Nmp Event 35307

ex:attack-on-shepherd-mt-mcconnell

ex:suttor-river

ex:frederick-johnstone

ex:murray

ex:capita-simon

ex:pompey-3

ex:tiger-1

ex:tom-brown

ex:arthur-eden

ex:multiple-shepherd-murders

ex:nmp-database

Reprisal for the death of a shepherd on Mt McConnell

Eden 1872:157–158

146.988517

146.988517

-20.807117

-20.807117

1872

‘All lethargy thrown off now, for the keen-eared troopers had caught the faint report of a distant carbine; another and another sound louder as we gallop furiously on, no thought of broken knees or collar bones now, one hand, on the bridle, the other working the revolver case round, and feeling again and again that it is unbuttoned and ready, whilst the spurs are jammed home every stride; the troopers fairly dropping the reins on their horses' necks, and using both hands to get their carbines out of the buckets, for the blacks have broken cover now, and if we get between them and the stony ridges for which they are making, we have trapped them. No mercy now, this is the fifth shepherd in as many weeks this mob has murdered. Crack, crack, from the scrub and one fellow rolls over, and another falling on one knee tries to rise in vain. Hold up, good horse, three more strides and we are amongst them. "Well, upon my word, Martin, I didn't think you were so green as to use a safety spring to your pistol," said Arthur, as we sat smoking our pipes after tea round a good fire at the end of the before-mentioned scrub. "No, confound the thing!" answered Martin; "but I didn't do badly with what I had. We must run the tracks of the other mob to-morrow, and recover the carbine, so good night, you fellows," and he rolled himself in his blanket and went to sleep. Neither had he done badly, for finding his pistol would not go off, and being in the midst of the blacks who came to bay, he used his stirrup-leather and iron, and rode through them like Coeur de Lion with his mace. … It took us three days' more hard work, and on scanty fare, to recover the poor fellow's blankets, shirt, &c., and to cry quits with the murderers. The country was stony and barren, and the tracking powers of the troopers most beautifully illustrated. After all, they had not taken the carbine with them, but had thrown it into the water-hole adjacent to the hut, so that it was within half a dozen paces of old Willie whilst he was instructing us to recover it.’ (Eden 1872:157–158)

35307

Attack on Aboriginal people - Mt McConnell station (end of 1865?)

A dense patch of scrub on Mt McConnell station

There is no precise location provided, so this is the location of the Mt McConnell headstation. The event could have happened anywhere on the run.

Pastoral run

The account suggests two were killed ('one fellow rolls over, and another falling on one knee tries to rise in vain'), but possibly more later

Attack on Aboriginal people

2

Eden 1872 My Wife and I in Queensland

NMP;Settlers/Squatters

Direct account from a participant published 7 years later

ex:location-description

ex:perpetrators

ex:nmp

ex:settlers-squatters

run the tracks of the other mob to-morrow, and recover the carbine

ex:mount-mcconnell

ex:shepherd-death-mt-mcconnell

1865

2

fifth shepherd in as many weeks

ex:eden-1872

ex:my-wife-and-i-in-queensland

ex:yangga

ex:north-kennedy

ex:aboriginal-people-mt-mcconnell-mob