Massacre at The Shackle, Granite Creek
In reprisal for the murder of teamster James Ellis in January 1878, Mounted Constable William Stretton with two other troopers, civilians and a South Australian Aboriginal tracker located the party of Aboriginal suspects near the Daly River and shot at least 17 of them. After Ellis' death, a jury found that "the only available retaliation is to give a lesson to the tribe" (NTTG, 26 January 1878, p 2). An unknown number of Aboriginal people were shot by a civilian reprisal party.
Notes:
CorroborationRating: ***
LanguageGroup: Malak Malak
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 17
CorroborationRating: ***
LanguageGroup: Malak Malak
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 17
People involved
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Sources
- SHAR 2014; Roberts, 2009; Roberts, 2005, p 123; Reid, 1990, p 70; NTTG, 19 January, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146552; 26 January, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146569; 2 February, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146587 9 February, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146598, 23 February, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146639, 9 March, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146690; SA Register, 28 January, 1878, p 6http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40780933; 30 January, 1878, p 4 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40791443; Kelsey, 1975, pp 64-65; Austin, 1992, p 16.
Event mentions
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Massacre at The Shackle, Granite Creek1 Jan 1878 – 31 Jan 1878 — The Shackle, Granite Creek — massacreIn reprisal for the murder of teamster James Ellis in January 1878, Mounted Constable William Stretton with two other troopers, civilians and a South Australian Aboriginal tracker located the party of Aboriginal suspects near the Daly River and shot at least 17 of them. After Ellis' death, a jury found that "the only available retaliation is to give a lesson to the tribe" (NTTG, 26 January 1878, p 2). An unknown number of Aboriginal people were shot by a civilian reprisal party.Source: SHAR 2014; Roberts, 2009; Roberts, 2005, p 123; Reid, 1990, p 70; NTTG, 19 January, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146552; 26 January, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146569; 2 February, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146587 9 February, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146598, 23 February, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146639, 9 March, 1878, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3146690; SA Register, 28 January, 1878, p 6http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40780933; 30 January, 1878, p 4 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40791443; Kelsey, 1975, pp 64-65; Austin, 1992, p 16.