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| "Battle" of Pinjarra |
|
|
| Combatants |
| British colonists |
Pinjarup tribe |
| Commanders |
| Governor Captain James Stirling |
Possibly Calyute |
| Strength |
| 25 soldiers |
60-80 men, women and children |
| Casualties |
| Unknown |
14-40 dead, unknown injured |
The Battle of Pinjarra was a conflict that occurred in Pinjarra, Western Australia, between a group of 60-80 Australian Aborigines and Governor of the colony of Western Australia and a detachment of 25 armed soldiers in 1834. The name 'battle' has been criticised by many as disguising the true nature of the conflict, that of a massacre.[citation needed]
[edit] Details
On October 28, 1834, mounted and armed settlers, led by Governor James Stirling, the Surveyor General Septimus Roe and Thomas Peel, attacked an encampment of 60-80 Aboriginal people, on the banks of the Pinjarra River. The Pindjarep, sensing trouble, fled into the bush. Stirling divided his party and attempted to encircle the fleeing group. They caught them at a river crossing, and when the Aborigines showed signs of retaliation, the settlers fired at them, killing some. Estimates of the number of deaths vary widely: settler accounts say between 10 and 80 people were killed; Aboriginal oral history accounts suggest 150 (a figure which may include deaths over a longer time frame). One policeman, Captain Theophalus Ellis, later died of spear wounds. Surviving Aboriginal leaders were arrested, although they were released shortly afterwards. Stirling, a Royal Navy officer who had seen extensive action, declared the battle to be his finest victory.
