Massacre at Panton River - East Kimberley
Biddy Malingal 1888 [Related to the George Barnett Massacre] told Helen Ross of massacres occurring at Lightman Creek, Violet Valley and Panton Creek.
'They came from the west
A big mob of people came from Moola Bulla, from Halls Creek and from Turner.
To the ceremony place at Lightman Creek
That's the biggest place for young men's ceremonies.
They all called out
All the Lunka [also known as Kija] people from the west, then from the east.
All the Jaru people
Mirrawong people from the north
They had a fight then
'Then there' all the kartiya coming!'
Kalpany, Klaykuny and Punjinygany three brothers ran away
They chased them west.
They kept chasing the right across the roses yard
Half way the kartiya got tired and thirsty so they came back
They went back and shot all the babies, kids and teenage girls
And all the old ladies their mothers and grandmothers, and all the old men.
They had all climbed up trees poor things
They shot them down like birds and they fell down like birds.
Finished
They got all the wood and piled it up
They pulled all the people and put them on top of the
Wood put kerosene on it and lit the fire.' (Ross and Bray, 1989, p 9)
'They came from the west
A big mob of people came from Moola Bulla, from Halls Creek and from Turner.
To the ceremony place at Lightman Creek
That's the biggest place for young men's ceremonies.
They all called out
All the Lunka [also known as Kija] people from the west, then from the east.
All the Jaru people
Mirrawong people from the north
They had a fight then
'Then there' all the kartiya coming!'
Kalpany, Klaykuny and Punjinygany three brothers ran away
They chased them west.
They kept chasing the right across the roses yard
Half way the kartiya got tired and thirsty so they came back
They went back and shot all the babies, kids and teenage girls
And all the old ladies their mothers and grandmothers, and all the old men.
They had all climbed up trees poor things
They shot them down like birds and they fell down like birds.
Finished
They got all the wood and piled it up
They pulled all the people and put them on top of the
Wood put kerosene on it and lit the fire.' (Ross and Bray, 1989, p 9)
Notes:
CorroborationRating: *
LanguageGroup: Worla, Kitja
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 10
CorroborationRating: *
LanguageGroup: Worla, Kitja
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 10
People involved
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Event mentions
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Massacre at Panton River - East Kimberley1 Jan 1880 – 31 Dec 1899 — Panton River - East Kimberley — massacreBiddy Malingal 1888 [Related to the George Barnett Massacre] told Helen Ross of massacres occurring at Lightman Creek, Violet Valley and Panton Creek.
'They came from the west
A big mob of people came from Moola Bulla, from Halls Creek and from Turner.
To the ceremony place at Lightman Creek
That's the biggest place for young men's ceremonies.
They all called out
All the Lunka [also known as Kija] people from the west, then from the east.
All the Jaru people
Mirrawong people from the north
They had a fight then
'Then there' all the kartiya coming!'
Kalpany, Klaykuny and Punjinygany three brothers ran away
They chased them west.
They kept chasing the right across the roses yard
Half way the kartiya got tired and thirsty so they came back
They went back and shot all the babies, kids and teenage girls
And all the old ladies their mothers and grandmothers, and all the old men.
They had all climbed up trees poor things
They shot them down like birds and they fell down like birds.
Finished
They got all the wood and piled it up
They pulled all the people and put them on top of the
Wood put kerosene on it and lit the fire.' (Ross and Bray, 1989, p 9)