Surname:
(Indigenous) Murder
Details:
Murder of an Aboriginal woman
Surname:
(Indigenous) Murder
Details:
Native suspected of being the murderer of two children near Paterson shot by two of Mr. Livingstone s servants
Surname:
(Indigenous) Murder
Place:
Northern district NSW
Details:
Murders by Aborigines in the northern districts (Council Papers)
Surname:
(Indigenous) Murder
Details:
May 1848 - Correspondence by Major Crummer to the Attorney General...Sir, The remains of an aboriginal native having been recently discovered in this neighbourhood and it being generally suspected that deceased was murdered by members of the Newcastle and Port Stephens tribes, I do myself the honour to request that I may be informed whether equal protection is afforded to the aboriginal natives of the colony as to British subjects by the laws relating to injuries against the person, and whether proceedings ought to be instituted against the suspected murderers in the present instance
Surname:
(Indigenous) Murder
Source:
Title: Muswellbrook Court of Petty Sessions, Bench Books, 1838-1843. Ancestry.com
Details:
Appeared before me E.D. Day Mr. Charles Eyles who deposed - I am superintendent of Mr. Robert Crawfords stock at this station and have commonly four or five assigned servants under my charge. On the seventh of this month I went out on the run with one of the stock keepers named James Dunn (per St. Vincent 1837) to look after the cattle. Shortly after I went out I found that some of the cattle had been speared by the blacks. I found three wounded. In less than a quarter of an hour after on passing through a thick scrub I came upon a party of blacks five in number engaged in the act of cutting up a young bullock of Mr. Crawfords. I rode towards them with intention of taking them into custody. One of them immediately started up and threw a boomerang at me and instantly afterwards he threw a spear at me on seeing this I put my horse to his speed and so avoided both weapons. Directly after this they threw another boomerang which I also escaped from by putting my horse to speed again. The black then began to take up waddies which he threw at me and hit me repeatedly. At that time Dunn came up when the black took up a very large waddy and threw it at Dunns head. Dunn avoided the blow by stooping. Seeing there was no chance of his desisting from his attack and on probability of taking him alive I fired at the black with my musket and hit him on the breast. He ran about thirty yards and fell and soon after died of the wound. The other blacks went off in different directions and were followed by Dunn for some time. The next day I went out again with Dunn and another stockman Smith and we were attacked at the same place by thirty or forty blacks. Fortunately we were able to get away without injury, the great number of boomerangs they threw at us missed. We reached out huts only time enough to prevent a party of the blacks from taking possession of it. From this attack I considered both life and property very unsafe at this station. When this station was first established the blacks were kindly treated here for some months and I have never allowed any person on the establishment to act unfairly towards them. I know they have not received any cause to act as they have done at this station
Surname:
(Indigenous) Namoi River
Details:
Correspondence from Sir John Jamieson regarding his assigned servants James Archer and George Biddles who shot two bushrangers John McDonald and Joseph Lynch at his cattle station on the Namoi. Patrick Tye a ticket of leave holder and stockkeeper to Edward Cox favourably mentioned as having apprehended twenty eight bushrangers and also William Thomas per ship Asia 10, assigned servant who assisted in taking the bushrangers......Notwithstanding the local knowledge of McDonald and his gang enabled them to escape the vigilance of the mounted police for a few months, still their existence appears to have been that of wretchedness and fearful alarm for their safety. McDonald and Lynch were absent from my station eight weeks and three days and from their expectation that the mounted police would closely follow their track, their progress down the river must have been rapid and the distance they penetrated into the interior very considerable. They described with terror to William Thomas the great number, gigantic stature (seven ft in height) and ferocity of the native blacks who they said threw the spear from the hand by its centre and at first from such a distance as to penetrate but little deeper than the skin of their horses, but that afterwards they became so bold as to seize and pull round their horses by the tails and added that the weather was so wet during the attack that their fire arms would not go off; for their protection from the above statement and the anxiety with which McDonald and Lynch enquired of William Thomas if he had seen any of their horses return that way especially a grey mare of Crawford s, it may reasonably be inferred that the report is true which Nutty the Namoi chief received from the native blacks viz, that one of the gang of white robbers had been shot by their own party and two tumbled down (killed) by the natives which would account for the destruction of the whole of McDonalds party which never exceeded five.....George Biddles aged 32 per ship Asia (10) under sentence of transportation for 14 years, a native of Leicester and formerly a marine in his Majesty s naval service gave an account.....I landed in the colony on 26 June 1833 and was assigned to the service of Sir John Jamison in March last; I proceeded to Capita, to his new stock run on the Namoi River. ….. Joe Lynch was described by George Biddles as a tall thin man about six feet high, fair hair, and an effeminate voice and apparently about five of six and twenty years of age; he wore a pair of black trousers, buttoned up the front, a fancy coloured shirt, a fustian shooting jacket and a muslin cravat, a pair of half boots, and a straw hat; the shirt and trousers he boasted of having taken from Mr. Robertson. They all called McDonald by name and acknowledged him as their chief; McDonald was about five feet seven inches in height, dark complexion, black hair and whiskers, a scar on his nose and slightly pock marked, stout made, and about six and forty years of age; wore at this time a blue jacket, blue waistcoat, duck trousers, a pair of laced half boots, cut in several places, and a straw hat. Crawford the other bushranger wore a fustian shooting jacket and trousers, half boots, and a straw hat, five feet nine inches in height, of swarthy complexion, stout made, and stooped much with his head forward; about 30 years of age. The fourth bushranger was