Untitled - Australian History Mysteries

ISBN 978-0-949380-72-2
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Written by Robert Lewis, Tim Gurry, David Arnold
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activity 4 Case study 2
Case Study
In 1928 a dingo trapper was killed by one or more Aboriginal people
near the Coniston pastoral station, about 240 kilometres north-west
of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. A month later, a local
pastoralist was attacked, but managed to beat off his attackers. The
two police patrols that were sent out to bring back the offenders
admitted killing 31 Aboriginal people who they claimed had resisted
arrest (although this official figure is disputed), and arrested two —
who were later acquitted at their trial for the murder of the trapper.
A Commonwealth Government inquiry was established to look
into the killing of the 31 Aboriginal people during the two arrest
expeditions. It reported its findings in early 1929.
This event became known as the Coniston Massacre, and is the last
known mass killing of Aboriginal people on the frontier. Aboriginal
people of the area and others say that far more than 31 people were
actually killed, with estimates even up to several hundred.
How could these terrible events have occurred Who was
responsible for them What were the findings of the Board of Inquiry
and what reasons did it give for these findings What impacts did the
killings have on the people who lived in that area at that time How
do these events continue to impact on the families of the Aboriginal
victims today
In this unit students explore evidence that will help them to
understand why these events occurred at this time, in this place,
among these people.
They will also be able to make an informed and balanced judgement
about whether they agree with the verdicts of the enquiry into the
killings, and whether later accounts of the events, including the
display in the National Museum of Australia, are fair and accurate
representations of it.
2What happened
at Coniston in
1928
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
29

Teacher’s guide
Why teach this unit
Frontier conflict is a significant element of the history of frontier contact in Australian history. Some of the
incidents of conflict are clear, others are not. The Coniston Massacre of 1928 is well documented both officially
and through oral evidence, and students will probably reach strong conclusions — though they need to be
challenged to justify those conclusions, as much of the evidence is not clear-cut. By studying the Coniston
Massacre students will be able to understand the devastation and horror of frontier conflict, and to apply the
skills of analysis and empathetic reconstruction required to other examples from Australia’s shared history.
Key learning outcomes
By the end of the unit students will be better able to:
> describe the historical events of the Coniston Massacre of 1928
> critically analyse a variety of written, pictorial and oral evidence about the events
> understand and empathise with the views and experiences of a variety of individuals and groups involved
> realise that different cultures saw events differently
> appreciate the difficulty of making an informed decision based on evidence
> make an informed and balanced judgement about the actions of the participants in the events
> understand the consequences and implications of the events, lasting to current times
> critically analyse a variety of representations of the events
> create their own representation or version of the event.
Suggested classroom approach
This unit is a long and detailed one for implementation in the classroom, but has been structured so as
to distribute much of the workload between groups. Students need to grapple with the large amount of
text presented to help them fully appreciate the complexities of the evidence presented and the various
interpretations that have subsequently been placed on that evidence. It is therefore essential that teachers
spend time absorbing this evidence themselves so that they can best decide how to introduce it to
their students.
Understand key concepts
Activity 1 This activity is designed to help students identify with the main concept — killings — in a way that
they can identify with, but without being too personal. Teachers should not dwell too long on this activity.
Visit the scene
Activity 2 Students are now advised to ‘visit’ the area through the DVD segment. They will see the physical
nature of the area, will receive further information, and will have further questions raised.
Examine key evidence
Activity 3 This is the most important part of the unit. The activity consists of five tasks.
Task 1 : analysing the background evidence given to the Coniston Board of Inquiry
Task 2 : understanding the two police expeditions (Evidence set 1–5)
Task 3 : hearing Aboriginal accounts (Documents 1–8)
Task 4 : some final evidence (Documents 1–11)
Task 5 : coming to a conclusion.
Here students find out from the people involved, what they said and did, and how they felt. The evidence
in Task 1 is selected from the official inquiry held from December 1928 – January 1929. The board heard
evidence about general conditions in the area at the time of the killings to try to decide if there had been
provocation of Aboriginal people by the settlers leading to the killing of Brooks and the attempted killing of
Morton. Students can divide the evidence between them. The board has been criticised as a ‘whitewash’,
but students will learn of this assessment later.
The next task (Task 2) draws on the evidence of Mounted Constable Murray who was in charge of the two
expeditions (often referred to as reprisal parties) during which the killings occurred. His evidence allows
students to construct a day-by-day timeline of the first expedition, although his evidence about the second
expedition is much more vague and imprecise. It is mainly during this later expedition that Aboriginal people
claim that far more killings occurred than were officially acknowledged. Some of the terms used by Murray
to describe Aboriginal people are offensive to us today, but were accepted usage at the time. Students are
challenged to make a fair judgement based on the limited evidence.
Language is also an issue of sensitivity in the third part of the activity (Task 3), where much evidence from
Aboriginal people is given in English, not their first language, and is transcribed verbatim. Both the official
evidence and the oral evidence of the Aboriginal witnesses have to be critically evaluated by students,
although this is clearly very challenging.
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Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

Teacher’s guide
Students now see some other evidence (Task 4), often powerful and compelling, but also often not able to be
tested in ways that might make it more reliable. This section also raises the sensitive issue of the involvement
with the police party of some Aboriginal people in the events. Students are challenged again to make
judgements, this time based on new and contradictory evidence, and to come to a final conclusion (Task 5).
Representation and commemoration
Activity 4 The activity consists of four tasks:
Task 1 : comparing three written representations of the Coniston Massacre
Task 2 : how has the Coniston Massacre been commemorated
Task 3 : analysing the National Museum of Australia’s representation of the Coniston Massacre
Task 4 : creating a final representation of the Coniston Massacre.
In Task 1 students are asked to consider how writers present the Coniston Massacre as a frontier conflict
event today.
Task 2 encourages students to think about how the impacts of the past continue to effect the lives of
Aboriginal people of the area today, and the issue of reconciliation, and how the Coniston Massacre relates to
this movement.
Students are now in a position to critically analyse and assess the National Museum of Australia’s Coniston
Massacre display in the Gallery of First Australians (Task 3), and can use that as a model approach to
evaluating museum displays.
Finally, taking into account the evidence presented from the whole unit, we ask students to create their own
representation or version of the Coniston Massacre as a way of recording their final conclusions (Task 4).
Further information
Transcript of the findings of the Board of Enquiry concerning the killing of natives in Central Australia by
Police Parties and others, and concerning other matters, Commonwealth of Australia, 18 January 1929,
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.aspB=66518&I=1&SE=1
Trish Albert, First Australians: Plenty Stories Series. Remembering Coniston, Pearson Rigby & National
Museum of Australia 2009.
Central Land Council, Making Peace With the Past: Remembering the Coniston Massacre, 1928–2003,
Alice Springs, 2003, www.clc.org.au/Media/publications/coniston/7small.pdf
John Cribbin, The Killing Times, Fontana Collins, Sydney, 1984.
Bruce Elder, Blood on the Wattle, Child and Associates, Sydney, 1988, Chapter 12.
Dick Kimber, ‘Real true history: the Coniston Massacre in 18 instalments’, Alice Springs News 10 September
2003 –11 February 2004.
Justin O’Brien, ‘To infuse an universal terror’: The Coniston killings of 1928,
www.clc.org.au/Media/publications/coniston/coniston2.PDF
Peter Read and Jay Read (eds), Long Time, Olden Time, Institute for Aboriginal Development Publications,
Alice Springs, 1991.
Henry Reynolds, This Whispering in our Hearts, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1998, Chapter IX.
Bill Wilson and Justin O’Brien, ‘‘‘To infuse an universal terror”: a reappraisal of the Coniston killings’,
Aboriginal History, vol. 27, 2003 pages 59-76.
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
31

