War of Southern Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids War of Southern Queensland |
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| Belligerents | |||||
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United Tribes
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||
 Queen Victoria Sir George Gipps (1843–1846) Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy (1846–1855) |
Multuggerah † Dundalli (POW) |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||
| Total Casualties: ~174 minimum, (‘800 maximum’) | 1000 (minimum) | ||||
The War of Southern Queensland was a series of fights between Aboriginal tribes in South East Queensland (called the "United Tribes") and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It happened from about 1843 to 1855.
Before the war, a terrible event known as the Kilcoy incident happened in 1842. After this, many tribes from across South East Queensland gathered at the Bunya Scrub. They felt a lot of anger and distrust towards the British, which had grown over many years. At this meeting, they decided to form a loose group and declared they would fight to protect their lands from the new settlements.
Most of the Wide Bay-Burnett area was left empty during this time. The Mountain Tribes, led by a warrior named Multuggerah, strongly attacked settlements in the ranges. While the worst fighting was in these areas, the main settlement of Brisbane also faced raids. During these raids, homes and farms were attacked. The war showed a change in how Indigenous people fought. They moved from large, open battles to quicker "hit and run" attacks, similar to guerrilla warfare.
After more than ten years of fighting, and with many people lost, the resistance in the south began to weaken. However, fighting continued into the 1860s as British settlements moved further north. The war in the south is generally thought to have ended in 1855. This was when a key leader, Dundalli, was executed. Soon after, the Native Police arrived, causing the remaining Aboriginal fighters in Brisbane to leave the town.
Why the War Started: The Declaration
Every year, the Aboriginal tribes of South East Queensland would gather at the Great Bunya Scrub (near Maleny). This was a special time for feasting on Bunya nuts and sharing news among the tribes. However, after the Kilcoy incident, many tribes were very upset. They wanted to get revenge for the many people who had been killed.
At this important meeting, leaders like Dundalli encouraged the tribes. They all promised to fight the British wherever they were on their lands. Two people, Petrie and Russell, were there and risked their lives to tell Brisbane about this "war declaration." They had been captured by a group of tribes but were freed after long talks. Later, German missionaries also sent a letter to the Governor, confirming the declaration of war.
Several records support the idea that 1843 was the year this declaration happened. For example, a book called Pugh's Almanac from 1869 mentioned that around 1843, "the blacks were now beginning to be very troublesome." A travel writer, Nehemiah Bartley, also wrote about the war in his 1896 book, Australian Pioneers and Reminiscences. He clearly stated 1843 as the start and 1855 as the end, likely referring to Dundalli's execution in 1855.
Bartley wrote about the dangers faced by settlers during this time:
'Many a pretty bush station, where ladies in muslin and silks now dwell, and walk and ride as they please, has its humble mound neatly fenced, where sleeps the stockman or shepherd untimely slain by boomerang, spear or tomahawk, between '43 and '55'—Nehemiah Bartley,1896 p.167
Impact on Moreton Bay Clans
Missionaries named Christopher Eipper and J.C.S. Handt wrote yearly reports about the Aboriginal people living in the Moreton Bay area. Handt noticed that the number of Aboriginal people was greatly decreasing.
In 1846, a church leader from Brisbane, Rev. John Gregor, stated that about one-sixth of the local Aboriginal population had died in just three years.