described as a good looking dark haired man, who stated himself to be a Welshman; he was about five feet eight inches high, wore a fustian jacket, dark waistcoat, slop blue trousers, half boots, an a straw hat; he appeared to be four or five and twenty years of age and seemed to be a quiet backward man, not well satisfied with his situation. The fifth was a short man, five ft five inches.....I (George Biddles) had some conversation with John McDonald during the night; he related the sundry robberies he had committed and boasted the most of all in having wounded a police man who had charge of one of his party whom they captured; he told me he came to this Colony in the same ship as myself the first time she came; he further stated, that he had held the indulgence of a ticket of leave and lost it; I recommended him to give himself up to the law, he said no, I know my doom if taken. I will therefore endeavour to get out of the country which I shall try to do in following the river. He added that the police could not be more than a day or two behind and desired me to tell Sergeant Temple that McDonald and his mob had gone down the river and that they would leave track enough for them. James Archer addressed himself during the night to Lynch and said what a pity it is that a set of fine young fellow like you should be running yourselves to the gallows in this way; McDonald looked at him and replied, gallows is it? the gallows will never catch Mac, when I die, I die by a ball; Lynch then added the rope will never be made that will hang Joe; the following morning they all breakfasted by daylight, having previously sewed up in bags upwards of 3cwt of flour; they examined the five unloaded muskets and returned them to us also a pistol which was out of repair. From their hatred to Patrick Tye, they were going to shoot his stock horse; I begged of them not to shoot the horse in consequence of which they left him with us; but stated that if they had found Patrick Tye at home when they went to his station they would have punished him with 50 lashes each man and then have shot him; they acknowledged they had taken all his arms, clothing and ammunition, destroyed his provisions and turned their horses in to eat his wheat; their hatred and vengeance against Patrick Tye was from his constant pursuit and capture of bushrangers in that quarter; after leaving the hut they went in quest of a mare in charge of a free man named Farley, who was fencing down the river in the employment of Sir John Jamieson; Taylor or Archer made the near cut to where Farley was at work and informed him that the bushrangers were coming. Farley instantly mounted the mare, and attempted to swim the river but the stream swept him off the mare and he was unfortunately drowned. Towards the end of October George West, per ship Claudine an assigned servant to Sir John Jamison that the bushrangers had taken cattle away from attempted to swim the river on his stock horse but the stream running so high he was swept off the horse and drowned; his body was found next day by the black natives. Lieut. Steel the commanding officer of the mounted police, stated that no harm would come to men who shot McDonald or any of his party. James Arched was aged 27 and under sentence of transportation for 14 years; a native of Bishops Storford, Essex and an assigned servant of Sir John Jamison since his arrival in the Colony 1829
Surname:
(Indigenous) Newcastle
Place:
Kings Town (Newcastle)
Source:
HRA Series 1 vol. V, pp. 412 - 414
Details:
Lieut. Menzies sent six natives to Sydney soon after settlement. The natives returned in May with Bongaru (?Bungaree) having been given a jacket, cap, blanket etc
Surname:
(Indigenous) Newcastle
Source:
Newcastle Court of Petty Sessions Letter Book
Details:
Aboriginal Natives - Deaths 24; Applications for admission into Hospital 20; Application for blankets 198
Surname:
(Indigenous) Newcastle Tribe
Source:
Newcastle Morning Herald
Details:
On 23 May 1846 Correspondence by J.H. Crummer JP to the Colonial Secretary - Sir, The winter season having now set in and the inclemency of the weather at the present period rendering the condition of the aboriginal natives in this district extremely distressnig on account of their having been without the issue of blankets during the last year, I have the honour to recommend that his Excellency will be pleased to order that 35 blankets be forwarded to this district, for delivery to the native blacks as an act of humanity towards alleviating their sufferings - Newcastle Morning Herald 12 October 1910
Surname:
(Indigenous) Old Banks Tribe
Source:
Sydney Morning Herald
Details:
Aboriginal Murder.-On Wednesday morning, the body of a black-fellow, named Black Boy, a member of the Newcastle tribe, was found lying dead in the yard of the Queens Head Inn West Maitland. The poor fellow had been killed apparently by some heavy blows with a tomahawk about the ear, as he was lying asleep ; and, from his easy posture, appeared to have died instantly, and without the slightest struggle. For some months past Black Boy had been working about Maitland, cutting wood and carrying water for different persons, and was very harmless and quiet. What may have been the cause of his murder is not known, but it was most probably some old grudge. On Tuesday last Black Boy and three members of the Old Banks tribe were about a good deal together, and in the evening Black Roy and one of the Old Banks tribe (a tall fellow, with one eye,)camped together in the Queens Head yard. About ten oclock in the evening, the one-eyed black went into the Queens Head kitchen with an old quart pot, to beg some hot water to make tea. The water was given to him in the -pot, which he said contained tea ; and from that moment not a sound was heard from the yard all night. In the morning Black Boy was found murdered as above described, but the one-eyed black had disappeared, as well as the pot and every other article the two had possessed. On Wednesday afternoon an inquest was held on the body, before J. S. Parker, Esq., coroner, when Dr. Sloan made a post mortem examination, and found that, although there were several jagged incised wounds on the right side of the head,neither the scull nor jaw was fractured : death, in his opinion, was caused by a wound inflicted over the carotid artery, rupturing its fibres, mid causing an effusion of blood, ending in death. It appeared from the evidence that on the Monday night previously, Black Boy had suddenly left the camping place where he was sleeping with some of the Old Banks blacks and next day gave as a reason that they were going to kill him. The Jury returned a verdict that Black Boy was wilfully murdered by some black or blacks unknown.