activity 1
Case study 2
Understanding a key concept
Imagine that …
You woke up this morning, not feeling well. ‘Sorry mum, I really can’t go to school today.’
So, you are at home, just taking it easy, when you see a news flash: there has been a shooting at your
school, in your classroom, and three of your friends have been shot!
1 What do you think your feelings might be
2 List and discuss what questions you would want answered about the event.
Your main response would probably be a sense of disbelief and unreality — how could such a terrible event
occur in my normal little world How can you explain and understand such a tragedy
That’s really what this unit is about — understanding and explaining an event in Australian history that seems
inconceivable to us today: the killing of a local man near a place called Coniston station, near Alice
Springs in the Northern Territory, which led to the killing of at least 31 other people.
The broad story is clear, though there are disagreements and uncertainties about some of the specific
aspects of the events, and you will need to try and work out the details of what you think happened.
But the key enquiry will be for you to try and understand and explain what happened — why those people in
that place at that time did those specific things.
When you have done that you can think about how history books and museum displays tell us about these
events — and whether they have got it right.
And, finally, you’ll be asked to think about the long-term consequences of these events. Often history is not
confined to the past; what happened years ago can still affect peoples’ lives today.
Start by looking at the DVD to see what the area is like, and to meet some of the key people involved in
the events.
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Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 2
Case study 2
Visiting the scene of the events
DVD
Activity
DVD time code:
24:55–35:20
Visiting the site of the events at Coniston
will help you understand the environment,
to meet some key participants in the event,
and to make sense of some of the evidence.
Watch the episode on the DVD and answer
these questions.
1 Describe the environment of the Coniston
area. What does it look like What might
it have been like to live there in 1928
2 How might ‘visiting’ this place help you
understand or have greater empathy with
the events of the past
3 What do we learn about the leader of the
police party, William George Murray Does
this surprise you Explain your answer.
4 How might Murray’s background help us
to understand what happened
5 According to local Aboriginal researcher
Teresa Napurrula Ross:
> Who killed Brooks
> Who helped
> Why was he killed
> How might this have been a justifiable
action according to Aboriginal law
6 What was the police response to this killing
7 How might this response have been a
justifiable action according to European
law
8 What happened to Kamalyarrpa
Japanangka (sometimes known as
Bullfrog) Does this surprise you
Explain your answer.
9 Napurrula Ross calls Japananga ‘a hero,
a coward and a murderer’. From what you
know so far about the events of Coniston in
1928, explain how he can be each of these
at the same time.
10 In 2003, a ceremony was held to unveil
the new memorial. How might the events
of 1928 still have impacts on people of the
area today
11 The National Museum of Australia has
several objects that relate directly to this
event. How do they add to your knowledge
and understanding of, and your empathy
with, the events
Now that you have an awareness of the
environment and the story you need to go
back and look at some evidence from the
time to try to develop a better understanding.
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928 33

activity 3
Case study 2
Examining key evidence
During this stage of your investigation into the 1928 Coniston
Massacre you are going to continue your journey back into the past
by reading the words of people who took part in the event.
There are four main sources of these words:
> evidence given at the Board of Inquiry of January 1929 about
the background to the killing of 31 Aboriginal people in 1928
(you will explore this in Task 1)
> evidence given at the inquiry by Mounted Constable Murray
about the killing of the Aboriginal people on two expeditions
during late 1928 (you will explore this in Task 2)
> oral records of Aboriginal witnesses, recorded mainly in the
1970s (you will explore this in Task 3)
> some final pieces of evidence from various other sources
— such as letters, remembered conversations, private
diaries — that may help you further develop your own
conclusions (you will explore this in Task 4).
WARNING:
• In looking at the evidence
that follows you will find
terms for Aboriginal people
that are considered offensive
today. You need to be sensible
about quoting and referring
to that language in your own
discussion and writing.
• Aboriginal readers are advised
that there are references to
people who are deceased.
• Note also that the spelling
of words (such as Walpiri/
Warlpiri) have been kept as
they appear in the original
documents.
Task 1
Analysing the background evidence given to the
Coniston Board of Inquiry
In December 1928 and January 1929, a Commonwealth Government Board of Inquiry listened to evidence from
people in Alice Springs and the surrounding area about the killings near Coniston station in 1928. They wanted to
decide if there were any particular reasons why Aboriginal people would have attacked local settlers. They looked
for evidence of conflict over water, a shortage of food that would have led to Aboriginal people killing cattle, any
‘provocation’ by settlers, and any other factors, such as the work of missionaries or conflict between different
Aboriginal groups, that might help explain why tensions existed.
1 Look at the following information, based on evidence given to the Board of Inquiry into the Coniston police
killings and on images from the approximate time and place, to summarise information relevant to each of
the questions in this table.
Background to the Coniston Massacre
Which different Aboriginal groups are mentioned
as being in the area
What were the missionaries trying to achieve
How did most of the Europeans react to them
What were the attitudes of Aboriginal people to
the pastoralists
What were the attitudes of Europeans to the
Aboriginal people
Was the drought reducing water resources
Was the drought reducing the availability of
natural food sources
What was the nature of police activities in
the region
What was the overall state of relations between
Aboriginal people and pastoralists
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Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 3
Case study 2
(i) Background information
Three traditional Aboriginal groups, the Warlpiri,
Anmantyerre and Arrernte, lived near the area.
By 1928 there were only about 40 non-Indigenous
people living at Alice Springs, and a small number
living on large pastoral holdings or stations in
the area. These stations were developed where
permanent water was available in arterial springs
or soaks. The pastoralists grazed sheep, goats and
cattle. The stock needed large areas to forage for
food, and were free to wander — there were no
fences on properties.
Non-Aboriginal people had started settling the period
from the 1860s. By 1928 these pastoralists and town
people identified these four different situations of
Aboriginal people:
> those living in traditional ways (often referred
to by non-Aboriginal people as ‘myalls’ or ‘bush
blacks’) who had limited and casual contacts with
cattle stations adjoining their tribal territory. This
enabled them to obtain occasional food, without
having to give up their independence.
> a few young men who were beginning to work
regularly on stations.
> Aboriginal people who were starting to gather
on mission stations, or around missionaries who
would provide them with food and medicine.
> a few older people camped near stations who
were supplied with food by the station owners.
In 1911, the Northern Territory was separated from
South Australia, and became a Commonwealth
Territory. It was governed by an administrator
in Darwin. However, Central Australia was a
separate jurisdiction within this, and was under the
direct control of the Federal Government, whose
representative in 1928 was JC Cawood.
There were only six policemen to cover the whole
area — with one sergeant in Alice Springs, and five
mounted constables based in different areas. There
were few cars, few roads, and few telephones — yet
people were scattered over huge distances, and
most travelled by horse or camel. Aboriginal people
travelled on foot.
Randal Stafford’s Coniston station was on the edge
of the frontier. To the west lay the Tanami desert, to
the north the Lander River country — both areas
described by Randal Stafford as still ‘myall country’.
Coniston station was considered to be ‘the last
outpost on the edge of the desert.’
The area was in one of its periodical droughts in
1928.
John Cribbin, The Killing Times, Fontana/Collins, Sydney, 1984
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
35

activity 3
Case study 2
Barrow Creek Annual Rainfall 1873–2002
www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/weatherData/avp_nccObsCode=139&p_display_type=dataFile&p_startYear=&p_stn_num=15525
Drought brought Aboriginal people closer to the permanent soaks of the more settled district. Drought also
meant that some pastoralists moved their cattle into the Lander River area for feed, and this brought them
closer to Aboriginal people who relied on waterholes and soaks on their traditional lands.
1 Add any relevant information from above to the Background to the Coniston Massacre table.
(ii) Meeting with people from the period and the place
2 Look at the following images from the time and place and add any information to the Background to the
Coniston Massacre table.
Adelaide Register 10 November 1928
Cribbin, The Killing Times, page 194
Padygar and Arkrira, the two Aboriginal men charged
with killing Fred Brooks in 1928
Annie Lock, missionary, with two children that
she cared for
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Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 3
Case study 2
Michael Terry Collection, National Library of Australia
Japananga (Bullfrog) many years after the killing of Fred Brooks
B Dean and V Carell, Dust From the Dancing, Ure Smith, Sydney, 1955
Local pastoralist Jack Saxby in 1928
FE Baume, Tragedy Track: the Story of the Granites,
North Flinders Mines Limited and Hisperian Press, Carlisle, 1994
Terry Collection, National Library of Australia
Aboriginal camp 1920s
Local pastoralist Harry Tilmouth and
a station worker
NTAS Stan Cawood Image Collection NTAS 234
Aboriginal stockmen Bob, Tommy, Hughie and Jack 1929
Police Mounted Constable Murray with his
wife and son in 1931
Sunday Sun February 1931
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
37

