Massacre at Woodlands
John Francis, manager of WJT Clarke's run at Woodlands (around present day Crowlands), 'is said to have shot six or seven Aborigines there in June or July 1841; Clarke later wrote that the Aborigines had been "defiant" and had killed numbers of his sheep, "destroying them wantonly and slaughtering them for their support"'. But as historian AGL Shaw points out, 'Francis was a man who often had trouble with Aborigines, and as he was later killed by a white shepherd, it is possible he was hot-tempered and ''defiant" himself.' (Shaw, 1996, p 130) WJT Clarke later said "a number of blacks, I am sorry to say, were shot". (Shaw, 1996, p 134) Critchett lists the names of seven Aborigines who were shot by Francis.
Notes:
CorroborationRating: **
LanguageGroup: Knenknenwurrung
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 7
CorroborationRating: **
LanguageGroup: Knenknenwurrung
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 7
People involved
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Event mentions
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Massacre at Woodlands1 Jun 1841 – 25 Jul 1841 — Woodlands — massacreJohn Francis, manager of WJT Clarke's run at Woodlands (around present day Crowlands), 'is said to have shot six or seven Aborigines there in June or July 1841; Clarke later wrote that the Aborigines had been "defiant" and had killed numbers of his sheep, "destroying them wantonly and slaughtering them for their support"'. But as historian AGL Shaw points out, 'Francis was a man who often had trouble with Aborigines, and as he was later killed by a white shepherd, it is possible he was hot-tempered and ''defiant" himself.' (Shaw, 1996, p 130) WJT Clarke later said "a number of blacks, I am sorry to say, were shot". (Shaw, 1996, p 134) Critchett lists the names of seven Aborigines who were shot by Francis.