Surname:
(Indigenous) Paterson River
Details:
Reminiscences...........I much regret my inability to give any reliable opinion as to the number of the blacks in this district in these early times. They appeared to lead a very restless kind of life, constantly on the move, shifting their camps from one place to another, seldom remaining more than three or four days in one camp, and usually numbering from twenty to thirty in a party. On occasions of grand corrobboree they would come from long distances, even from Liverpool Plains, the Manning, Port Stephens, &c. I was present at one of these corrobborees, about 1834, when there was the largest assemblage I ever saw. I had an opportunity a few days ago of comparing notes with a friend, who was then with me, and who being my senior by Several years had a more vivid recollection of what took place., He estimates the number at about two hundred. They performed the kangaroo and emu corrobborees, consisting of a methodical arrangement, I have since learned, of the lively and grotesque movements of these creatures. All that I can remember is my having seen two op-posing double lines of natives, advancing and re-tiring in varying, but most singular positions, swaying this way and that, and the actions of the whole being as the act of one, accompanied by a kind of chant in which the gins joined, at the same movement each beating on a shield to mark the time
Surname:
(Indigenous) Paterson tribe
Place:
Maitland and Paterson
Details:
Use of plants as medicine - Description of noxious plant and its use by the Paterson tribe
Surname:
(Indigenous) Patrick Plains
Details:
Two natives in Newcastle gaol for the murder of a stockman at Patrick Plains freed
Surname:
(Indigenous) Patrick Plains
Details:
Information has just reached us, that the Aboriginal Natives have lately become very troublesome in the district of Patrick Plains. About a fortnight ago a party of them plundered the Huts of Mr. George Forbes and Captain John Pike, and speared a government servant of the former, wounding him in the back. This man is recovering. The resident Magistrate William Ogilvie proceeded in company with a friendly native in quest of the hostile tribe, and succeeded in obtaining a conference with them, and prevailed on them after a time, to restore a considerable part of some property which they had stolen
Surname:
(Indigenous) Port Stephens
First Name:
Tommy and Nanny
Source:
Register Book of Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle. Baptisms p. 49
Details:
Aborigines of the Port Stephens tribe. Baptism of daughter Charlotte Mary Anne
Surname:
(Indigenous) Robbery
Details:
Dray belonging to publican Mr. Darvall robbed of alcohol by natives
Surname:
(Indigenous) Scone Tribe
Source:
The Scone Advocate 4 February 1927
Details:
There were, all told, about fifty aborigines in 1863 and some years later they moved to Govt. land on the Pages River near Gundy, and did farm work. The place came to be known as Yellow Billys Farm and was later held by John Pinkerton.
Surname:
(Indigenous) Singleton Floods
Source:
Journal, Volume 19, Part 2 By New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council
Details:
From the evidence of John Wyndham to the Hunter Flood Commission 9. The old blacks also bore the same testimony, and it is well known that some of the old blacks of Singleton have stated that they were camped upon these two hills (part of the tribe on each), and that they had to take refuge up the trees on the top of these hills, and that they had to remain in the trees for several days. This was before the white man came there. 10. The blacks also told the late Mr. Robt. Scott and others, that before the white man came they saw a terrible flood that ran over all the river banks, and the high terrace on which Glendon House and stables were built, and that there was only a small little spot out of water. The river drift sand in front of the old stable at Glendon is a witness and further proof of this.
Surname:
(Indigenous) Supply of Blankets
Source:
Gosford (Brisbane Water) Court of Petty Sessions, Letter Books, 1826 - 1874 (Ancestry)
Details:
No. 35/16. Correspondence from Jonathan Warner....With reference to your Circular, I have the honor to state for your information that I received fifty blankets to be issued to the natives in this district and herewith enclose a receipt. I have at present 10 blankets on hand which I propose issuing to those deserving blacks, men and women, who are as yet absent, many of them being very infirm, could not attend the first issue.
Surname:
(Indigenous) Supply of Blankets
Source:
Gosford (Brisbane Water) Court of Petty Sessions, Letter Books, 1826 - 1874 (Ancestry)
Details:
Receipt for fifty blankets that arrived in Brisbane Water for aboriginal natives on 17th May