activity 3
Case study 2
Otto Tschirn collection 1918, permission of the Anderson Family,
provided by Strehlow Research Centre
Otto Tschirn collection 1918, permission of the Anderson Family,
provided by Strehlow Research Centre
Aboriginal women
Near Hermannsburg, c.1918
A pastoralist and a station worker
Near Hermannsburg, c.1918
Otto Tschirn collection 1918, permission of the Anderson Family,
provided by Strehlow Research Centre
Otto Tschirn collection 1918, permission of the Anderson Family,
provided by Strehlow Research Centre
A camp
Near Hermannsburg, c.1918
A men’s ceremony
Near Hermannsburg, c.1918
(iii) Summary of evidence
from pastoralists and
missionaries
In evidence given to the 1928–29 Board
of Inquiry into the killing of Aboriginal
people by police parties in the Coniston
area in 1928, many pastoralists criticised
the work of some missionaries. They saw
these missionaries as spreading ideas of
equality that led to a loss of white authority,
and made Aboriginal people dependent on
handouts.
They also criticised the absence of police
patrols and resources, and the failure
of the courts to impose sentences that
deterred Aboriginal people from killing
stock for food.
A female pastoralist testified that she and
her married daughter on another property
both felt threatened by the Aboriginal
people, and had to carry weapons at
all times.
Missionary Annie Lock, the main target of
the pastoralists’ criticisms, testified about
the abuse she had seen Aboriginal women
suffer from white workers and pastoralists,
and the anger that this caused among the
Aboriginal men.
She agreed that more police were needed,
and that ‘I don’t think a little flogging would
hurt a lot of’ Aboriginal men.
3 Add any information to the
Background to the Coniston
Massacre table.
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Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 3
Case study 2
Task 2
Understanding the two police expeditions
You now have a good idea of the background to the
events at Coniston in 1928, including the tensions
that existed at the time, and the attitudes of some of
the people who lived in the region.
It’s time to look at the evidence of the policeman who
led the two parties that killed (at least) 31 Aboriginal
people over a period of about six weeks.
The next two pages provide a map of the Coniston
area, and a partially completed chronology of the
events at Coniston in 1928.
1 Working in groups, each group should look at
one of the following five pages of evidence from
William Murray. Work through your page and
answer the questions in the timeline. Report
your answers to all other groups so that
everybody can complete the timeline.
The timeline includes the two separate police
expeditions:
> Mounted Constable Murray’s first expedition
— the Brooks expedition — resulting in 17
recorded deaths, and the arrest and trial of two
accused men; and
> Murray’s second expedition — the expedition
with Morton to arrest the Aboriginal men who
had attacked him — resulting in 14 recorded
deaths.
2 After having read the evidence and completed the
timeline, answer these questions using column B.
Leave column C blank for the moment.
Board of Inquiry summary table
A
Key issues
1 Why were the two police parties
sent out
B
Evidence from the
Board of Inquiry
C
Other evidence not given
to the Board of Inquiry
2 What did Murray say he was
trying to achieve
3 What evidence was there for
Murray to suspect each of the
Aboriginal groups he came
across of involvement in the
killing of Brooks
4 According to Murray’s evidence,
how did he try to peacefully
arrest them
5 According to Murray’s evidence,
why were so many suspects
killed
6 According to Murray’s evidence,
how many people did Murray not
arrest
7 According to Murray’s evidence,
why did he let these people
go free
8 According to this evidence,
did Murray commit any crimes,
or were the killings able to be
explained and justified
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
39

activity 3
Case study 2
Map of the events at Coniston in 1928
Central Land Council map, National Museum of Australia Coniston display
Names in red are those recognised in the Board of Inquiry as places where killings occurred.
Names in blue are those identified by Aboriginal people as additional places where killings occurred.
40
Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 3
Case study 2
Timeline of the two Coniston police party expeditions
Date
1928
Key events
2 August Dingo trapper Frederick Brooks, aged 61,
is a friend of the owner of Coniston pastoral
station, Randal Stafford.
He sets off with two camels and two
Aboriginal assistants, Skipper and Dodger,
for a soak 22 kms away, to trap dingoes.
6 August Brooks is camped. An Aboriginal group is
camped nearby. He has negotiated with
Japananga (Bullfrog) for the use of his wife.
7 August Bullfrog confronts Brooks for payment.
Brooks is killed at the soak — later called
Brooks Soak (Yurrkuru). He is half-buried
in an enlarged rabbit burrow. His camp is
ransacked.
10 August Murray is sent to investigate complaints
of cattle killing on Pine Hill and Coniston
stations. He has Aboriginal trackers named
Paddy and Major with him.
11 August Stafford phones from Ti Tree to Alice
Springs to report the killing of Brooks.
Murray is told of the killing at a station. His
superior, Cawood, tells him to investigate
and arrest the culprits for trial.
12 August –
1 September
1.1 Who is in the party
1.2 What happened at the camp at Coniston
1.3 What were Murray’s orders
What was he trying to do
How did he know where to go to find those
accused of killing Brooks
How did the Aboriginal people react when
Murray arrived
What was the result of the clash
What evidence tied this group to Brooks
2.1 What did Murray do with the group of
Aboriginal people from the previous clash
What did Murray and his party do for these
few days
2.2 How did Murray know to go to 6-mile soak
What contact was there
With what results
What did Murray do
What was the outcome
3.1 What happened overnight
What happened to the women and children
prisoners
What happened to the wounded prisoners
3.2 What happened during the day
4.1 How did Murray get the two prisoners
What did they admit
What happened to these prisoners
What happened in the hills
What happened to the wounded prisoner
at the camp
Date
Key events
4.2 What happened to the last wounded
prisoner
Who returned to Alice Springs
19 September On 21 October, pastoralist John ‘Nugget’
Morton had been attacked by 15 Aboriginal
men. He shot one and escaped, though
badly beaten. Aboriginal oral history says
he was attacked because of his ill-treatment
of Aboriginal women. He reported the
attack and, on 19 September, Murray’s
superior Cawood ordered him to go to
Morton’s Broadmeadows station and arrest
the attackers. Murray arrived there on
24 September.
24 September
– 17 October
5.1 Who was involved in this party
5.2 What happened at Tomahawk waterhole
What did Murray try to do
How many Aboriginal people died in the
clash
How did Murray know they were guilty of
the attack on Morton
5.3 Where did the party now go
How did the Aboriginal people behave
when Murray and Morton arrived
How did Murray know who to arrest
What happened to the Aboriginal people
Murray was trying to arrest
What happened to the other Aboriginal
people there
5.4 Where did the party now go
What happened to the large group
What did Murray try to do
How did the Aboriginal people respond
What was the outcome of the clash
18 October Murray returns to Alice Springs.
19 October Murray writes his report, but does not say
how many people were killed. He later
nominates 14 deaths.
20 October Murray takes the two men accused of killing
Brooks to Darwin for trial
7–8 November The men are tried but the charges are
dismissed. At the trial it is revealed that
Murray killed 17 people during the ‘hunt’ for
those responsible for Brooks’ murder.
28 November The Commonwealth Government
announces a Board of Inquiry into the
17 deaths and the 14 from the second
expedition.
30 December The Board starts hearing evidence.
1929
18 January The Board makes its findings.
Now use all this evidence to complete column B of
the Board of Inquiry summary table.
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
41

