Massacre at Ellery Creek Big Hole

Date: 1 Jan 1915 – 31 Dec 1915
Place: Ellery Creek Big Hole
Event type: massacre
Direct violence: Yes
Speaking in 1981 during debate on the Pastoral Land Tenure Inquiry Report (the Martin Report), the Member for MacDonnell, Neil Bell MLA, said: '���let me speak about one of my constituents who lives at Ayers Rock. She is an old lady now. Her name is Myana. I had the privilege during the campaign for the MacDonnell by-election to see her and prior to that I had listened to stories told about Myana. One of the interesting stories - perhaps a little bit terrible - is that Myana as a young girl witnessed from the top of ridges in the western MacDonnell Ranges the murder of 15 or 20 of her brothers and uncles. I am not talking about anything that is recorded. You will not find it in books; you will not find it in police files. It is to be seen nowhere. It is only in the minds of many of the people who live in that corner of the Northern Territory. The Conniston [sic] massacres have been written about but this wholesale slaughter is just one unrecorded incident that is buried deep in the consciousness of people who live in the MacDonnell electorate' (Northern Territory Parliamentary Record 1981, p 877).
Notes:
CorroborationRating: **
LanguageGroup: Arrernte
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 15

People involved

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Sources

Event mentions

  • Massacre at Ellery Creek Big Hole
    1 Jan 1915 – 31 Dec 1915 — Ellery Creek Big Hole — massacre
    Speaking in 1981 during debate on the Pastoral Land Tenure Inquiry Report (the Martin Report), the Member for MacDonnell, Neil Bell MLA, said: '���let me speak about one of my constituents who lives at Ayers Rock. She is an old lady now. Her name is Myana. I had the privilege during the campaign for the MacDonnell by-election to see her and prior to that I had listened to stories told about Myana. One of the interesting stories - perhaps a little bit terrible - is that Myana as a young girl witnessed from the top of ridges in the western MacDonnell Ranges the murder of 15 or 20 of her brothers and uncles. I am not talking about anything that is recorded. You will not find it in books; you will not find it in police files. It is to be seen nowhere. It is only in the minds of many of the people who live in that corner of the Northern Territory. The Conniston [sic] massacres have been written about but this wholesale slaughter is just one unrecorded incident that is buried deep in the consciousness of people who live in the MacDonnell electorate' (Northern Territory Parliamentary Record 1981, p 877).
    Source: NT Parliamentary Record, 2 June 1981, p 877 https://parliament.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/367245/PR04-Debates-2-June-11-June-1981.pdf