Massacre at Waterloo Station

Date: 17 Nov 1886 – 21 Jan 1887
Place: Waterloo Station
Event type: massacre
Direct violence: Yes
Darrell Lewis (2018, pp 51-52) wrote: 'The name Waterloo is said to be a reference to the "unrestrained slaughter" of local Aborigines by police after the spearing of "Big Johnny" Durack near Mount Duncan in 1886 (Pollard 1970, p 30; see also Moore, n.d.)... Michael Terry also heard about a fight between a group of white men and 100 Aborigines "by Waterloo Hill" after the spearing of "J Larry" Durack (Terry, 1928, entry for October 30th).' 'Doug Moore (n.d. p 6) also recounts that: "Waterloo Station was named on account of the battle with natives there years ago. Ammunition ran out so there was wholesale slaughter of natives. This told to me by my boy Jerry who escaped; he hid in an ant-bed then sneaked away in the dark"' . NTTG reported on December 25, 1886 (p. 2) that 'A party of six troopers has been sent out in search of the murderers of the late John Durack. Another party, including the unfortunate man's brothers and several other Europeans has also started after the offending tribe. We trust they will find them and administer a lesson such as will not be soon forgotten'. Mary Durack (2018 [1959] pp 292-294) noted that 'the conspiracy of silence that sealed the lips of the pioneers added colour to the rumours that spread abroad so that whereas we know they took much rough justice into their own hands they were no doubt less devastating to the local tribes than was sometimes said. "Punitive expeditions", like brumby musters, took a great deal of time and organisation...One lesson they learned from this chase, however, was that "treachery" on the part of the blacks must be met with "strategy" by the whites'.
Notes:
CorroborationRating: ***
LanguageGroup: Ngarinman
Victims: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People
VictimsDead: 100

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Sources

Event mentions

  • Massacre at Waterloo Station
    17 Nov 1886 – 21 Jan 1887 — Waterloo Station — massacre
    Darrell Lewis (2018, pp 51-52) wrote: 'The name Waterloo is said to be a reference to the "unrestrained slaughter" of local Aborigines by police after the spearing of "Big Johnny" Durack near Mount Duncan in 1886 (Pollard 1970, p 30; see also Moore, n.d.)... Michael Terry also heard about a fight between a group of white men and 100 Aborigines "by Waterloo Hill" after the spearing of "J Larry" Durack (Terry, 1928, entry for October 30th).' 'Doug Moore (n.d. p 6) also recounts that: "Waterloo Station was named on account of the battle with natives there years ago. Ammunition ran out so there was wholesale slaughter of natives. This told to me by my boy Jerry who escaped; he hid in an ant-bed then sneaked away in the dark"' . NTTG reported on December 25, 1886 (p. 2) that 'A party of six troopers has been sent out in search of the murderers of the late John Durack. Another party, including the unfortunate man's brothers and several other Europeans has also started after the offending tribe. We trust they will find them and administer a lesson such as will not be soon forgotten'. Mary Durack (2018 [1959] pp 292-294) noted that 'the conspiracy of silence that sealed the lips of the pioneers added colour to the rumours that spread abroad so that whereas we know they took much rough justice into their own hands they were no doubt less devastating to the local tribes than was sometimes said. "Punitive expeditions", like brumby musters, took a great deal of time and organisation...One lesson they learned from this chase, however, was that "treachery" on the part of the blacks must be met with "strategy" by the whites'.
    Source: Lewis, 2018, pp 51-52; SA Register, December 9, 1886, p 5 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45846815; North Australian, December 10, 1886, p 3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47996152 December 24, 1896, p 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47996205 and January 21, 1887 p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47996309; p 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47996318; NTTG, December 11, 1886, p 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3160525 and December 25, 1886, p 2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3160570; Durack, 2018 [1959], pp 292-294.