Hospital Creek Massacre facts for kids

The Hospital Creek Massacre was a very sad and violent event that happened in 1859 in rural New South Wales, Australia. It involved a conflict between European settlers and Indigenous Australians. There are different stories about what exactly happened, but many Aboriginal people lost their lives.

Some accounts say that a serious disagreement happened between a European stockman and some Aboriginal people. This disagreement led to the deaths of the stockman and an Aboriginal woman. In response, European settlers then attacked a large group of Aboriginal men, women, and children. Many people were killed. Another story claims that about 300 Aboriginal people died because they had "annoyed" the settlers. These stories often tried to excuse the violence.

What Really Happened at Hospital Creek?

In 1928, a newspaper called The Sydney Mail published an article about the event. It was titled "Pioneers of the West: The Massacre at Hospital Creek." The writer, G. M. Smith, shared an important account of what happened.

Con Bride's Story of the Conflict

Smith wrote that he met a cattleman named Con Bride in the 1880s. Con Bride was in charge of a cattle station called Quantambone in 1859. He said that many of his cattle were being speared near waterholes. This was a problem for the settlers, as cattle were their livelihood.

Efforts to Move Aboriginal People

Con Bride tried to get the Aboriginal people to move away from the waterholes. However, they refused to leave their traditional lands. So, Con Bride asked for help from a nearby cattle station. They sent him men and ammunition.

The Attack and Its Aftermath

Con Bride then led a group of 20 armed men. Their goal was to force the Aboriginal people to leave. Con Bride claimed that his group only shot "a dozen or so" people. However, it is believed that the number was much higher, possibly as many as 400 Aboriginal people.

Con Bride later said that some people thought he should have been put on trial for his actions. But he felt the government understood that life in the outback was tough. He believed they relied on settlers to be as kind as possible to the Aboriginal people, without taking strong action against them. He described how Aboriginal people would hide in the trees near the waterholes and spear the cattle when they came to drink.

Images for kids

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  Hospital Creek, New South Wales