activity 3
Case study 2
Extracts from evidence of Mounted Constable William George Murray,
16 January 1929.
Evidence set 1 (Brooks expedition)
Use this evidence to answer the various questions in the Timeline about what happened during
the two expeditions.
EXTRACT 1.1
As the result of the Murder of Brooks ... I arrived at Coniston
Station. I organised a party of eight including myself, and
three aboriginals. The other four white men were Randal
Stafford, John Saxby, William Briscoe and Alex Wilson
(Half-caste). I then obtained ... 14 horses and necessary
equipment. On arrival at Coniston Station, I instructed my two
trackers Paddy and Major to see that no natives left the native
camp at Coniston Station. Should any new arrivals arrive they
must be detained and not allowed to depart and spread the
news of my arrival.
EXTRACT 1.2
On the afternoon of 15th August, excited voices were heard
in the native camp [near Coniston Station] ... I found my two
trackers endeavouring to arrest two natives ... On nearing the
trackers, I could see that they were becoming overpowered.
When I arrived on the scene, one native got free with the chain
hanging in his hand and struck me over the shoulders with it.
At this moment I noticed that the second prisoner was free
from the tracker and had turned his attention to me. Realising
that the position was dangerous, I drew my revolver and fired
at one native. The bullet struck him over the left eye and he fell
to the ground ... The wounded native remained unconscious
for about two hours. When he recovered he was secured and
in chains. The two prisoners were tied to a tree for the night.
EXTRACT 1.3
On the morning of the 16th August 1928 ... I
set out with horses and the aforementioned
party also the two prisoners accompanied
me – they having volunteered to show where
the alleged murderers were camped ... I
also instructed them that there was to be no
shooting unless absolutely necessary; that
I would endeavour to arrest the lot. I also
instructed them that women and children
were not to be harmed ... I sighted the camp
first and increased my pace to a gallop. I
noticed the natives were assembling and
coming towards me. They took up their
position in the grass amongst some low
bushes. On riding up to them, I noticed that
they were all in a sitting or kneeling position.
Only one native appeared to be armed. I
dismounted with a view to disarming the
native. Immediately I stepped to the ground,
the whole of the native party rushed me
with weapons in their hands — they having
had them concealed in the grass. I seized
one native and threw him. The others then
commenced to strike me with their weapons.
As the position appeared serious and I could
not see any of my party in sight I drew my
revolver and fired two shots. The reports
attracted other members of the party who
were quickly on the scene. I heard several
shots fired. When other members of the party
arrived the natives ceased to attack ... When
order was restored, it was found that four
natives including one lubra were dead. The
fifth one — a lubra — was found to be badly
wounded ... The natives were instructed by
myself to sit down and remain quiet ... We
collected 23 spears which were concealed
in the grass and bushes, apparently in
readiness for an attack; also a number of
boomerangs, nulla nullas and yamsticks ...
A quantity of property was recovered and
identified by Stafford as the property of Fred
Brooks deceased — consisting of coat, shirt,
singlets, quart pot, blanket, calico, knives,
tobacco. The natives were then instructed
to move down to the creek about 200 yards
distant and remain there for the night. Myself
and Stafford prepared two graves and buried
the four natives. I then went to see the
wounded lubra and found that she was dead.
She was buried and we camped near the
scene for the night.
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Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 3
Case study 2
Extracts from evidence of Mounted Constable William George Murray
16th January 1929.
Evidence set 2 (Brooks expedition)
Use this evidence to answer the various questions in the Timeline about what happened during
the two expeditions.
EXTRACT 2.1
When daylight came all the natives who had
been collected were still there ... The whole of
the day was spent in searching for tracks but
none could be found. In the evening, I instructed
the number of natives whom we had detained
to move to a spring about 4 miles distant and
that could remain there and not be interfered
with. We then packed our horses and moved on
some few miles taking with us the two native
prisoners and one [young boy witness named]
Lala ... We camped for the night.
The third day was again spent in searching for
tracks. No tracks were found. We camped
for the night.
On the fourth day we decided to proceed to
a soakage about 40 miles down the Lander.
We travelled via Coniston Station camping
there for a night. At this point Mr Stafford, the
two prisoners and Lala left the party. Tracker
Jack from Alice Springs had then arrived. I left
instructions that he was to watch the prisoners
and the witness closely.
EXTRACT 2.2
We then proceeded down the Lander, camped at Boundary
Soak, ascertained from some natives there that the alleged
murderers were at the 6 mile soak ...
We covered about 10 miles in two hours, came up to a
natives camp in the scrub. My party was then riding in
extended order. Immediately the natives sighted us six
adult male natives were seen to assemble in the scrub. As
my party was closing around them the natives threatened
to fight and kill us if we did not go away. They were
cautioned by my trackers to put down their weapons. They
refused to do so but commenced throwing boomerangs.
Several of my party narrowly escaped being struck. I again
dismounted and the six natives immediately rushed me.
I received several blows from boomerangs and yamsticks
and was compelled to use my revolver. I fired four shots
also heard shots from other directions.
When order was restored, it was found that three male
natives were dead and three male natives wounded. The
three wounded did not appear to be seriously wounded in
my opinion. They together with a number of women and
children were taken back to the creek arriving there about
midnight. They were instructed to sit down and remain until
morning. They had in their possession a quantity of native
food which they had brought with them from their camp.
The three wounded prisoners were identified as the alleged
murderers of Brooks. A guard was put over the camp
throughout the night.
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
43

activity 3
Case study 2
Extracts from evidence of Mounted Constable William George Murray
16th January 1929.
Evidence set 3 (Brooks expedition)
Use this evidence to answer the various questions in the Timeline about what happened during
the two expeditions.
EXTRACT 3.1
Shortly after daylight when I awoke I examined the
prisoners and found that two were dead.
We then had breakfast — the horses were packed.
I instructed my trackers Paddy, Major, Dodger and
Alex Wilson to proceed up the creek with the one
prisoner who was wounded. Myself Saxby and Briscoe
remained behind and buried the two dead some
little distance away from where they had died. I then
instructed the remainder of the natives who were all
women and children numbering 21 that they could
remain at the 6 mile soakage.
Myself and party then mounted and overtook the
packhorses. It was quite noticeable that the wounded
prisoner was becoming weaker. I was doubtful whether
he would be able to get as far as Briscoe’s camp. After
several rests we arrived at Briscoe’s camp. Although I
endeavoured to persuade the prisoner to ride a horse
he refused to do so. The horses were watered, canteens
filled. The prisoner was given water which appeared to
make his condition much worse. I then decided to obtain
camels and have him taken to Coniston Station. Whilst
preparing for transport he died and was buried some
half mile distant from Briscoe’s camp ...
About sundown in the evening we arrived at the spring
where I had instructed the party of natives from the first
camp to camp. We could see no sign of natives so we
camped for the night.
EXTRACT 3.2
In the morning we obtained a saddle horse each
... and went in different directions to pick up
their tracks.
Within an hour I returned to the camp having
found the tracks of a number of natives leaving
the spring. It was quite noticeable that there
were many more bucks’ tracks there than could
have been made by the party we had left there
... We followed them to the foot of the range as
the country was too rough for horses I instructed
Paddy and Major to follow them on foot and the
horses would proceed along the flat ... Paddy and
Major came down from the ranges. They stated
that the tracks were still continuing along the range
in a westerly direction. We had lunch. As the only
known water was 20 miles west, I decided to leave
the tracks and hurry on towards the water. We
could then pick up the tracks on the soft ground
after they left the range.
Later on in the day, we again struck tracks.
We followed them for some distance. At dark we
camped for the night, dug a well and watered
the horses.
44
Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 3
Case study 2
Extracts from evidence of Mounted Constable William George Murray
16th January 1929.
Evidence set 4 (Brooks expedition)
Use this evidence to answer the various questions in the Timeline about what happened during
the two expeditions.
EXTRACT 4.1
Shortly after daylight several natives were noticed up
on the ranges probably two miles distant ... The trackers
overtook the natives before I could reach them. When
I arrived on the scene, I found that Paddy had two
male natives handcuffed together with the one handcuff.
Two lubras and one old blackfellow were sitting down.
A number of boomerangs and yamsticks were lying
close handy.
I questioned the two prisoners. They admitted having
been at Stafford Spring and had assisted to kill Brooks
... I noticed that the prisoners had slipped the handcuff
and were making off down the hill. They were called
on to stop several times but it had no effect. I drew
my revolver and fired several shots over their heads.
It had no effect. I then fired at the native closest to
me who was then at least 150 yards distant. He fell.
I considered the second one out of the revolver range
and called on my tracker to get the rifle. Two shots were
fired and the fleeing native fell having been hit through
the head. Both natives were dead. They were buried
... I questioned to the blackfellow and lubras and as
satisfied that they were not implicated in the matter.
They were allowed to go free having been given a few
crusts of bread and a bit of meat.
We then proceeded further west, picked up natives
tracks and followed them for about 36 miles. We sighted
a number of blacks ... Immediately they sighted us they
took up their position amongst some boulders and in
caves ... They were instructed by the trackers but they
replied that they would fight us if we came near them ...
Myself dismounted and went on foot searching for the
natives amongst boulders and caves. After some little
time two natives rushed out of a cave as I was passing.
I received several blows from yam sticks. Having my
hand in readiness, I fired and shot one native dead.
The other native disappeared amongst the rocks. I saw
no more of him.
Later in the afternoon, I came in contact with one male
native and a number of women and children. This native
made off but I overtook him and brought him back to
where the packhorses were.
On arriving at the camp I found the remainder of my
party with the exception of Wilson had assembled. They
had two wounded prisoners. I examined the prisoners
and found that they were very seriously wounded ...
We then had lunch. The two wounded died during our
lunch hour.
We then returned to Cockatoo Spring with the one
prisoner and later returned to Coniston Station. I then
had three prisoners.
EXTRACT 4.2
The following morning, I examined the prisoners
and found that the one with the wound over the
eye was in a serious condition and unable to
walk ... About 11am the wounded prisoner died
and was buried some few hundred yards from
Coniston Station.
In the afternoon I left for Alice Springs with two
prisoners, one witness, and three trackers.
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
45

