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# Frontier conflict event: Attack on NMP detachment - Marcus Beresford in the McKinlay Ranges (24 January 1883) Source dataset: University of Newcastle, "Colonial Frontier Massacres in Australia 1788-1930" (c21ch.newcastle.edu.au), entry 11176. Coordinates: latitude -21.231583, longitude 140.6844. Day/month: 24 January Year: 1883 Nature of event: Attack on NMP detachment Location type: Mountain/range Location: "about twenty-four miles from Farley head station, in the Mackinlay Ranges" (from Western Star and Roma Advertiser, 24 March 1883, p2) Pastoral run/station: Farley station Run landowner/lessee: Grant Broughton Chapman Location notes: Location of Bereford's grave on a tributary of the Fullarton River Number of people killed: 1 Names of people killed / details: Marcus Beresford (NMP officer, aged 32) Number of people wounded: 5 Names of people wounded / details: Five troopers from his detachment: Stephen (Theban); Brisbane; Billy; Charley; Larry Perpetrators: Aboriginal people Associated Native Mounted Police camps: Cloncurry;Burke River (Boulia) Associated Native Mounted Police officers: Beresford, Marcus de la Poer Gervais (Mark);Eglinton, Ernest;Urquhart, Frederic Charles Associated Native Mounted Police troopers: Billy 6;Stephen 2 (aka Theban);Charley O;Brisbane;Larry 4 Associated events: Attack on Aboriginal people - McKinlay Ranges (14 February 1883) Related native title boundary: Mitakoodi and Mayi People #5 Part A Related language group: Kalkadoon Related pastoral district: Burke Contemporary reference: QSA348690 Mfilm 3437, JUS/N91, Inquest 259 of 1883, Marcus Beresford Date first reported: 1883 Reliability of sources: Inquest by J.P. Other sources: Brisbane Courier, 2 February 1883, p5 (gives incorrect number killed) Western Star and Roma Advertiser, 3 February 1883, p2 Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser, 5 February 1883, p2 Queenslander, 17 February 1883, p245 (corrects the number killed from 5 to 1) Western Star and Roma Advertiser, 24 March 1883, p2 - reports based on depositions of the event The Bulletin 74(3818), 14 April 1953, p35 Notes / comments: Depositions taken following the event confirm Beresford's death, troopers only injured. There were reprisals for this event, by NMP and volunteers: 'They [the troopers] then [25 January] got the horses and packs together and started for Farley, but were met on the road by Messrs. Hart. Chapman, and Bell, who, on the information of the first trooper, had started out. They passed on to where Beresford lay, and found that the blacks had returned after the troopers left, and had battered in his skull with stones. They then buried the body and found the statement of the troopers correct. The party afterwards proceeded on the blacks' tracks, and followed them to the head of the Williams. The country being very rough, and the horses not being shod, they returned to Farley station, where they were met by Sergeant Lacey's party, when a magisterial inquiry was held. A volunteer party of eleven then started out in pursuit of the murderers, well equipped, and are still out.' (Queenslander, 7 April 1883, p548) 'March 1 1883. Sir, I have the honor to report that on the 7th ulto having recevied information of the murder of Mr Beresford by blacks, I started for Cloncurry with four troopers, arrived at Devoncourt station on the 10th, on the 11th 12th and 13th following blacks tracks, on the 14th dispersed a camp, on the 16th received seven remounts and trooper Billy from Cloncurry detachment on the 17th and 18th following tracks ... Ernest Eglinton.' (QSA562996 1883 Letter from Frederick Murray to Commissioner of Police 4 April, Marcus Beresford Police Staff file) Note that John Kyle Little claimed that the attack was successful because "Beresford mistrusted his troopers and each night made them stack their old Snider rifles in his tent. It was an easy win for the Kulkadoon warriors." (The Bulletin 74(3818), 14 April 1953, p35) Description of event: "This deponent Grant Broughton Chapman on oath states as follows. I am a squatter residing at Farley. I knew the late Mr Beresford. On the 24th of this month i was at Devoncourt when I received information that Mr Beresford and his troopers had been killed by the blacks. The following morning in company with Mr A.A. Hart and J Bell I proceeded to the scene of the murder. On the way up and near Farley we met three Troopers badly wounded. They told us that Mr Beresford had been killed and that they had left the other two Troopers at Farley Head Station unable to travel from the effects of their wounds. I then in company with the others above named went on to where he was killed. On arrival there we found the dead body of Mr Beresford, rolled in his blankets and hastily covered with sand the Troopers stated that they had covered him up in the above manner. We examined the body and found his skull and forehead had been smashed in so that he was hardly recognisable. He also had a large spear wound through the thigh. From what I saw I am perfectly convinced that he was murdered by the blacks. i did not see anything that would lead me to suppose there had been any foul play with the Troopers. All round about where the body was there was tracks of blacks and a great quantity of their implements of war, many of the latter blood stained. By order of Mr Hart J.P. we then dug a grave and buried the body. I consider the distance from Farley station to where we found the body about 20 miles and situated on one of the tributaries of the Fullerton, in the Mackinlay Ranges. Grant B. Chapman Taken and sworn before me at Farley this 28th day January 1883 Alfred A Hart J.P." (QSA348690 Mfilm 3437, JUS/N91, Inquest 259 of 1883, Marcus Beresford) 'The depositions taken at the inquiry into the death of Mr. Marcus Beresford, of the native police force, who was murdered by the blacks on the night of the 24th January, about twenty-four miles from Farley head station, in the Mackinlay Ranges, have just reached Brisbane, and from them we extract the following account of the sad occurrence: —On the 17th January Mr. Beresford, in charge of five troopers, left Devencourt station for Chatsworth. Nothing further was seen of him by white man until the report of his murder was brought in by three of the troopers, all of whom had been badly wounded. The other two reached Farley head station, but were too badly hurt to proceed further. It was stated that Mr. Beresford had been killed by the blacks while asleep, and his body was found as the troopers had described, rolled up in blankets and lightly covered over with sand. The skull and forehead were smashed in, and there was also a spear wound in the right thigh. All round where the body lay were tracks of the blacks, and a great quantity of their implements of war were strewn about, many of the latter being stained with blood. All the witnesses agree in the belief that there is no reason to suspect the troopers of foul play. Indeed, the two troopers who reached Farley head station had quite a number of spear points in them, and the other three, as before stated, were severely wounded. A grave was dug on the spot, and on the order of Mr. A. A. Hart, J.P., the body was interred. A rough head and foot stone were put in the ground to mark the place of his burial, and the grave was paved round with rough stones so as to keep the heavy rains from washing the earth away.—Courier. (from Western Star and Roma Advertiser, 24 March 1883, p2)