the vital links between the Colonies"; and "to protect Overlanders' rights and property, etc., etc.;" - were very popular.
Governor Grey's response, however, fell well short of the Settler's expectations. -In part it read, "The resources of the Local Government would never suffice to afford protection for all parties who might desire it and if proprietors, for the sake of gain, will venture with their flocks and herds so far beyond the limits of the settled districts, they voluntarily encounter a risk from which they are bound to protect themselves." - [ed; Governor Grey was the "new kid on the block", as it were, and he'd departed England with specific instructions from Queen Victoria that both natives and settlers were equal subjects under her Crown; - And! They were to be treated equally and without prejudice, under English Law: - High ideals indeed! - But somewhat difficult to put into practise.- Nevertheless, Grey was determined to try!]
Even Charles Sturt offered to help. He wrote to Governor Grey on May 29 citing his credentials as, "the discoverer of the Murray", the first to communicate with the Murray natives, 20 years of military service, being a Magistrate of both SA and NSW, and that his presence would be highly approved by the Colonial Office. He proposed that disciplined firmness was required to cope with the natives and that a disorganised attack of horsemen would fail... Furthermore, he remarked, -"It may be that the hostility of the natives has been roused by accidental, perhaps hasty, collision with some of the overland parties; and how, by a show of firmness and forbearance, they may be controlled, if not pacified, until such time as the parties with stock, so rapidly approaching the neighbourhood of the assembled tribes, shall have been rescued from danger. ... a gun is a poor weapon of defence when once discharged ... of this, the natives appear to be aware. The bayonet therefore, is absolutely necessary to meet their rush, but even with a bayonet a single individual can affect but little. It is only by mutual support that attacks are to be successfully repelled."
But Governor Grey had already done an "about-face." For on May 31st, 1841; -the Commissioner of Police SA, Major Thomas O'Halloran, and the Protector of Aborigines, Dr Matthew Moorhouse, under Grey's instructions, departed Adelaide with a troupe of police plus volunteers, bullock drivers and cooks, totalling 68 persons; charged with recovering livestock, stolen from the Overlanders.
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THE FIRST POLICE EXPEDITION
From the journal of Major T O'Halloran, -May 31, 1841; at ten past eleven o'clock, we commenced our march accompanied by the Protector of Aborigines, Dr Moorhouse. The foot police, with the drays and the foot volunteers, left town in advance of us on Saturday 29th instant, with six weeks provisions for the entire force; ... Major O'Halloran was ex-army, he regularly drilled the men in sword fighting and firing from horseback. He marched the troupe in fighting order, with advance and rear guards, with the carts and drays in the centre.
Dr Moorhouse was later to report; - June 22nd; at 12 o'clock the drays halted and tents were pitched for the night. At 1 o'clock the mounted party continued their march and, at half-past two, met Mr Langhorne's party. Their condition excited the commiserations of all present. Their dray was in advance; the bullock driver was nearly naked. On the front of the dray sat a stockkeeper who had been speared in the leg and in the body of the dray was lying Mr Miller, the overseer, in a state of intense suffering from spear wounds in different parts of his body. They expressed their delight at seeing us, especially as their number had been reduced by four, out of sixteen, and their firearms in bad condition.
Back at camp, Commissioner O'Halloran sought statements
from both Miller and Langhorne; -
Miller's account read in part; - On Sunday 20th at about
half-past eleven o'clock, when nine men and myself had just
crossed our provisions and drays over the Rufus. We were
surrounded by a party of about 500 natives, and, when reloading
the drays, the blacks rushed towards us and commenced throwing
waddies. We had only six muskets with us, and two of them would
not go off. The natives soon began to draw spears and we
commenced firing amongst them. The fight lasted about twenty
minutes, and the result was the death of four of our party, and
five blacks.
Langhorne's version was a bit more verbose; - Camp June
22 1841; It is my painful duty to inform you that my party was
attacked on their overland route to Adelaide with cattle on our
arrival at Rufus Creek, near Lake Victoria, about 15 miles from
where we are at present encamped. I was not present at the time
of the attack. But from information I have received on my joining
the party, I consider the number of blacks was from 500 to 600.
The scene I witnessed on joining the camp was most appalling.
Four men were laying on the opposite bank most brutally murdered.
One had received 20 spears in different parts of his body, and
another with his belly ripped open and his entrails torn out. On
reaching those of my party that were spared, I found Mr Miller
had received seven spear wounds, and another man was speared in
the leg and unable to walk. The cattle were scattered over the
bush. We immediately crossed what cattle we were able to collect
and returned to the camp to gather what supplies they had left.
For they had emptied the bags of flour on the ground, also tea,
tobacco, etc., bedding clothing and cooking utensils they took
with them, leaving us destitute of everything with the exception
of the clothes we were wearing. We fortunately recovered some of
the working bullocks and proceeded on our journey, when we
providentially met with you, Sir, all of us being in a state of
exhaustion and in dread of being murdered. ... I beg to add, that
another party under Mr Robinson, with 7,000 sheep, ought to be
here in about 3 or 4 weeks, and unless steps are taken by
Government for their preservation I feel perfectly certain that
the whole party will be murdered, for the overland route is now
completely closed and this fierce tribe will doubtless become
more daring in consequence of having now defeated three
successive parties. And as sheep are more valued by them than
cattle, Mr Robinson's party have not a chance to escape, unless
their countrymen take immediate and active steps for their
rescue. ... Chas Langhorne;
This attack took place, on the Rufus, midway between Lake Victoria and The Murray, and, as a result, the site became known as "Langhorne Ferry". Overlanders were at their most vulnerable when crossing rivers and creeks, their numbers being necessarily divided on opposite banks.