activity 3
Case study 2
Extracts from evidence of Mounted Constable William George Murray
16th January 1929.
Evidence set 5 (Morton expedition)
Use this evidence to answer the various questions in the Timeline about what happened during
the two expeditions.
EXTRACT 5.1
In consequence of a report relative to the
attack on Morton by natives I proceeded
to Broadmeadow Station ... obtained ...
horses from Morton; about 14 in number.
Myself and Morton, Alex Wilson and a
small native boy proceeded down the
Lander to the spot where Morton had
been attacked. Judging by the tracks a
number of natives had travelled down the
river, for about 40 miles.
EXTRACT 5.2
On nearing a place known as Tomahawk
waterhole ... I came across seven male
adult natives. I galloped around and they
assembled in one heap ... I dismounted
and the natives immediately attacked ...
fired several shots wide of the natives
... The position appeared serious and
I fired to stop the natives. The shots
attracted Morton and he was quickly on
the scene. Four natives were shot. The
remaining three were questioned and
gave a satisfactory explanation as to their
movements during the past few weeks.
They further stated that the four dead
had only arrived there some few days
and that they were the cheeky ones who
had tried to kill Morton. The four dead
were recognised by Morton as those who
had attacked him.
EXTRACT 5.3
We then proceeded to a spot on the Lander known as Boomerang
Waterhole. From there we proceeded in a N.E. direction for about
30 miles ... As Morton knew the next water in that direction we
decided to make straight for it, and not delay following tracks.
This water is shown on the maps as Circle Well ... We sighted a
number of male natives. Morton and myself galloped and rounded
them up. They were instructed by Morton who speaks the native
language fluently to throw down their weapons. Two of them
refused although told a number of times to put them down. The
remainder of the natives sat down and appeared quite docile ...
Morton stated that he knew the two of them personally. They had
been casually employed by him recently and that they were the
two who first approached him and assisted to hold him whilst
the remainder of the attackers used their weapons. I decided to
dismount. Immediately I stepped to the ground the two of them
jumped on top of me. I threw them aside and got possession
of a tomahawk from one of them. He then attacked me with his
boomerang. I used a tomahawk to defend myself. The second
blow struck him on the head and he fell dead. The second native
was in the act of driving a spear through me from about two
yards distance. I drew my revolver. Both Morton and I fired at the
same instant and the native was killed. The other natives were
questioned and they told us in which direction the remainder of
the party were.
EXTRACT 5.3
We then proceeded in an easterly direction about 36 miles and
came onto a soakage at the lower end of the Hansen River.
There was a large camp of natives there. They were rounded up
— around 40 in all including nine adult male natives. We got them
rounded up in the bed of the creek which is very wide at that
point. All of the male natives were armed. They were instructed
to put down their weapons ... I then decided to dismount. As soon
as I did so quite a number of the natives rushed me and attacked
with their sticks and boomerangs. Two natives rushed to get the
one spear that was standing upright in a bush. I noticed their
movement and also grabbed for the spear. Myself and a native
got hold of the spear together. I wrenched it from him. It broke
and left the small end in his hand while I had the strong end. The
natives were then so close around me I felt that I could not get
my revolver in time so I drove the spear right through a natives
chest; then jumped back drew my revolver and fired. At the same
time I called to Morton to fire or they would get me. Even after
several shots were fired it did not steady them. When order was
restored it was found that there were eight killed.
We then returned to Broadmeadow Station.
Board of Inquiry members Adelaide Register 15 January 1929
46
Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 3
Case study 2
Task 3
Hearing Aboriginal accounts
The only Aboriginal voice heard at the enquiry was
Paddy, one of the trackers with the police party. No
evidence was heard from any Aboriginal people who
came into contact with the two police expeditions.
During the 1970s, some historians spoke to
Aboriginal people who were alive at the time of the
killings. Here are their accounts, usually as recorded
in English, which was often the people’s second, third
or even fourth language.
Documents 1–5 are evidence of events at three
specific places. Documents 6–7 are not specific to
a place.
Use these accounts to complete this summary table.
Summary of Aboriginal evidence of the killings
Deaths
Locations
Tipinpa Dingo Hole Wajinpulungk Not specified
Who
How many
How
Why
By whom
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
47

activity 3
Case study 2
Killings at Tipinpa
Document 1: evidence of Jampijinpa
Jampijinpa would have probably been about four or five
years old at this time.
His family was camped at Tipinpa (Patirlirri) along the
route the police party riding north from Coniston to
Morton’s place at Mud Hut would have taken. Murray
made no mention in his report of going to Tipinpa.
But the pastoralist Saxby who joined the exploration
party of Michael Terry in 1929, told Terry that Murray had
been there the year before.
They shot your old father
Yeah ... Down at Tipinpa. That’s this Murray bin shottit.
When I was little feller ... I seen him. I seen him. Murray,
Murray grab me then and he’s hold me on the shoulder
... There was big camp there ... They yardem round,
bringem to one mob, see, make it one heap. And they
shottit. Two or three shotgun is goin’, people is goin’.
Nugget. Whatsaname was there too, Jack Murray ...
Roundem up. Ust like cattle we roundem up ... Just
suddenly. And just shottit there ... [just] man. Woman,
they lettem go free ... Shottem all the man. Shottem.
The old woman was ‘live. And kid.
Read and Read, Long Time, Olden Time, p. 44
Document 2: evidence of Warlpiri witnesses
In 1971, historian Dr Mervyn Hartwig, one of the recognised
authorities on the killings, interviewed a dozen Walbiri who
were definite in their declarations that Murray had been
there, shooting. Alex Wilson [a part-Aboriginal member of
both parties] in 1971 estimated that ‘about six’ were shot at
Tippinba, and he confirmed the Tippinba episode with [this]
author in 1983, although suggesting ‘a lot’ rather than ‘about
six’ had died.
John Cribbin, The Killing Times, Fontana/Collins, Sydney, 1984, p. 160.
48
Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 3
Case study 2
Killings at Dingo Hole
Killings at Wajinpulungk
Document 3: Willowra Jimmy
Jungarrayi
Followem this river, through there.
Now, they bin findem ... two old feller,
longa Dingo Hole ... They bin finish
them poor bugger.
That man [Murray] bin turn back, come
back after shoot two man ... and findem
[a group] there longa bush. Girl and
kid and all. They bin finishem again,
whole lot.
Read and Read, Long Time, Olden Time, p. 47.
Document 5: Johnny Nelson Jupurrula
[A large group] bin there tryin’ to makem ... corroborees, you
know, sacred site ... And [the police party] from Willowra, run
into this mob here and givem trouble ... And they prisonem my
father ... And they gaolem my father, you know, put a chain on ...
They coming there now, chasem round now, some all run away.
Right, prisonem whole lot, everyone. Tiem up longa trees. All little
boys, oh, lotta tracker, some stockmans too. And shootem whole
lot, some feller, shootem, heapem up. Tie ‘em up whole lot. And
shootem in the morning ... That’s where my father got shot there
too ... Oh, women and all. Not young girl. No, lettem go… Lettum
go [some children], some of them.
Read and Read, Long Time, Olden Time, p. 49–50.
Document 4: evidence of
Warlpiri witnesses
Mervyn Hartwig writes: ‘Walbiri
interviewed at Willowra in 1971 were
adamant that the posse rode further
down the Lander to Gunadjerai (Dingo
Hole) where a corroboree was in full
swing and to Djaralygu (where the
creek finishes) and that a total of fifteen
(four adult males and eleven women
and children) were shot. They supplied
the full names of only five of these (four
men and one woman) indicating the
sub-section names only of the others’.
Cribbin, The Killing Times, p. 162.
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
49

