Massacre at Stapleton Siding

Date: 1 Jul 1895 – 30 Jul 1895
Place: Stapleton Siding
Event type: massacre
Direct violence: Yes
Joe McGuinness (1991, p 8) recalled: 'The majority of the tribe (Kungarakany)... about one hundred people, became victims of poisoned damper... at a railway siding known as Stapleton... weed-killing powder... was supposedly mistaken for baking powder and added to the flour in preparing damper. Those who ate the poisoned damper became violently ill before their death'. This is one of at least three poisoning incidents suffered by the Kungarakan people.
Notes:
CorroborationRating: ***
LanguageGroup: Kungarakany, Warray
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 80

People involved

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Sources

Event mentions

  • Massacre at Stapleton Siding
    1 Jul 1895 – 30 Jul 1895 — Stapleton Siding — massacre
    Joe McGuinness (1991, p 8) recalled: 'The majority of the tribe (Kungarakany)... about one hundred people, became victims of poisoned damper... at a railway siding known as Stapleton... weed-killing powder... was supposedly mistaken for baking powder and added to the flour in preparing damper. Those who ate the poisoned damper became violently ill before their death'. This is one of at least three poisoning incidents suffered by the Kungarakan people.
    Source: McGuinness, 1991, p 8; Murgatroyd, 2001, p 6; Toohey, 1981, p 39; Kungarakan Culture and Education Association: https://kungarakan.org.au/language/