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O'Halloran's journal records the events that followed; -
June 23, 1841; - Fortified our camp, which I left with
17 men under command of Captain Ferguson, and with 41 mounted men
and 14 foot, proceeded to scour the creeks and country around to
the southward of our camp in search of Inman's sheep. Beat
through the very heart of the hostile blacks' country where
their huts, whurleys and other encampments were very numerous, as
also the places where they had folded the sheep. The carcasses of
the later were countless and lay strewed about for miles in all
directions, in heaps, and apparently as if they had all been
killed at the same time. We also came to a grave, recently
formed, and very tastefully covered with boughs, in the shape of
a dome, where many blacks were buried. - A little before dark we
got back to camp after a hard day's work for man and horse, and
much disheartened to find that all Mr Inman's sheep are gone, and
that no prisoners were taken.
June 24, 1841; - Mr. Langhorne requested my assistance in
recovering 70 head of cattle on the Rufus, taken from him by
natives. - Were unable to make the River Rufus till half-past 3
pm., when we discovered to our horror, that one of the four
Europeans (Mr Martin) lately murdered, and all of whom had been
placed in the river by their comrades, had again been hauled out
of the water, his thigh bone taken out and a green bough placed
in his hand.
June 25, 1841; - With drays we marched for the Rufus at 20
past 8, and got to the place where the party were attacked and
which I shall call "Langhorne Ferry". - On my side of
the Rufus, a scout notified that 30 blacks were going along the
lake, we dashed on in pursuit, waded over to the NSW side at the
junction of the Rufus with Lake Victoria, and pushed along the
banks of the latter at a rapid pace. To our regret we found the
natives had got to the other side of the lake, where they soon
disappeared, and close to them we saw no less than 8 canoes. On
arriving at the ferry, we lit a large fire over poor Mr Martin's
grave, in hope that the blacks might not recognise it, and blazed
some trees near the river and cut largely and deeply upon them
"BEWARE OF BLACKS", to warn the next unhappy
overlanders of their danger.
And so ended the first official retaliatory expedition directed against the hostile Aborigines of the Rufus River district. - The problem remained unresolved, however. - For the Governor of N. S. W. had, by now, officially requested South Australia's assistance in protecting the Overlanders & their property. - As it was already known that Mr Robinson's overland party would shortly be in the area. The Governor of S. A. directed that a relief party be sent to the region of the Rufus, rendezvous with the Overlanders, & accompany them back to Adelaide. - The Governor's expressed intention was clear, the relief party was to provide protection for the Overlanders by a show of manpower & thereby circumvent further confrontation. - Confrontation was to be an absolute "last resort":
- In modern times "We", the latter day Australians, have come to comprehend how the Aboriginal Australians had developed an extraordinarily high level of empathy towards the environmentally fragile nature of the land in which they lived. – In hindsight, it becomes clear that, in spite of possessing an abundance of magical items such as horses, drays, axes, blankets, tea, sugar, flour & firearm. In terms of Aboriginal wisdom, these "New Arrivals" with their obscene numbers of alien livestock, were treating this land as would a tribe of fools. -
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THE SECOND POLICE EXPEDITION
The relief party departed Adelaide on July 31, 1841; -it comprised Sub-Inspector Shaw, Sergeant Williams and ten Police on foot, plus volunteers. - John Ellis provisioned the entire party. - Governor Grey supplied arms and loaned the use of government bullocks, drays, tarpaulins and cooking utensils.
Shaw was in charge of the police plus the volunteers and the
government equipment. - The Protector of Aborigines, Dr Matthew
Moorhouse, was in overall charge of the troupe, which totalled 29
Europeans and 3 Aborigines. - They carried 2 months rations, for
it was expected to make only 10 miles a day in the heavy winter
conditions. Moorhouse, being mounted, delayed his departure and
caught up with the troupe on August 4th.
Robinson had departed Gundagai for Adelaide on July 1, 1841: - He'd been made aware of the attacks on the
Europeans and was
accompanied by 25 well armed men to protect 6,000 sheep, 500
mixed cattle, plus horses and 3 drays. - On August 26th, as the
party approached the Rufus River, they were attacked by a large number
of Aborigines. This attack was repulsed by the overlanders with
some 15 natives reported killed. ... The following day, the 27th,
the relief party from Adelaide arrived at the 'crossing', where Moorhouse made
earnest attempts, via his native interpreters, to placate the situation. But the
local natives would have none of it and, while the
cattle were being crossed over, the
Aborigines attacked in numbers. Again they were repulsed and,
again, the natives suffered considerable loss of life, with 20
additional natives reported killed: - The 'Official' death count for the
two day confrontation was, therefore, 35 Aboriginals killed. - Nevertheless,
it's probable that an indeterminate number of wounded natives did managed
to withdraw from the battle zone and, as Aboriginal medicine was ill-equipped to
deal with gunshot wounds, it's likely all bar the
most superficial wounded natives, would've later died from any gunshot wounds
they'd sustained:
THE TOTAL ABORIGINES KILLED DURING THE ATTACKS OF 26th and 27th AUGUST 1841, IS WHAT BECAME KNOWN AS THE "RUFUS RIVER MASSACRE".
There were numerous newspaper articles, official reports, etc., etc., written about this incident at the time. Also an Official Court of Inquiry was convened in Adelaide, to investigate the "Massacre", and a multitude of witnesses presented a great deal of sworn evidence: -It is all recorded and is retained in the SA State Archives; -Brian Glenie has reviewed these old records and has reproduced much of the sworn evidence in his booklet, cited at the head of this page; - It makes very interesting reading. -
Compiled by Peter J Reilly 1998/99;