activity 3
Case study 2
Killings in areas that are not specified in the evidence
Document 6: Neddy Jakamarra
All our mob been shot. My grandmother
Maryanne ... bin die poor bugger. A lot
of people bin shot there. Working man,
too. All the working man bin shot too. You
know, they bin go to corroboree, working
people, Stirling [cattle station on the upper
Hanson] men, and from Barrow Creek.
Cribbin, The Killing Times, p. 163.
Document 7: George Jangala as recorded by
historian Dick Kimber
He [George Jangala] said that he was, he must have been
about four or five I reckon, and they shot his father, his big
brother then ran over and threw himself down on his father’s
body, understanding he was likely to be dead and then in
just total shock and sorrow, then the people of the patrol —
and there were at least two involved at that time — shot his
brother and they used an action, a repeater action rifle and
then he said that, ‘they pointed it at me and one of them there
he’ — George wouldn’t have remembered the exact words
because he’s a little Warlpiri boy who hadn’t really known
white people himself — one of them he said lifted the rifle
barrel and said — and this is George’s reconstruction of it I’m
sure — ‘don’t shoot him he’s only a little kid’ and that’s why
he survived. So you have a situation which one might say
even had the father shown a likelihood to throw a spear or
boomerang or fight, the brother who was shot certainly didn’t
… He’s a man who’s thrown himself on the body in sorrow
hoping somehow his father’s alive and he just happens to be
a big boy so he’s shot.
Quoted in Justin O’Brien, ‘To infuse an universal terror’: The Coniston killings of 1928
www.clc.org.au/Media/publications/coniston/coniston2.PDF , p. 23.
Document 8: Where did killings occur
Sites of killing mentioned in the official inquiry
Yurrkuru (Brooks Soak)
Ngarningiri
Yuendumu
Ngarnka (Mt Leichhardt)
Tomahawk Waterhole
Janganpa (Boomerang Waterhole)
Circle Well
Liirlpari (Whitestone)
Thimplengkwe (Baxters Well)
Sites of killing provided by Aboriginal witnesses
Jarrarlyku (Curlew Waterhole)
Kunajarrayi (Dingo Waterhole)
Kurlurlu
Warranyirrtipa
Warlawurrukurlangu
Patilirri (Tipinba)
Yungarnti
Warlukurlangu
Mawu
Mt Denison
1 Identify on the map on page 40 the places
mentioned in the official enquiry.
2 Identify on this map the additional places
mentioned by Aboriginal witnesses.
3 Suggest reasons why these two lists would be
different.
4 Which list are you more likely to believe Why
5 Look back at the Board of Inquiry summary
table on page 39. Add any new ideas and
information to column C that you would now take
into account in answering questions 1–8.
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Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 3
Case study 2
Task 4
Some final evidence
Here is some final information from a variety of
people that may help your decision-making. Some
of this evidence is ‘hearsay’ — that is, one person
reporting what another had to say, and this sort of
evidence cannot be tested. Some is opinion. Be
careful about the weight you give this evidence.
As you work through this evidence add it to the
Board of Inquiry summary table on page 39 to
help you finally answer questions 1 –8 on that page.
Information from Document 1 should go in Column B,
and the rest in Column C.
Document 1: summary of the findings
of the Board of Enquiry
• 30 witnesses gave evidence
• The board examined the witnesses
thoroughly
• The board believed the evidence of the
witnesses
• There was not the slightest evidence that
the two police parties were a reprisal or
punitive expedition. If it was a reprisal, why
were wounded treated, and nearly 30 people
allowed to go free after various encounters
• In all cases, the shootings were justified in
self-defence
• There was no provocation which could have
led to the killing of Brooks and the attempted
killing of Morton
• The drought was not causing pressure on
water and food resources
• The reasons for the Aboriginal unrest at
the time were the advance of the Walmulla
tribe from Western Australia intent on killing
white settlers and their Aboriginal workers,
the influence of individual missionaries
preaching a doctrine of equality,
inexperienced white settlers ‘making free
with the natives’ and treating them as
equals, ‘semi-civilised natives’ migrating and
influencing ‘myalls’, the woman missionary
living with naked blacks, and lowering their
respect for whites, insufficient police to apply
the laws quickly, imprisonment not being
an effective deterrent to crime, escaped
prisoners from Darwin wandering the area
without being arrested.
Based on Board of Enquiry report, 18 January 1929
Document 2: missionary Athol McGregor on Murray
Missionary Athol McGregor wrote in his journal that when Murray
was billeted in police quarters in Darwin for the trial of the two
men accused of killing Brooks, another policeman, Mounted
Constable Victor Hall, told McGregor: ‘[Murray] shocked and
disgusted many or all of the policemen there with his freely
expressed opinions as to what was good enough for a blackfellow,
and he said the number shot was nearer seventy that seventeen.’
Quoted in Cribbin, The Killing Times, Fontana, p. 164.
Document 3: a letter from Annie Lock
The missionary Annie Lock provided evidence of the massacre in a
letter dated 28 September 1929 to the Association for the Protection
of Native Races ... She told a terrible tale: ‘The natives tell me that
they simply shot them down like dogs and that they got the little
children and hit them on the back of the neck and killed them and in
front of the eyes of those they left they knocked the dogs in the head
and threw them in the fire ... They had some prisoners and took the
chains off them and told them to run away and as they were running
they shot them. This is the natives verdict and we have to be careful
and prove it, but, I questioned them in different ways and when they
least expected it, even to boys and girls and they all say the same
thing and instead of 34 it was over 70.’
Quoted in O’Brien, ‘To infuse an universal terror’: The Coniston killings of 1928–2002, p. 31.
[Note that Annie Lock made no reference to the killings in her
evidence to the enquiry.]
Document 4: Randal Stafford in a conversation
recorded by TGH Strehlow
‘Well, four years are gone since it all happened ... I only know of
most of their doings by hearsay, of course ... But I can tell you this:
most of the things they did were hushed up afterwards at the official
enquiry ... I was told that they shot down myalls up and down the
Lander River for many miles ... some of the men who went out with
Murray told me that the true figure was at least twice as high ... to
shoot down whole camps of blacks without leaving any live witnesses
behind is not my idea of justice.’
Quoted in O’Brien, ‘To infuse an universal terror’: The Coniston killings of 1928–2002, pp. 31–32.
Document 5: letter from Government
Resident Cawood about the ‘recent
unfortunate happenings’
‘In the opinion of old residents of this part, trouble
has been brewing for some time, and the safety
of the white man could only be assured by drastic
action on the part of the authorities. In their opinion
the only other alternative was to hand the country
back to the blacks. I am firmly of the opinion that
the result of the recent action by the police will
have the right effect upon the natives.’
Letter, 25 October 1928, National Archives of Australia: A431 1950/2768 Part 2
[Attachment]:50.
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
51

activity 3
Case study 2
Document 6: Murray’s motives are questioned
In response to the enquiry and its findings Rev William Morley,
secretary of the Association for the Protection of the Native
Races of Australia and Polynesia, noted ‘an absence of
identification of individual natives as implicated in the murder’
and questioned why there had been so many raids on native
camps: ‘It appears that something more than making an arrest
of individual natives was contemplated.’
Quoted in O’Brien, ‘To infuse an universal terror’: The Coniston killings of 1928–2002, p. 8.
Document 7: historian Dick Kimber on Alex Wilson
When I first met Alex in 1970 ... he had a tendency to boast ...
and, while not giving a specific figure, he indicated that many,
many more than 31 had been shot. I took it that he meant scores
more ... What did emerge, though, was that there were not often
calls to surrender … All of these shootings were, according to
Alex, ‘in cold blood’, with many being shot down while Murray and
Morton were still mounted on their horses.
Quoted by Kimber, 4 February 2004.
Document 8: Randal Stafford on Murray’s character
During his meeting with T.G.H. Strehlow at Coniston in September
1932, Randal Stafford made what Strehlow described as ‘a few
pungent remarks on Murray’s personal character’ ... What real
bushman, I ask you, would believe Murray’s evidence when he
told the court how he grabbed a spear from one of the attacking
blacks and drove it through the chest of the attacker, or how he
killed another black with the boomerang he had wrenched out of
his own hands Those silly Wild West yarns may take in the city
mugs down South, but I know Murray far too well for that. He may
be a killer, but he’d never rush into any real danger all on his own:
the man’s far too cunning for that.
Quoted in O’Brien, ‘To infuse an universal terror’: The Coniston killings of 1928–2002, pp. 41–42.
Document 9: historian Dick Kimber
The account ... of the first attack by Constable Murray’s patrol on
a group of 20 to 30 Aborigines seems straightforward enough,
but it is worth considering from other perspectives. I believe
that the people of the Warlpiri camp, having observed the patrol
approaching, had adopted submission-alert positions, recognising
that they were facing a superior force ... The possibility for a slow
approach, using an interpreter, was there. Mounted Constable
Murray[‘s] ... approach was as a cavalry charge — from walk to
canter to full gallop, yelling out arrest commands in English ... His
gallop to the edge of the camp, and immediate determination to
arrest the standing warrior, meant that the Warlpiri group could
only interpret the action and the approach of the other men in one
way from their own world view: killing of the men was intended, and
capture of the women and children when they were not also killed
in the fighting. Their only options were to pick up their weapons to
fight, and to flee for their lives. They attempted both.
Kimber, 22 October 2003.
Document 10: some character
sketches by historian Dick Kimber
Randal Stafford: A well-educated bushman, who
openly acknowledged his Anmatyerre wife Alice,
a competent shot, best friends with Fred Brooks,
able to speak some Aboriginal language.
Jack Saxby: A young man, an expert marksman.
Billy Briscoe: A frontier cattlemen who lived with
an Aboriginal woman, well-armed, with a basic
ability in the Anmatyerre language.
Dodger: a young man, armed with a revolver,
spoke both local Aboriginal languages and ‘bush
English’.
Nugget Morton: Known to be very strong and
cruel, believed to be a rapist of Aboriginal women
and girls as young as 9 and 10.
Tracker Paddy: A Western Australian Aboriginal
man, believed to be a killer and a rapist of local
women.
William George Murray: A World War 1 Light
Horseman, Gallipoli and Western Front veteran,
twice wounded in action, rose to the rank of
sergeant, with no police training.
Based on Kimber, 22 October 2003, and O’Brien, ‘To infuse an universal terror’:
The Coniston killings of 1928–2002.
Document 11: evidence of William
Murray at the enquiry
A The matter of a reprisal or a punitive
expedition in order to massacre all the blacks
never entered my head or the heads of any of
my party that I know of ... If either I or my party
desired to massacre the blacks we would not
have allowed 20 or 23 of them to get away at
Coniston not have allowed others to escape
when we interrogated them and found they had
nothing to do with the murder. If we had desired
to shoot them all we could have done it from
some distance. We would not have separated
and I would not have taken the risk of going up
alone and dismounting to arrest them.
B When I said at [the trial of the two Aboriginal
men in] Darwin in answer to Mr Foster that
we shot to kill I meant that the position was
too dangerous for us to take any chances
... Mr Foster said to me ‘You did not want to
be bothered with wounded blackfellows’
I said ‘Well what could I do with wounded
blackfellows’ meaning I could not render
them any medical treatment to save their lives
hundreds of miles from civilisation ...
Evidence of William Murray at the Board of Enquiry
Now complete the Board of Inquiry summary
table on page 39.
52
Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 3
Case study 2
Task 5
Coming to a conclusion
You now have a great deal of information, some of it
contradictory. It’s time to make some decisions. Here
is a set of statements about various aspects of the
Coniston killings. They are some of the main points
Some possible statements about the Coniston Massacre
that witnesses and historians have made. Decide
whether you agree with each one. They will help you
sort out and clarify your own ideas. For each category
you may want to add your own statements.
Background
Brooks
Japananga
(‘Bullfrog’)
The police expeditions
Mounted Constable
Murray
The official
inquiry
Aspect
• The drought meant that Aboriginal people were starving
• Aboriginal people and Europeans generally got on well
• Unrest was caused by settlers taking over Aboriginal people’s water holes
and land
• Unrest was caused by a party of Aboriginal people that wanted to kill settlers
• Unrest was caused by missionaries preaching equality
• Settlers and Aboriginal people respected each others’ laws and culture
• There were too few police to enforce European law
• was killed by Japananga alone
• was killed by several people
• was killed by a large group
• was killed out of sexual jealousy
• was killed because he broke Aboriginal law
• was killed because he abused Aboriginal women
• was killed because Japananga was angry
• was a coward
• was a hero
• was a murderer
• was acting to enforce traditional law
• were punitive expeditions to terrorise Aboriginal people
• were acting to enforce the law
• deliberately killed as many Aboriginal people as possible
• only killed those resisting arrest
• killed 31 people
• killed about 70
• killed 100–200
• communicated effectively with Aboriginal people
• killed everybody they met
• killed only guilty people
• killed women and children
• told the truth
• told lies
• told the full story
• told only those parts of the story that suited him
• acted bravely and was a hero
• acted as a coward and was a murderer
• was just a policeman doing his job
• was fair and impartial
• heard from all the available witnesses
• was unfair and a whitewash
• achieved justice
• was completely unjust
Your conclusion based on all the evidence
Certainly/
probably YES
Not
sure
Certainly/
probably NO
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
53

