The Australian Frontier Wars: The History of the Conflicts Between Indigenous Groups and Colonists across Australia by Charles River Editors

Author:Charles River Editors
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Charles River Editors
Published: 2023-03-14T00:00:00+00:00

Brisbane

In August 1824, an incident occurred that came to be called the “Potato Field Incident.” In the area, one farmer had a sizable field of potatoes, and he offered some to a passing band of Wiradjuri. They came back the next day to help themselves, which caused confusion because the farmer had no understanding of reciprocity, which, to the Aborigines, meant the potatoes were being offered in exchange for the use of the land. As the band continued helping themselves to more potatoes, the farmer, infuriated by the theft, fired on the group and killed several, which resulted in raids as a reprisal (Roberts, 2006). One settler described the incident: “Our hut was one day surrounded by a large party of blacks, fully equipped for war, under the leadership of their great fierce chief and warrior, named by the whites ‘Saturday’. There was no means of resistance so my father, then a lad of eighteen years, met them fearlessly at the door. He spoke to them in their own language in such a manner as not to let them suppose he anticipated any evil from them. They stood there, sullen, silent, motionless. My father's cheerful courage and friendly tone disarmed animosity. They consulted in an undertone, and departed as sullenly and noiselessly as they came. The next thing known of them is that they killed...all the men at a settler's place some miles distant, the very place where it was rumoured, the poisoned bread had been laid for them.”

In August of that year, Governor Brisbane proclaimed martial law in the affected district, which was rare, and on September 10, another incident occurred which has come to be called the “Battle of Bathurst,” although it was really more of a skirmish followed by a massacre. At the Battle of Bathurst, a group of Wiradjuri attacked a station along the Cudgegong River, drove off cattle, and defeated an attack by the station hands, and several warriors were killed. The next day, as the group was burying its dead, the station hands found the camp, destroyed supplies and weapons, and ambushed the returning warriors, killing at least 16 (Roberts, 2006). Around this time, a local paper, the Sydney Gazette, reported, “Advices from Bathurst say that the natives have been very troublesome in that country. Numbers of cattle have been killed. In justification of their conduct, the natives urge that the white men have driven away all the kangaroos and opossums, and the black men must now have beef!...The strength of these men is amazing. One of the chiefs (named Saturday) of a desperate tribe, took six men to secure him and they had actually to break a musket over his body before he yielded, which he did at length with broken ribs...Saturday for his exploits was sentenced to a month's imprisonment.”

Incidents continued to occur, but warriors and their families kept surrendering. Finally, in December of 1824, a large gathering of tribal people met, and Governor Brisbane, perhaps trying to co-opt their leadership, pardoned Windradyne.

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