Battle of One Tree Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of One Tree Hill |
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| Part of War of Southern Queensland | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 British colonists |
Jagera people | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Commissioner Simpson | Multuggerah | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 18 | over 100 | ||||||
The Battle of One Tree Hill was an important fight in the Australian frontier wars. These wars were a series of conflicts between early European settlers and Indigenous Australians in the 1800s. This particular battle happened in the Darling Downs area of Queensland in 1843.
It was a rare event because a group of Aboriginal men, led by the warrior Multuggerah, defeated the European settlers. This was one of the few times Indigenous groups won a major battle against the settlers.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
Early Settlers and Indigenous Groups
Before the battle, a penal settlement (a place where convicts were sent) was set up in Moreton Bay in 1824. The settlers had some contact with local Aboriginal groups. However, the Jagera people from the west had little interaction with them.
Multuggerah was a leader of the Jagera nation. He was generally happy as long as settlers did not move into the Lockyer Valley.
Growing Tensions and Resistance
By 1842, settlers started trying to take over land in the Lockyer Valley, Darling Downs, and upper Brisbane areas. The local "mountain tribes," united under Multuggerah, resisted these efforts. Multuggerah was known as a strong warrior and a smart leader.
After a tragic event in 1842 where many Aboriginal people died at Kilcoy Station, resistance grew stronger. An uprising was planned. Multuggerah and his men began ambushing the mountain road. This road was the only way to bring supplies from Brisbane to the Downs. By blocking this road, Multuggerah aimed to cut off supplies for the settlers.
The Battles Unfold
The First Ambush
In September 1843, a large group of settlers, called "squatters," organized a supply trip. It included 18 armed men and three carts pulled by about 50 bullocks. They were ambushed at a place called One Tree Hill. This spot is now known as Tabletop Mountain near Toowoomba.
Multuggerah and about 100 men had set up barricades, forcing the settlers to stop. The settlers quickly fled back to Bonifant's Inn, about 34 kilometers away. After the settlers left, the warriors celebrated. They held a corroboree and feasted on the bullock meat from the carts.
The Settlers' Revenge Attempt
The settlers at the Inn quickly formed a revenge party. This group included 35 to 50 men, including servants. On the night of September 12, they arrived near the damaged carts. They camped about 2 kilometers from Tabletop Mountain.
Early the next morning, they surprised the Aboriginal group at their camp. A full battle began. Many Aboriginal people were wounded or killed. However, the settlers struggled because they got stuck in the mud. Most of the remaining warriors retreated up the steep mountain slopes.
They had stored piles of boulders there. From above, they threw spears and stones and rolled boulders down the slopes. This wounded some settlers and broke many of their muskets. The settlers were eventually forced to retreat.
The settlers waited for the border police led by Dr. Simpson. But when the six policemen found the road blocked again, they decided not to attack the warriors.
After the Battle
Large-Scale Response
After the defeat at One Tree Hill, there was a very strong reaction from the settlers. A large campaign began to remove Multuggerah’s warriors from the area. Dr. Simpson gathered forces from Brisbane and Ipswich, totaling 35–45 men.
Station owners and overseers also called for help, gathering 40 to 60 men. In the end, about 75 to 100 settlers, including soldiers and police, chased the warriors from the pass. Many Indigenous people were killed in the Lockyer Valley area.
Continued Conflicts
The warriors continued to camp in areas like Rosewood Scrub and Helidon Scrub. From these camps, they launched raids on the settlers. In October 1843, settlers used an Aboriginal tracker to find and attack a camp. They killed some leaders, though Multuggerah was not among them, and many others. Attacks and raids in the area continued for another five years.
Legacy and Memorials
A monument remembering the battle was put up in 2005.
In 2008, an Indigenous land use agreement was signed. This agreement was between the Toowoomba City Council and groups representing the Jagera, Yuggera, and Ugarapul people. These groups are the traditional owners of the area.
In 2010, the National Library of Australia bought a sketch for AUD$120,000. It was made by Thomas John Domville Taylor, who was an eyewitness. The sketch is believed to show what happened after the battle. It shows "11 squatters firing on a group of 25 Indigenous people of whom three appear to have been shot."
