Coniston massacre

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The Coniston massacre occurred near the Coniston cattle station in Australia's Northern Territory in August 1928 . It is considered the last massacre of the Aborigines by the whites. The native inhabitants of the ethnic groups of Warlpiri , Anmatyerre and Kaytetye were murdered.

Sequence of the massacre

The massacre was preceded by the murder of the dingo hunter Frederick Brooks. He was killed by the Aborigines on August 7, 1928 after a dispute between himself and an Aboriginal family.

After rumors began to circulate that the Aborigines were planning to kill all whites, Constable William Murray was given a free hand to resolve the problem, at the time the only police chief in the 650,000 square kilometer region of central Australia . In a first violent confrontation, 17 Warlpiri were shot. Murray then spent three weeks in the bush with a settler, Nugget Morton, who felt threatened by attack. The two shot 14 other Aborigines on different occasions - out of self-defense, as they claimed.

According to these official figures, the massacre resulted in the deaths of 31 Aborigines. According to other reports, it was 60 and 110 respectively.

Entrance of the massacre into culture

Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri , then one year old , who later became a well-known Aboriginal painter in the Papunya artists' settlement, went undetected in one of these massacres because his mother hid him in a Coolamon , a carrier bag. His book The Tjulkurra: Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri is based on this event .
Another survivor of the massacre is Gwoya Jungarai , depicted on the $ 2 coin of Australia.

This massacre not only found its way into literature, but was also represented by Aboriginal artists of the Warmun, such as the painter Rover Thomas and other artists.

See also

literature

Web links