Gulf Country War and Resistance
Summary ▸Events in this conflict will be added as Australian Wars and Resistance research continues.
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1 Dec 1861Leichhardt River — massacre
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1 Apr 1868 – 31 May 1868Burketown — massacre
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1 Apr 1868 – 31 May 1868Norman River, Gulf Country — massacre
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1 Jan 1872 – 31 Dec 1872Sweers Island, Gulf of Carpentaria — massacre
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1 Jun 1872 – 15 Jun 1872Lagoon Creek, Gulf Country — massacre
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20 Jul 1872 – 21 Jul 1872Robinson River — massacre
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2 Dec 1876 – 20 Dec 1876Lagoon near Nicholson River — massacre
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1 Oct 1880 – 31 Dec 1880Calvert River — massacre
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1 Feb 1883 – 15 Feb 1883Norman District — massacre
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1 Feb 1884 – 28 Feb 1884Skeleton Creek — massacre
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1 Jun 1884 – 2 Jun 1884Massacre Inlet, Gulf Country — massacre
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1 May 1885 – 31 May 1885Calvert Downs — massacre
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1 Apr 1886 – 31 May 1886Abner Range — massacre
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1 Apr 1886 – 31 May 1886Massacre Waterfalls, Dunganminnie — massacre
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15 Jul 1886 – 17 Jul 1886Branch Creek, Wollogorang Station — massacre
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1 Aug 1886 – 31 Aug 1886Yulbara — massacre
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1 Jan 1887 – 31 Dec 1887Normanton — massacre
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1 Jan 1888 – 31 Dec 1888Lower Wearyan River — massacre
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1 Jan 1892 – 31 Dec 1892Abner Range, Malakoff Creek — massacre
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1 Feb 1892 – 28 Feb 1892Corella Creek, Bowgan — massacre
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3 Feb 1892Fish Creek, Nicholson River — massacre
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15 May 1897Baladuna Waterhole — massacre
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1 Jul 1910 – 15 Jul 1910Dungginmini — massacre
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1 Jan 1918 – 31 Dec 1918Bentinck Island, Gulf of Carpentaria — 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.