Mount Cottrell massacre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Cottrell massacre |
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| Location | Mount Cottrell, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°46′08″S 144°38′02″E / 37.769°S 144.634°E |
| Date | 16 July 1836 At dawn – (UTC+11:00) |
| Target | Wathaurong people |
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Attack type
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Attack at dawn following observation during previous evening. |
| Weapons |
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| Deaths | Around 10 (up to 35?) Aboriginal people |
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Non-fatal injuries
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Unknown |
| Victims | Names unknown |
| Assailants | A group of 17 men |
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Number of participants
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17 assailants and around 10 victims |
| Defenders | 50–100 Wathaurong |
| Motive | Revenge for killing of Charles Franks and Thomas Flinders |
The Mount Cottrell massacre was a terrible event that happened in 1836 in what is now Victoria, Australia. It involved the killing of about 10 Wathaurong people near Mount Cottrell. This attack was carried out by a group of European settlers and Aboriginal trackers. They were seeking revenge for the deaths of two European settlers.
Contents
What Happened at Mount Cottrell?
On July 16, 1836, a group of Aboriginal people from the Wathaurong clan were attacked. This attack was in response to the killing of a settler named Charles Franks and his shepherd, Thomas Flinders. The number of Wathaurong people killed is thought to be around 10, but some reports say it could have been as many as 35.
Franks was a "squatter," which means he settled on land without officially owning it. He had brought 500 sheep to the Mount Cottrell area. He and his shepherd, Flinders, set up a camp near thick bushland.
One day, five Aboriginal people visited Franks and Flinders at their camp. Soon after, Franks and Flinders went missing. Their remains were later found near their hut.
The Search for Those Responsible
After Franks and Flinders were found, a group of 17 men gathered to find out who was responsible. This group included European settlers and Aboriginal trackers, like a Bunorong man named Derrimut. They were armed with muskets, which are a type of old gun.
The group tracked about 80 Aboriginal people to the Mount Cottrell area. They watched them during the evening. At dawn, the 17 men attacked the group from about 100 meters away. They fired their muskets, causing many Aboriginal people to be killed.
Some early news reports said that 5 Aboriginal people died. However, Aboriginal oral history suggests that 35 people were killed. More recent research from the University of Newcastle suggests that 10 people were killed.
What Happened Next?
News of the massacre spread, and people had different opinions. Some settlers felt that the attack was justified as revenge for the deaths of Franks and Flinders. They hoped it would stop future conflicts.
However, others strongly disagreed. They believed the killings were wrong and against the law. One newspaper in Tasmania wrote that it was terrible to kill so many people for the actions of just a few. They felt that such an act should not have happened.
The Investigation
Months later, a new official named William Lonsdale arrived in the area. He was the Magistrate for Port Phillip. He started an investigation into the Mount Cottrell incident.
The men involved in the attack were questioned. They admitted to firing at the Aboriginal group. However, they said they did not know if anyone was hurt. No one was ever charged or punished for the killings.
The Mount Cottrell massacre was a significant event at the time. Franks was the first free settler to be killed in the new European colony of Port Phillip. This event showed the kind of conflict that would happen between settlers and Aboriginal people in other parts of Victoria.
See also
- List of massacres of Indigenous Australians
