Minnamurra River massacre

Minnamurra River massacre
Date 1 October 1818 Location Minnamurra River bank, Illawarra Result Approximately six Wodiwodi people killed in clash with colonial settlers
Belligerents
William Frederick Weston, Cornelius O'Brien and seven convicts and labourers	Unknown group, Wodiwodi people
Commanders and leaders
William Frederick Weston	Unknown
Strength
nine	Unknown
Casualties and losses
None	approximately six, exact number unknown

On 1 October 1818, approximately six Wodiwodi people were killed in a clash with nine settlers from the Colony of New South Wales along the Minnamurra River in the Illawarra, New South Wales.

The settlers claimed to have been attempting to recover two muskets which had been lent to some of the Aboriginal people which escalated into an armed clash. Local Dapto property owner, William Frederick Weston, his site overseer, Cornelius O'Brien, along with seven unknown convicts and labourers approached an Aboriginal campsite in the early hours of the morning, armed with muskets, swords and knives attached to long sticks. An armed clash resulted. ^{[1] [ better source needed ]}

Location

The exact location of the massacre is disputed. Research led by Professor Lyndall Ryan, has led to an agreement^{[ by whom? ]} of the approximate location of the massacre site.^{[ where? ] [2] [3]}

In 2019, the Kiama Council unveiled a memorial in commemoration of the massacre, the memorial was erected at the southern end of the Minnamurra Bridge ^[4]

See also

• List of massacres of Indigenous Australians
• Australian frontier wars

References

1. Fist, Rebecca (1 October 2018). "Kiama Council formally acknowledges 1818 Minnamurra massacre". Kiama Independent. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
2. Fist, Rebecca (6 July 2017). "Aboriginal massacre close to home". Kiama Independent. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
3. "Mapping the massacres of Australia's colonial frontier". The University of Newcastle, Australia. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
4. Law, Cathy (3 October 2019). "Acknowledging the past". ARCHIVE ONLY: latest news at www.thebuglenewspaper.com.au. Retrieved 8 July 2025.