Central Desert War and Resistance
Summary ▸Kaytetye and Warumungu people tell the story of the overland telegraph, one of the focal points in this conflict: Satour, Kieran Mpetyane (director) The Truth About the Telegraph Garuwa, 2024
https://garuwa.com/the-truth-about-the-telegraph
Events in this conflict will be added as Australian Wars and Resistance research continues.
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18 Jul 1873 – 31 Jul 1873Barrow Creek (1) — massacre
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22 Feb 1874 – 10 Apr 1874Barrow Creek (2) — massacre
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1 Jan 1875 – 31 Dec 1879Mount Burrell — massacre
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7 Aug 1884 – 7 Sep 1884Attack Gap — massacre
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7 Aug 1884 – 7 Sep 1884Wirmbrandt and Rembrandt Rocks — massacre
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7 Aug 1884 – 22 Sep 1884Blackfellows Bones Bore — massacre
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1 Dec 1884 – 21 Dec 1884Mount Sonder — massacre
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1 Jan 1887 – 31 Dec 1887Owen Springs — massacre
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1 Jan 1889 – 31 Dec 1897Elkedra — massacre
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1 Jan 1890 – 1 Apr 1890Ryan's Well — massacre
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24 Jun 1891Frew River — massacre
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1 Aug 1894 – 20 Aug 1894Kings Canyon — massacre
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1 Aug 1902 – 30 Aug 1902Ooratippra Station — massacre
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1 Apr 1912 – 30 Apr 1912The Granites — massacre
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1 Jan 1915 – 31 Dec 1915Ellery Creek Big Hole — massacre
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1 Jan 1917 – 31 Dec 1917Tennant Creek — massacre
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1 Jan 1921 – 31 Dec 1921Bowson's Hole — massacre
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15 Aug 1928 – 31 Aug 1928Coniston (1) — massacre
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28 Aug 1928 – 30 Aug 1928Central Mount Wedge — massacre
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4 Sep 1928 – 13 Sep 1928Coniston (2) — massacre
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24 Sep 1928 – 15 Oct 1928Coniston (3) — massacre
The following lists references to some people involved in this conflict. More may be added in future.
This information has been collected from various sources, including the Colonial Frontier Massacres, 1788-1930 project (Ryan et al, 2025) and the South Australian Frontier and it's Legacies project (Foster et al), as well as ongoing research in primary sources. Finding and gathering this much information in millions of pages of colonial texts and other sources would not be possible without the use of computer automation. All information is checked but human and computer error can persist. Please let us know any corrections. Where possible, links are provided to sources to read the full text.
Country/Nation/People/Language indicates which Indigenous group people belonged to. Different people in different places prefer different terminology, and sometimes the 'belonging' relates to one of these not another. In many cases, due to colonists' limited knowledge, the archival record only uses generalised and sometimes racist terms (eg: 'blacks' or 'Murrimbidgee blacks'). In the absence of any other detail, although people travelled and visisted, we may infer the people involved were the people of the region the event occurred.
Listed are:
- Named Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander people. This includes people involved in violent action, or in some other way involved, such as messengers. In many cases only the colonists' name (alias or aka - 'also known as') for the person is available.
- Colonists involved in the conflict. This includes people who were involved in violent actions such as massacres and shooting, or whose stock, runs or huts were raided, or similar. It may include people who played a significant role in the conflict in other ways, such as the Governor or regional administrators who ordered actions or established policies in relation to the conflict.
- Unnamed individuals or groups of people. This is as specific as possible. If a group is mentioned that is indicated and if an individual is mentioned, we also list that individual. It may be difficult to disentangle which individuals and groups in source texts are the same, and which different. Indigenous people go unnamed in colonial records of conflict encounters more commonly than colonists, but sometimes reporting also did not refer to low status workers and convicts by name, and referred to them by role, such as 'a stockman', 'a shepherd', or by their employer's name, such as, 'Mr Smith's men'.
- Auxilliaries. This is a general category for people aiding or working for one side or another, who might not be regarded as 'from' that side. Usually this means Indigenous people working for, or acting on behalf of colonists such as trackers, workers and Native Police. This can also apply to colonists working within and on behalf of Indigenous culture (such as William Buckley). The distinction is not always clear cut and some individuals acted on both sides of the conflict or changed sides. This may be voluntarily or by coercion.
No resolved people found for this war.
Unnamed Aboriginal People
This data has not yet been gathered. Research work is ongoing. To help, please consider donating or contact us to volunteer or about setting up research projects in your area.
Unnamed Colonists
This data has not yet been gathered. Research work is ongoing. To help, please consider donating or contact us to volunteer or about setting up research projects in your area.
Unnamed Auxilliaries
This data has not yet been gathered. Research work is ongoing. To help, please consider donating or contact us to volunteer or about setting up research projects in your area.