activity 4
Case study 2
Representation and commemoration
Although we know a lot about the Coniston
Massacre, it is still very difficult to be certain about
exactly what happened, when, where, to whom, by
whom and why.
When people write history they are creating
representations, that is, versions of what happened.
The best versions or representations of history will
use the following criteria such as:
> be factually accurate
> draw on a variety of sources
> look at a variety of viewpoints
> acknowledge strengths and weaknesses of
arguments and evidence
> distinguish between evidence and opinion
> clearly indicate what is fact and what is fiction or
speculation.
You are now in a position to do this in your own
judgements about Coniston, and to critically analyse
others’ versions or representations of it.
Task 1
Comparing three written representations of the
Coniston Massacre
Look at these three accounts of the Coniston Massacre, and answer the questions that follow.
1 Oxford Companion to Australian History
The Coniston massacre was the first of a series of
massacres perpetrated on the Anmatyerre as well
as Walbri (or Warlpiri) people in the area around
Coniston, near Yuendumu, NT, in 1928. Prompted
in particular by the slaying of a prospector on
Coniston station that year, the police made
numerous punitive expeditions. The last was led
by Constable William Murray, who fired on a large
group of people. While Murray admitted to killing
only 31, it is more probable that between 70 and
100 Walbri people died. The brutality of the police
achieved its objective of bringing the Aborigines
‘into submission’, and many of the Walbri left
the station. The government resident in Central
Australia justified the massacre, and the police
were exonerated.
Helen Doyle, in Graeme Davison, John Hirst & Stuart Macintyre (eds), The Oxford
Companion to Australian History, OUP, Melbourne, 1999, p. 145.
2 Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia
Coniston Massacre occurred after Frederick Brooks, a
prospector, was killed by Aboriginal people where he was
camped at a soak near Coniston station, east of Yuendumu,
NT, in 1928. His body was discovered in a rabbit warren, and
when the authorities were notified a punitive expedition set out
from Alice Springs. In a subsequent inquiry into the expedition,
the police involved admitted to 17 Aboriginal deaths in relation
to Brooks’s death, and were exonerated. It has subsequently
become clear that a vast number of people were murdered
in a series of raids lasting over a year and covering a wide
area. It is also clear that those killed in the initial expedition
were assembled for ceremonies, and their murder may
have destroyed an entire land-holding or religious ... group,
jeopardising and destabilising land tenure, ceremonial life and
the exchange network for the entire region.
David Horton (ed.), The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia, vol. 1, Australian Studies Press,
Canberra, 1994, p. 218.
1 Does each give a good sense of what happened
3 Bruce Elder, Blood on the Wattle
Murray had the particular frontier mentality which
constructs the world in simplistic terms: Aborigines
need to be controlled, white settlers need to be
protected ... Returning to Coniston station on 12
August, Murray was determined, in his own brutally
methodical way, to teach the Aborigines in the area
a lesson about the sacrosanct nature of white life
which they would never forget ...
He realised that, at most, three Aborigines had
been involved in the killing of Old Fred Brooks.
However, as far as he was concerned, all the
Aborigines of the area were guilty by association.
He could see no reason why he should restrict his
attentions to the three offenders.
Bruce Elder, Blood on the Wattle, Child & Associates, Sydney, 1988, p. 145.
2 Identify any factual inaccuracies or distortions that you
can see in these accounts.
3 Identify any places where any of the three has
speculated on a participant’s feelings in a way that is
not supported by the record as you now understand it.
4 Why do you think the author has done this
5 Which of these do you think is the best account Why
6 Is it important for historical accounts to be factually
accurate and to acknowledge where they depart the
historical record and enter into speculation Or doesn’t
it matter as long as they basically get it right Explain
your ideas.
You could also look at history textbooks in your school
library or accounts of Coniston on the internet and critically
analyse how they deal with the Coniston Massacre.
54
Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 4 Case study 2
Task 2
How has the Coniston Massacre been commemorated
How do we commemorate significant events What are we declaring that we remember, and what do we want
people to learn about events
Compare these two
memorials, just a few
hundred metres apart
at Brooks Soak, and
both connected with the
Coniston Massacre.
1 Compare what the
two memorials tell
you about the nature,
causes and meaning
of the event.
2 How do you explain
such differences
The message reads in two languages:
IN 1928 NEAR THIS PLACE THE
MURDER OF FREDERICK BROOKS
LED TO THE KILLING OF MANY
INNOCENT ABORIGINAL PEOPLE
ACROSS THE REGION.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM ALWAYS
24 SEPTEMBER 2003
In Memory Of Frederick Brooks
Murdered On 7th August 1928.
Old Man In The Early Days Of Coniston
Those Days When Our
Troubles Were Great
In The Years You & I Worked Together.
I Found You A True & Staunch Mate.
His Old Mate Randal Stafford.
National Museum of Australia
National Museum of Australia
The Coniston Massacre resulted in the death of many people.
It also had long-term impacts.
3 Look at these two documents and list any long-term impacts
that the Massacre has had on the people of the area.
Source A: personal impacts
Our ancestors, the poor things, that the whitefellas shot —
we will always remember them. We’ll always remember
this. We still remember. That memory, that old people been
get shot there, that won’t go away from the brain— we still
gottem. We are not upset for that problem, but we are just
worrying about our people who got shot just for cold blood,
you know. The trouble makers got other people into trouble.
We’re not upset [i.e. wanting retribution]. We just want it to
be remembered. We want people to remember. We want
people to think why was it that innocent people [having a
ceremony] were killed and not the trouble makers
We remember that my mother’s mother’s father and my
mother’s father’s father also and my aunty’s mother’s father
were killed there (at Athimpelengkwe). My father’s father’s
father too.
Source B: regional and cultural impacts
Escaping from the scene of the massacre,
Aboriginal survivors headed in the directions of
Barrow Creek, Tennant Creek, the Granites, Tanami,
Mount Doreen and other places toward the Western
Australia border. Although many Warlpiri and
Anmatyerre were eventually to return to the Lander
River area, a substantial number remained in the
places to which they had fled. Many members of the
Yurrkuru claimants’ families were among those who
died in the Coniston massacre.
Yurrkuru (Brookes Soak) Land Claim 1992, Yurrkuru (Brookes Soak) Land Claim
Report No. 43, Findings, Recommendation and Report of the Aboriginal Land
Commissioner, Mr Justice Olney, to the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Affairs and to the Administrator of the Northern Territory, Commonwealth of
Australia 1992 www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/indigenous/pubs/annualreports/aboriginal_
land_comm_reports/yurrkuru/Documents/43.PDF
www.clc.org.au/Media/publications/coniston/Thommy_Thompson_interview.pdf
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
55

activity 4
Case study 2
In 2003 a ceremony was held at the unveiling of the memorial plaque shown on the previous page.
Banner at 2003 anniversary ceremony at Yurrkuru (Brooks Soak) National Museum of Australia
4 Why do you think that the events of 1928 are still
so strongly remembered, and are passed down
to succeeding generations
5 What are some other events which Australians
keep remembering and commemorating in a
similar way
6 Imagine that you had been asked to make a
short speech about the Coniston Massacre
at the ceremony in 2003. Write out the key
points you would make. You can then compare
your ideas with those of Liza Dale-Hallett, the
great-niece of William George Murray.
Below is the text of the speech actually given in 2003 by Liza Dale-Hallett, the great-niece
of William George Murray.
I would like to thank the Central Lands Council for
making it possible for me to be here today for this special
occasion. I would also like to thank the Elders of this
country for your very warm and generous welcome.
I am here because, like you, I am linked by family to the
tragic killings of many of your people 75 years ago. I am
here as the great niece of Mounted Constable William
George Murray, who played a leading role in these
killings. But more importantly, I am here because I care
about our shared history.
The 1928 Coniston Massacre involved the killing of
between 31 and 100 Aboriginal people. I am deeply sorry
that it happened. I know in my heart it was wrong. Sadly,
I cannot change what happened.
The Coniston Massacre links my life with yours. We share
this past. We also share the future. I hope that being
together today will help us to find new meanings from
our difficult and painful pasts, and to create a future that
gives respect to the diversity and equal rights of
all Australians.
I feel very privileged to be here with you, face to face,
feeling the unjust, painful and tragic events of the
Coniston Massacre. Being involved in this experience
helps me to feel the realities of my past, to grow in
understanding, and to build positive links between us.
My deepest wish is that non-indigenous Australians
will extend the same generosity of spirit to Aboriginal
Australians, as you have extended to me and my
husband Martin.
These are my hopes…May the spirits of those who were
killed find rest. May the pain of those affected by the
Massacre be healed. May we all find peace in our hearts.
Thank you for your hospitality. Thank you for the
opportunity of being here today.
Manuscript of speech provided by author
7 Most Australians today are concerned with the idea of reconciliation. Do you think a knowledge
and understanding of the Coniston Massacre will contribute to reconciliation in Australia today
Explain your ideas.
56
Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 4
Case study 2
Task 3
Analysing a museum display
Analysing the National Museum of Australia’s
representation of the Coniston Massacre
The National Museum of Australia has a display
on the Coniston Massacre as part of its Resistance
exhibition.
1 The elements that make up the Museum’s
exhibition module are on pages 58-59.Look at
these and then complete this table about the
display.
Aspects to consider
Your comments
Your initial impression of the
display is:
What is included in the display
Is it historically accurate
Is the historical context explained
clearly
Is the significance of this display
clearly explained
Are the objects displayed authentic
for that event or period as far as you
can tell
Are these objects the best possible
ones to tell the story
Are the text descriptions clear and
informative
Do the surroundings influence your
impression of the display
How is the display arranged
Is the nature of the event clearly
identified (e.g. am I told if it is
controversial or contested)
If so, are a variety of viewpoints
clearly and fairly represented
Do I know where the evidence has
come from and what sort of evidence
it is
Is the display designed to promote
a particular message
Is its purpose to present objects
(neutral), or to explain (impartial), or
to argue a particular view (partisan)
At the end, do you feel that you really
understand the situation
Your final judgement about the
display is:
What have you learnt from this
display about the Coniston
Massacre
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928
57

activity 4 Case study 2
A Yungulu panungku milya-pinyi nyarra-manu kujalu-jana
yapa-patu
Kardiyarlu makiti-kirlirli ngurra nganimpa-nyangurla.
We want everyone to know what the whitefellas with
rifles did to Aboriginal people in our country.
Teresa Napurrula Ross, Warlpiri woman, 2007
C My name is Teresa Napurrula Ross and
I’m telling a story about Coniston. Where
whitefellas (kardiya) shot all the Walpiri
(yapa). Then they were shot with rifles,
everywhere ... My father told me to do this
story when I was 10 years old … He was
at Yurruku at the time of the shooting. He
was about 14 or 15 years old then. And he
saw them. He saw kardiya shooting yapa
... People call [Bullfrog] ‘the whitefella killer’
... After killing Brooks he got away. And he
remained a free man. Some of the elders said
about Bullfrog he shouldn’t have killed Fred
Brooks. Because others got killed for that.
Some of them said it was okay for him to kill
Brooks because Brooks stole his wife. The
whitefella gave him tobacco, to Japananga,
the whitefella killer. And then Japananga
gave him his wife to sleep with. The old men
said no, they killed hundreds and hundreds
... [W]hy did they kill the wrong people They
should have got Bullfrog, the one that killed
the whitefella. At the Remembrance Day [in
2003] when we had that commemoration it
was good to get together and to remember
all the people that had been shot by the ones
with rifles.
B MURDER AND REPRISAL
The Coniston Massacre
In August 1928, a white dingo trapper, Fred
Brooks, was found murdered on Coniston station
in Central Australia. Soon after, a reprisal party
led by Mounted Constable George Murray
shot dead more than 60 innocent men, women
and children. These shootings became known
as the ‘Coniston Massacre’. No charges were
laid against Murray or his followers. They were
considered to have ‘acted in self-defence’.
Warlpiri law
Brooks’s killer was a Warlpiri man, Kamalyarrpa
Japananga (‘Bullfrog’). Bullfrog’s granddaughter,
Rosie Nungurrayi, said in 1975, ‘At Yurruku
my grandfather killed a whitefella. He hit the
whitefella because the whitefella stole his wife’.
In Warlpiri society breaches of marriage law
were considered capital crimes
D Kamalyarrpa (Bullfrog) was never caught or
tried for Brooks’s murder. Three years later,
anthropologists working in the area met
Kamalyarrpa. They photographed him and
collected his spearthrower, without knowing
of his involvement in Brooks’s killing.
Extracts from the video commentary by Teresa Napurrula Ross
South Australian Museum
National Museum of Australia
58
Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

activity 4
Case study 2
E In 1977, Alec Jupurrurla, who was living nearby
at the time of Brooks’s murder, recalled the
event: ‘One boomerang he put right through here
[indicating throat] and ... he cuttem with stone
knife. Finish’.
G The blacks saw me coming and threw a couple
of spears at me. I jumped off my horse and fired
four or five shots with my rifle. I do not know
whether I hit them or not. I certainly tried.
Jack Saxby, 1928 Board of Enquiry
Jack Saxby, friend of Fred Brooks and member
of the reprisal party, just before the Coniston
Massacre 1928
National Museum of Australia
National Museum of Australia
F Ceremonies old and new
In August 2003 a commemoration was held
to mark the 75th anniversary of the Coniston
Massacre. The event was attended by
Aboriginal people (survivors and their families),
representatives of the Northern Territory Police
and descendants of Constable George Murray,
who led the reprisal party.
Michael Terry Collection, National Library of Australia
Image of feathered ornament worn in the 2003 ceremony. National Museum of Australia
H Killing sites Map
See page 40
Courtesy Central Land Council and Institute
for Aboriginal Development, Alice Springs
I
Nganimparlu kapurnalu-jana manngu-nyanyirni
taarnngangku-juku.
We will remember them always.
Coniston Massacre monument
Case study 2 What happened at Coniston in 1928 59

activity 4
Case study 2
Task 4 Creating a final representation of the
Coniston Massacre
1 From all the evidence you have considered in this unit of work on the 1928 Coniston Massacre, now create
your own representation or version of this event. Use this format to record your final conclusions.
My 1928 Coniston Massacre representation
Key questions
My answers
Who was
involved
When did it
happen
Where did it
happen
How did it
happen
Why did it
happen
What were
the results or
outcomes
How did
people
respond to it
at the time
What is my
response to it
today
2 Compare your final representation of the events of Coniston with those of other students.
How similar or different are the various representations How do you account for these
similarities and differences
60
Australian History Mysteries 3 Five case studies in twentieth century Australian history

Australian History Mysteries
Investigating five case studies in twentieth century Australian history